Queen’s Park Ladies v Vale of Clyde Ladies - SWPL 22nd. August 2007

Queen’s Park Ladies 8 ... Vale of Clyde Ladies 2

 Spiders bounce back

In the days leading up to this game, the Spiders had seen key players such as Lauren MacMillan, Stephanie Handley, Terri Donnelly, Laura Lyttle, Kate Lagan, Stephanie Horn, Tigger Kirkwood, Suzy Gribbin and Nicky Black all need treatment for injury. Physio Gillian Lavery had worked feverishly behind the scenes to ensure most of the girls were patched up for the kick-off despite MacMillan and Handley having to sit out. Terri Donnelly was pronounced fit to partner Amy McDonald at the back and Nicky Black started upfront.

Having a good record from last season against last nights fellow promotion winners meant the Spiders could be confident and know what to expect from their opponents, but the visitors from Vale of Clyde started at a frantic pace, forcing 3 corners in the first 3 minutes and Kate Lagan had to make herself big to block twice from shots inside the 18 yard box. However, Lorna Gray eased the pressure on the Spiders and cleared from her own box to relieve the 5-minute siege Vale of Clyde had lain to the Spiders goal. This proved to be the only significant pressure Clyde were able to exert on the Spiders goal as from the 6th minute to the 45th, Queens Park played some scintillating football. With every player keen to get on the ball the Spiders drove and drove at Vale of Clyde, with Sara Paterson, Michelle Pasnik, Jennifer Beattie, Amy McDonald and the outstanding Cheryl McCulloch at the heart of everything.

The Spiders opened the scoring through Nicky Black after fine work from Sara Paterson and Cheryl McCulloch, with the second goal following very shortly afterwards from Jennifer Beattie who had latched on to an inch-perfect pass from Amy McDonald to finish comfortably. The Spiders were playing some tremendous high-tempo stuff and Cheryl McCulloch added a third after some outstanding work from Sara Paterson on the right hand side. Big Chez has been a key performer ever since she joined Queens and is proving herself to be an outstanding front player at the tender age of 17.

Sara Paterson was proving to be a real outlet for the Spiders and was being “double-teamed” by Clyde who simply couldn’t get near her. Several times “Patsy” would jink and weave her way into the box and force a corner or a free kick after some desperate defending by the Clyde rearguard, but even then Sara would prove to be a thorn in their side with some wicked deliveries from set-pieces. She delivered some tantalising crosses for her team-mates in the box, which went agonisingly close from Amy McDonald and Terri Donnelly, then decided to go one better and simply whipped the ball straight into the top corner to make it 4-0.



Seeing the individual skill of a team-mate can have a galvanising effect, and Skipper Amy McDonald took her lead from Patsy and picked up the ball in her own half, before riding several tackles and driving straight through to the keeper, whom she dummied to her left, leaving an open goal and a slight angle. This was no trouble and she slotted home from close range. Amy looked calmness personified as she strolled back to her position at the heart of the backline, but she was more than pleased having sent a Jonny Wilkinson-esque attempt sailing over from a free kick moments earlier. This of course didn’t go un-noticed from her merciless team-mates on the sideline!

The half finished 5-0 to the Spiders, having controlled it totally for 40 minutes and the back line never looking troubled with both Lorna Gray and Nicola Barbour putting in sterling shows at both full-back positions. The demand at the break was of course for more of the same high-tempo incisive football but Kate Lagan in the Queens goal had to come off injured, to be replaced by midfielder Suzy Gribbin. Kate’s ankle had swollen up severely and with a healthy lead the sensible decision was not to risk her further.

Clyde scored 2 goals in the first 15 minutes of the half from set pieces, leaving the slimmest glimmer of hope, which was quickly extinguished when Amy McDonald scored again, directly from a Sara Paterson corner. This left Clyde more than deflated and Bridie McDonald received a straight red card for a cynical tackle from behind on Sara Paterson. With 11 on the pitch against a tiring 10, the Spiders pressed still further with Nicky Black extending the lead after fine combination work from Sara Paterson and Michelle Pasnik.

Michelle Pasnik and Jennifer Beattie had worked together very well in the midfield engine room, with both going from back to front easily and constantly demanding the ball and providing positive angles for team-mates. Beattie as the more powerful of the two was able to drive into the Clyde box constantly, knowing that Michelle Pasnik was covering her runs, and likewise Beattie was able to create space for Pasnik when the little buzzbomb was on the ball, which seemed to be an almost constant feature in this game as the Spiders consistently played the game the only way they know how, through defence, midfield and attack.

Michelle Pasnik got her just rewards with the last goal of the game, as Sara Paterson provided her third assist of the evening by rolling the ball to the edge of the 18 yard box, where Pasnik took a touch and drilled it perfectly into the top left hand corner. That certainly seems to be Michelle’s favourite spot as her goal against Edinburgh went into exactly the same place!!!

Soon after, both Sara Paterson (to a resounding applause) and Jennifer Beattie were withdrawn for Tigger Kirkwood and Jennifer Condie. Condie was playing along with Nicola Barbour as a trialist to help their old team-mates out, and it was a pleasure to see them both back in the hoops and playing with gusto. On the sidelines, both Vinny Bryson and Gerry O’Kane were clearly delighted with the quality of the performance and of the goals, as the Spiders now have points on the board and a positive goal difference.



Gerry O’Kane was full of praise for the team, commenting on their control of the first half. “It was a real boost to see the last 40 of that first half, but Clyde really hammered at us in the first five minutes, it was backs to the wall. However the girls weathered that storm and produced a fine performance. I couldn’t pick a stand-out, although everyone of the strikers and midfielders got on the scoresheet except Tina Ferguson, and she rattled the crossbar, so we’ll go home happy and build on this.”