QOS 09/10

Queen of The South Cup 2009-10

This year the Queen of the South Cup has new sponsors.The Junior Blues club who are part of the Queens Trust who also are sponsoring the league this season.

The draw for the Cup was made at the February League Management Meeting.

Round 1

Maxwelltown Thistle 13-0 First Base Dynamos

Dynamo Star 3-1 YMCA

Round 2

Stewartry 2-8 Dynamo Star

Terregles Athletic 0-15 Morton Thistle

Lochmaben 3-1 Upper Annandale

Lochar Thistle 3-1 Maxwelltown Thistle

Semi-Finals

Lochmaben 3-1 Dynamo Star

Lochar Thistle 5-0 Morton Thistle

Final played at Palmerston Park on Wednesday 28th April 2010

Lochar Thistle 3-5 Lochmaben (HT 1-3) Match Programme

Lochmaben end 39 year QOS Cup Drought.

Match Report

It has taken Lochmaben 39 years of trying but they finally lifted the Dumfries and District Amateur Football League’s premier trophy, the Queen of the South Cup for the first time on Wednesday night in front of a large crowd. The final was sponsored by the Junior Blues, a part of the Queens Trust saw Lochmaben defeat Lochar Thistle by five goals to three in one of the best finals seen for many a year. The game was played in near perfect conditions on an excellent surface at Palmerston which certainly contributed to the quality of the match especially after the teams have had to suffer playing on hard and bumpy pitches lately.

Recently Lochar Thistle have been getting off to a quick start in their matches but on Wednesday it was Lochmaben who got into their game early and they got the perfect start when an unmarked Laurie Maxwell tapped in at the back post from close range from a well taken corner in the 5^th minute. The match was ten minutes old before Lochar mounted their first serious attack, with Mike McGauchie running on to a clever Colin Coulter through ball. Unfortunately his finish went wide of the post.

Lochar striker James Rogerson then tested Craig Scobie with a fierce shot from 25 yards out. The Lochmaben keeper did well to palm the ball over the bar for a corner.

Thistle kept the pressure on and a Steven Couper cross was headed over from close range after some tricky play from Rogerson and McGauchie had released Couper.

Then in the 20^th minute came a bit of real quality, Steven Hislop directed a header into the top corner from a long range free kick taken by Alan Maxwell to put Lochmaben in the driving seat at 2-0 up. Lochar responded with several attacks of their own and pulled a goal back 5 minutes later, again Couper, who had a good game wide on the right put in an excellent cross. Terry Jardine cleverly brought the ball down and neatly laid the ball into Trevor Campbell’s path for the winger to fire home from close range.

The game settled down from the frenetic first 25 minutes and Lochmaben slowly exerted some pressure on the Lochar defence forcing several corners in succession. It was during this period of dominance that they restored their two goal lead, again it was Hislop who delivered the goods. This time the striker profited from another Maxwell long range free kick, hooking the ball over his head into the top corner, leaving Lochar keeper Alan Gordon with no chance.

Yet again Lochar responded when McGauchie made a late run to beat the offside trap and it was only due to the fact that the ball would not come down in time that he didn’t get an attempt at goal, Ross Kuklisnki who had an excellent match tracked back to clear the danger up. Campbell then spurned Lochar’s best chance to reduce the deficit when he chipped over the bar from only 8 yards out. Then in the 40^th minute some neat close control by Rogerson allowed him to deliver a cross deep into the box. Jardine however, got under the ball and he headed over from close range. Half-time came with Lochmaben leading by two goals in what was an exhilarating 45 minutes.

There must have been something on Lochar’s half-time drinks because they came out fired up and went straight into the attack. They were rewarded with a dubious penalty three minutes after the re-start. Laurie Maxwell seemed have won the ball cleanly from Rogerson but the referee saw it differently and awarded the spot kick. Rogerson dusted himself down and sent Scobie the wrong way from the spot kick. Keith Houston then had a great chance to restore Lochmaben’s two goal lead when he found himself unmarked 12 yards out. Unfortunately his shot was weak and straight at the keeper, a relieved Gordon collected the ball easily. Lochar then had another good chance to level in the 64^th minute. Veteran Jim Brown picked up a loose ball in midfield and drove at the Lochmaben defence who backed off. Brown then released Couper who then sliced his shot high and wide after a neat turn. Lochar’s pressure eventually paid off and they drew level with a well worked goal. Campbell picked the ball up wide on the right after a pinpoint cross-field pass by Coulter. Campbell drove into the box and when keeper Scobie came out to meet him he slid a pass to Rogerson who sidefooted home from 8 yards out, game on.

With both team tiring on the big Palmerston pitch Ross Kuklinski started to get a bit more freedom in the middle of the park. Lochmaben restored their lead from one of his darting runs. In the 80^th minute he found space out on the right and delivered a perfect cross to striker Charles Common who with his back to goal, 8 yards out, brought the ball down and turned and fired home in one fluid movement. Substitute Gary White tested Gordon in the Lochar goal again several minutes later with a shot which needed the keeper to be at full stretch to palm it out for a corner. With only a couple of minutes remaining Common put the game beyond reach with a superb volley from 10 yards out. Kuklinski was the provider yet again with another good cross, a great finale to a fine cup final.

After the match, Secretary Graham Lochart thanked both teams and the officials for an excellent final. Thanks were also given to Queen of the South FC for the use of Palmerston, which was in excellent condition. Sponsors representative David Linden was helped by Junior Blues members Ross Findlater and Ryan Power to present the medals. Captain Alan Maxwell received the cup on Lochmaben’s behalf. The Man of the Match award, picked by Ross and Ryan, went to Lochmaben striker Charles Common, although there were several players from both teams in the reckoning.

Starting Elevens

Lochar - A.Gordon, C.Coulter, R.Laidlaw, R.Blyth, J.Brown, S.Couper, M.McGuachie, C.Jones, T.Campbell, Terry Jardine, J.Rogerson

Lochmaben - C.Scobie, A.Maxwell, L.Maxwell, A.Thom, S.Johnstone, K.Houston, S.Ramsay, R.Kuklinski, S.watson, C.Common, S.Hislop

Photos