Queens Park Thread

[Lenziejag]

59 minutes ago, dl1971 said:

Chalmers was awful first half. Pretty sure he was at fault for their goal? But yes he did create our second. Nb megwa is not a left back....

But better than Sayers today.

[jagfox]

55 minutes ago, Jimmy McD said:

ok they never scored

What?

[Winter of '63]

A dogged victory...like our home wins against Dunfermline & Ayr it was barely deserved but welcome nonetheless...and Ashcroft, O'Reilly and Bannigan in particular merited their win bonuses. 

Chalmers' languid/lackadaisical style conceded possession for their goal but he showed persistence for the pin-ball assist for our winner and the woodwork helped for the opener and the deflection on to the bar late on...the old adage that it's better to be lucky than good was very true today. I'm willing to cut him and Fitzpatrick a bit of slack as there is always a chance they will create an opening. With Robinson playing quite far forward, surely Turner or McBeth are better midfield options that the ineffective Crawford.

The other results went our way this weekend and we have shown grit and determination to look secure for a play-off spot...I would love to see us spark into a fluid & exciting run of form to make a genuine challenge...but I'm not convinced it will happen.

 

[exiledjag]

Oh well do much for my predictions/expectations.

1. I got the Jags result correct - a win - bit not the score. I predicted 3-1.

2. I expected Ayr and Livingston to win -  got both wrong!

Morton getting a draw away to Ayr gives me concerns for next Tuesday at Cappilow. Anyone else concerned?

League Table looking better tonight and will look much better if we can win on Tuesday night.

[Auld Jag]

We started well and took a deserved lead. After about 20minutes or so Queens Park came back into it and scored a very good goal. We started the second half well and went ahead again a couple of minutes into it. Queens had a couple of chances including the one that came off the bar. Although the last 10minutes or so so was very nervy we defended well, at one point Ferrie was the only player in the Queens Park half. A good 3 points today and another 3 points on Tuesday would make the top 4 off the league more interesting.

Good to chat to William from the excellent @The Thistle Archive pre match.

[ChiThistle]

Would like to register appreciation for Graham today, who ran his socks off (and it looked like maybe his injury near the end was more down to needing a breather?).

As others noted, it was a really gritty finish once we got the 2nd, and I think the rest of the team followed the lead set by the captain.  Ablade appeared to show his appreciation after the final whistle.

For Graham’s sake, I hope he gets the Scotland women’s job and gets to make a clean transition to full-time management.

[Auld Jag]

5 minutes ago, ChiThistle said:

Would like to register appreciation for Graham today, who ran his socks off (and it looked like maybe his injury near the end was more down to needing a breather?).

As others noted, it was a really gritty finish once we got the 2nd, and I think the rest of the team followed the lead set by the captain.  Ablade appeared to show his appreciation after the final whistle.

For Graham’s sake, I hope he gets the Scotland women’s job and gets to make a clean transition to full-time management.

I didn't think BBG had his best game today, imo in the first half he was trying things and they just didn't work out. On the plus side he never stops trying even when things aren't working, he had some good defence clearing headers and of course the most important stat, he scored our 2 goals, they were easy tap ins, but that happens because of the positions he took up in the box. Also thought our players were finding the surface a bit difficult as some slipped a few times.

[Barney Rubble]

Random observations:

Excellent result given that QP had so many good openings but didn't create any sitters with their possession, except the one in the first half that Myles saved brilliantly low down to his left.

Megwa is never ever a left back. Please put that experiment in the bin marked 'Never to be repeated'.

Fitzpatrick was too keen to fall on his arse anytime he felt a hand on his back. The ref didn't buy the first couple, so why did he continue doing it?

Chalmers did bloody well for the winning goal..That was a tremendous example of why you never give up until the ball is out of play. Took a while for me to warm to him, but he does bring a welcome unorthodoxy to our forward play.

Ashcroft and O'Reilly have a superb understanding at the back. Easily the best centre back pairing we've had since the Freddie Frans seasons.

Bannigan has been a revelation since he came back into the team (wild tackle today apart). He looks like he's enjoying his football at the level he was before he got his serious injury. Long may it continue.

Happy Christmas to all Jags fans wherever you may be across the globe.  See you next Saturday!!

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Firstly we deserved the win. We were the better team. And like others I'm full of praise for our last line defending.

However I doubt I was alone in worrying just how much we allowed that last line to be tested. There's no way the rest of the team should put that much pressure on them. Backing off, little if any ball retention in the opposition half, waiving possession all leading to such ridiculously deep defending.   In short we tend to make winning kinda difficult.

[JAG1970]

5 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Firstly we deserved the win. We were the better team. And like others I'm full of praise for our last line defending.

However I doubt I was alone in worrying just how much we allowed that last line to be tested. There's no way the rest of the team should put that much pressure on them. Backing off, little if any ball retention in the opposition half, waiving possession all leading to such ridiculously deep defending.   In short we tend to make winning kinda difficult.

Thought we were a tad fortunate to take the 3 points given we didn’t test Ferrie at all in the second half (aside from our goal), and as you point out we conceded loads of possession and defended too deeply. Something we’ve seen too often this season. Great defending again from OReilly and my MoTM Ashcroft and some good saves from Robert’s (if only he would improve his kicking).

But I’m hoping the transfer window finds that elusive defensive midfielder we so desperately need to make a serious challenge in the second half of the season. Results this weekend show the points gap isn’t insurmountable but we need the middle of the park strengthened if we want to seriously push on.

[Grubber8468]

Good win today and especially that we didn’t play particularly well. Thought QP bossed large parts of the game without troubling Robert’s too much. Without claiming to be a football guru it’s worrying how much time other teams look as if they have against us and seem to cut through easily to our 18 yard line. Defence looks good in middle but megwa ain’t a left back! Good results elsewhere as well…. Still looking up the way! Did that one in second half not hit Ashcroft on arM before hitting bar?? 

Edited December 28, 2024 by Grubber8468

[allyo]

5 hours ago, javeajag said:

No idea how we won that … great three points but we won’t win many more playing like that 

How many times can you say that and still believe it while we keep winning games?

[Duke Gekantawa]

1 hour ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Firstly we deserved the win. We were the better team. And like others I'm full of praise for our last line defending.

However I doubt I was alone in worrying just how much we allowed that last line to be tested. There's no way the rest of the team should put that much pressure on them. Backing off, little if any ball retention in the opposition half, waiving possession all leading to such ridiculously deep defending.   In short we tend to make winning kinda difficult.

That’s the interesting thing for me. Doolan has clearly decided, more or less from day one in management, that the best way to hold onto a narrow lead is to cede possession, sit back and absorb (i.e. defend for your life). The truly weird thing for me is just how effective it’s been. We have successfully seen out so many games under Doolan in this same fashion. We so rarely concede that horrible last minute goal which used to feel inevitable a few years ago. More than that, we never really look like doing so. Again today, during that last 10 minutes I can’t remember conceding a genuine chance - QP never looked like scoring again after the deflection onto the post earlier in the half

[Duke Gekantawa]

We’re now only a point away from having the title in our own hands. we’re top of both the 5 and 10 match form table and Graham has reclaimed his Championship top scorer mantle. Every reason to be targeting Falkirk and first. I still think they’ll falter at some stage.

[Lambies Lost Doo]

4 hours ago, Lenziejag said:

But better than Sayers today.

I thought Sayers was OK but if hooked with no injury then ai guess you and Dools disagreed with me.

[fenski]

Looked like Roberts was saying goodbye, so maybe it's true he's being recalled? And also respect to the ref for holding up the game during the minute's applause.

[Duke Gekantawa]

3 minutes ago, Lambies Lost Doo said:

I thought Sayers was OK but if hooked with no injury then ai guess you and Dools disagreed with me.

Better than Megwa for me. Sometimes fullbacks can seamlessly switch sides. Megwa does not seem to be one of those fullbacks

[lady-isobel-barnett]

6 minutes ago, Duke Gekantawa said:

That’s the interesting thing for me. Doolan has clearly decided, more or less from day one in management, that the best way to hold onto a narrow lead is to cede possession, sit back and absorb (i.e. defend for your life). The truly weird thing for me is just how effective it’s been. We have successfully seen out so many games under Doolan in this same fashion. We so rarely concede that horrible last minute goal which used to feel inevitable a few years ago. More than that, we never really look like doing so. Again today, during that last 10 minutes I can’t remember conceding a genuine chance - QP never looked like scoring again after the deflection onto the post earlier in the half

You may well have a good point. We don't have midfielders equipped to break up play, so the next best thing is to back off and crowd out the penalty box. But that still doesn't excuse the poor retention of the ball when we do get hold of it especially in forward areas. Been trying to avoid the cliché but we don't do our defending in the opposition half.

[Jaggernaut]

6 hours ago, Lambies Lost Doo said:

Our midfield is not controlling the game and to often we break and then end up doubling back or stopping and putting our foot on the ball.  We don't lose possession but the opposition have managed to get back into defensive shape.

That is indeed a big problem. The lack of pace in any move starting from midfield is startling. It's stop, make a sideways or backwards pass, doing nothing but allowing the opposition to get into defensive positions. The tv commentators noted how a couple of passes and fast running on and off the ball got QP from their own penalty box to ours in a couple of seconds, in contrast to our insistence on slow build-ups.

Fortunate indeed to get a couple of breaks when needed, and well done to the defence for holding out towards the end. It wasn't pretty, but an important three points in the end. 

Edited December 29, 2024 by Jaggernaut

[jaggy]

1 hour ago, fenski said:

Looked like Roberts was saying goodbye, so maybe it's true he's being recalled? And also respect to the ref for holding up the game during the minute's applause.

I heard that rumour about Robert’s.

Great point about the minutes applause, fortunate the ball went of play out but brilliant refereeing to hold the throw in and also the fact that him and the players joined in. Compare that to Falkirk fans quite disgraceful chanting during a minutes applause for an ex-Dunfermline player on Friday night that the BBC commentary team just ignored.

[Lenziejag]

8 hours ago, Duke Gekantawa said:

Better than Megwa for me. Sometimes fullbacks can seamlessly switch sides. Megwa does not seem to be one of those fullbacks

What he did better than Sayers yesterday was close down the attacker. Sayers was standing off too much allowing the crosses to come in. 

[Lenziejag]

9 hours ago, Duke Gekantawa said:

We’re now only a point away from having the title in our own hands. we’re top of both the 5 and 10 match form table and Graham has reclaimed his Championship top scorer mantle. Every reason to be targeting Falkirk and first. I still think they’ll falter at some stage.

I love your optimism, but unfortunately Shaw scored twice yesterday too, so Graham is still 2nd in the scoring charts.

[Dick Dastardly]

If you multiply goals scored by players age, is there anyone in professional football with a higher number than BBG ?

[Duke Gekantawa]

2 hours ago, Lenziejag said:

I love your optimism, but unfortunately Shaw scored twice yesterday too, so Graham is still 2nd in the scoring charts.

I stand corrected- the main point still stands though.

[Lenziejag]

1 hour ago, Duke Gekantawa said:

I stand corrected- the main point still stands though.

Our poor start combined with Falkirk’s great start still makes it a tough ask. As you say for it to be almost within our own hands is quite an achievement for the team.