Queen’s Park 2 Montrose 3

Head Coach Craig Joyce made 1 change to the starting XI from the previous outing against East Fife as Caitlin McKee replaced Carla Todd. Chloe Docherty also returned to the matchday squad for the first time in almost 2 years as she continues her recovery from a horrific knee injury in June 2021.

The opening 10 minutes was a cagey affair as both teams battled to gain control of the game. Lauren Grant was the first to be called into action as she was forced to turn a Erin Ross strike wide. Leah Daly would be the first to strike on target for the Spider with a free-kick from distance. Unfortunately for Queen’s Park, it was saved by Beth Mowatt in goal for the visitors.

From a Lauren Gordon free-kick, the ball fell to Stacy McFadyen who struck just wide of the post. From the resulting goal-kick, the ball ended up at the opposite goal as Nicole Cairney and Caitlin McKee hunted the ball from Mowatt. The pressure paid off and Cairney was able to set up McKee to strike into the net, but the presence of Montrose defenders was enough to keep the ball out of the net and score level.

As the game grew, so did Queen’s Park control of the game. In the 32nd minute, they made it count. Ellie Kane played a pass through for Abby Callaghan. As the Montrose defenders tried to clear the ball, Callaghan riffled the ball into the back of the net on the half-volley from 20 yards – netting her 15th goal of the season in all competitions. Queen’s Park continued to push in search of their second goal. A Daly free-kick on the stroke of half-time looked destined for the net had it not been for Georgia Carter on the line.

Half-Time: Queen’s Park 1-0 Montrose

Before some had even returned from the clubhouse after half-time the game was turned on it’s head. A Montrose corner was delivered into the Queen’s Park 6-yard box. The ball bounced around and ended up in the net, as Aimee Cully ran away celebrating the goal. Before the Spiders even had time to process the goal, Stacey McFadyen put Montrose in front with a strike from 25 yards. 1 minute and 30 seconds later, it was 3-1 to Montrose. The Spiders failed to deal with a bouncing ball across the box. McFadyen acrobatically knocked the ball towards goal and Charlotte Gammie was there to nod it into the empty net.

Queen’s Park managed to regain composure and a foothold in the game after a crazy 8 minute period. The Spiders were given a life-line back into the match on 62 minutes when Aimee Cully was shown a second yellow card and ordered off the pitch. Shortly after Queen’s Park were able to make their extra player advantage count. Cairney played a quick corner to Kane who was able to find the net from a very tight and wide angle.

Montrose had the ball in the net for a 4th time, but Louise Brown was judged to be offside by the referee and the score remained 3-2, with Queen’s Park really piling on the pressure to get back in the game. Great footwork from Cairney on the lefthand side allowed her to fire a cross into Callaghan’s feet, but the striker wasn’t able to get the ball past Mowatt. With 5 minutes of normal time remaining, Callaghan thought she got her side back on level terms with a great strike across the Montrose goalkeeper. However, it wasn’t to be as the referee disallowed this goal for offside. Despite the pressure, Queens were unable to find the crucial third goal and Montrose left Glasgow with all 3 points.

Full-Time: Queen’s Park 2-3 Montrose

Queen’s Park: Lauren Grant, Ellie Kane, Ciara Bonner, Nicole Cairney, Abby Callaghan, Leah Daly, Caitlin McKee (Carla Todd, ’74), Taylor Davis, Eleanor Smith (Abbi McDonald, ’74), Yasmin Boyce, Rachael O’Neill. Subs not used: Chloe Gibney, Alex Fraser, Sophie Bayless, Lauren Ray, Sarah MacLeod, Jaya Gill, Chloe Docherty.

Montrose: Beth Mowatt, Erin Ross, Georgia Carter, Amy Strath (Scarlett Brady, ’84), Aimee Culley, Louise Brown, Stacey McFadyen (Demi Taylor, ’88), London Pollard, Lauren Gordon (Eilidh Reid, ’69), Charlotte Gammie, Talitha Robb. Subs not used: Anna Blanchard, Megan Burns, Hayley Kern, Aimee Ridgeway.