Queen’s Park 1 Edinburgh City 0
Queen’s Park secured progression into the next round of the SPFL Trust with a 1-0 win over visitors Edinburgh City thanks to Jack Turner’s second half strike.
Callum Davidson made three changes to his line-up with Cammy Kerr returning to the line-up after injury with Louis Longridge and Liam McLeish also starting with Dane Murray dropping out due to Scotland under-21 duty, Sean Welsh rested after picking up a knock and Zak Rudden moved to the substitutes’ bench.
Skipper Dom Thomas kicked proceedings off with Ryan Duncan showing early touches in an advanced left sided position and the on-loan Aberdeen man won a corner on four minutes after his cross, following a pass from Thomas, was deflected wide.
Visiting captain Jon Robertson headed Roddy MacGregor’s delivery passed for another set-piece that James Stokes did likewise with before the third delivery was cleared.
Kerr picked up a yellow card five minutes later for a sliding challenge on Quinn Mitchell 15 yards into the visitors’ half.
Duncan impressed again with a clever dummy that saw him skip clear on the left and he rode a challenge before being crowded out as he looked to create danger.
The game’s first shot on goal came on 18 minutes when Queen’s worked the ball from right to left and that created space for Josh Scott to have a crack from 20 yards however Mark Weir was well-placed to save.
A second chance came 90 seconds later as Kerr and Turner exchanged passes before Kerr’s shot was deflected past for another corner. A further opening was created on 26 minutes when Thomas slipped McLeish through on goal with the striker firing just wide under pressure.
Just before the half-jour mark Longridge was set free by MacGregor on the right and, after McLeish was just out of reach for the cut-back, Duncan shot over.
City were happy to hit on the break and Niko Ujdur did well to find Turner with a headed clearance as a two versus two situation threatened.
Six minutes from the break Thomas looked set to break the deadlock when he picked up on a Lewis McArthur error and skipped away from the defender before dancing his way through on goal only for Weir spread himself to save.
As the hosts kept the pressure on McLeish was only inches out with an angled drive that fizzed past the far post.
City forced a corner on 41 minutes and Jack Wills did well under pressure to come off his line and punch the curling ball clear and as the visitors looked to sneak into a half-time lead substitute Kodi McKinstry sent a 20-yard shot well over before coming much closer with a low effort from a similar distance.
Queen’s carved out one more opportunity before the half-time whistle when Thomas met a McLeish cross with a volley but again Weir saved.
Half-time – Queen’s Park 0 Edinburgh City 0
Thirty seconds into the restart City came close again as James Stokes was sent in behind the home defence and Wills had to produce a fine one-handed diving stop to keep his goal intact.
On 48 minutes Turner earned a corner for The Spiders however the next chance was created at the other end when Connor Young sent in an effort that flashed just wide.
McKinstry was booked for a hefty challenge on Kerr on 51 minutes with Kerr unfortunate again on 55 minutes when referee Stuart ignored appeals for a penalty after he tumbled in the box.
A goal came for Queen’s on 59 minutes when Longridge seized on a loose ball 25 yards out and fed Thomas who took the ball for a walk along the 18-yard line before teeing up TURNER to sweep home with a shot along the turf.
Wills was forced into another good stop after Young had a long-distance pop at goal before Jon Robertson did well at the other end to avoid an own goal when he diverted a Kerr cross wide.
Home substitute Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia was denied his first ever senior goal with 17 minutes left when Weir pushed away his close-range effort following a Turner cross from the left.
On 75 minutes a Thomas pass rolled into the path of another replacement, Josh Hinds, and his attempt at a first ever Black and White goal just went over the bar.
Hinds sent another drive into the side-netting on 81 minutes with Hickey-Fugaccia denied five minutes by Weir after a clever Turner pass.
In injury time McArthur upended a surging Hinds to concede a penalty with the striker taking responsibility for the spot-kick only for Weir to deny him a goal with a fine stop to his left.
Queen’s Park – Jack Wills, Cameron Kerr, Nikola Ujdur, Henry Fieldson, Ryan Duncan (Josh Hinds 53), Jack Turner, Louis Longridge (Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia 70), Roddy MacGregor, Josh Scott, Dom Thomas, Liam McLeish (Tyrece McDonnell 81).
Unused substitutes – Calum Ferrie (G/k), Zak Rudden, Max Fiddes, Magnus Mackenzie, Darryl Carrick, Michael Collie.
Edinburgh City – Mark Weir, Sam Gormley, Quinn Mitchell (Kodi McKinstry 14), Jon Robertson, Lewis McArthur, Edin Lynch, James Stokes, Sam Jones, Connor Young, Josh Grigor (Jake Rennie 70), Innes Lawson (Shea Scally 78).
Unused substitutes – Dean Beveridge (G/k), Callum Pitt.
Referee – Peter Stuart
Starting Eleven
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