Queens impressive start to the season suffered a setback as they were beaten in extra - time by a goal-to-nil by holders Livingston in tonight`s 2nd round PetrofacTraining Cup tie at Palmerston. In a game of few chances, the contest looked like going all the way to lottery of a penalty shoot-out, but on 116 minutes, striker Jordan White scored to send the team from West Lothian through to the last eight of the competition.
After Saturday`s win against the same opponents, Queens boss, James Fowler, made four changes to the team that started in that game, as he gave a debut to recent signing Paul Heffernan, and also handed first starts to both Kyle Hutton, and Darren Brownlie, whilst Jake Pickard also found a place in midfield. Both Andy Dowie, and Iain Russell were rested, whilst Derek Lyle, and Jordan Marshall were given substitute roles.
Queens lined up in a 3-1-4-2 formation with Dale Hilson partnering debutant Paul Heffernan up front, and it was the hosts who carved out the first half chance of the game. Mark Millar`s pass found Ryan Conroy in space on the left and although his cross picked out Hilson, he was unable to climb high enough to get his header on target.
The opening phase of the game was a very scrappy affair with both sides guilty of wasting the ball, and the change of personnel, and formation for Queens made it difficult for the hosts to find any cohesion to their play. On 18 minutes Millar almost picked out the run into the area of Conroy with a delightful pass with the outside of his boot, but as defender Sives intervened, the flag was raised in any case. The former Hearts and Queens defender was involved in the action moments later as he became the first player to be booked by referee, Graham, after a late challenge in midfield on Jake Pickard.
Pickard challenges
Mid-way through the half, Queens won their first corner of the game which saw Conroy deliver the set-piece to the near post and a tightly marked Heffernan only able to guide a flicked header wide of the target. The new signing might have done better than to drag a shot wide during Queens` next attack, after good play involving Pickard, Millar, and Hutton, set him up.
The visitors had barely threatened to test Robbie Thomson in the opening half an hour, but they were given a boost by some slack play by Queens, and in particular by Kyle Jacobs. Three times in as many minutes he lost possession and it was only thanks to a combination of poor play from Livingston, and two exceptional challenges by Darren Brownlie that prevented the visitors from inflicting more danger to the Queens defence.The away side were enjoying their best spell of the game at this point, and although Hippolyte`s shot from distance was well off the mark, their confidence was lifted by Queens sloppy play.
Brownlie made an impressive debut
It was apparent that Jacobs was not comfortable playing on the left, and the manager responded to the situation by moving him to the right and Lewis Kidd moved across to the left, and the move almost bore fruit straight away as Jacobs delivered a superb cross in from the right that was only inches away from being met by the onrushing Heffernan. That was the last action of a pretty disappointing first half during which neither goalkeeper had a save to make.
HALF-TIME QUEENS 0-0 LIVINGSTON
Queens made a change at the start of the 2nd half with Jordan Marshall replacing Jake Pickard, with the change also seeing Jacobs move into midfield and Kidd reverting to the right side of the back three. Just three minutes later Queens had to shuffle the pack again when Dale Hilson appeared to suffer a pulled muscle and had to be replaced by young Aidan Smith.The pattern of the game continued much in the same way as the first half had played out with both sides being guilty of giving the ball away rather needlessly, and one such error by Livi `keeper Jamieson should really have resulted in Queens taking the lead. A quick free kick aimed towards Heffernan caused panic between Sives and Jamieson and when the `keeper`s clearance went straight to Heffernan his quick lay off set up a shooting opportunity for Millar, but from 14 yards out he placed his shot wide of the gaping goal.
Just short of the hour mark, Queens made their final change when Derek Lyle replaced Heffernan. With chances at a premium the longer the game wore on, the more likely it looked as though the game would go to extra-time, but the home fans in the crowd of 1189 breathed a sigh of relief when an error by Brownlie - who up until that moment hadn`t put a foot wrong - sliced his attempted clearance straight into the path of White, but thankfully he rushed his shot and his effort flew high over the bar.
Both Hutton and then Millar received bookings for clumsy challenges, and then Queens were grateful to see Robbie Thomson produce a splendid one-handed save to push a Sives header away for a corner. Queens then had two chances to win the game before the final whistle. Firstly, a long ball looking for Lyle caused `keeper Jamieson to kick his clearance straight to Ryan Conroy, and the quick thinking midfielder guided a shot from fully 40 yards only just past the post as the relieved Livingston defence looked on. Then with their next attack Conroy`s cross picked out the unmarked Millar, but unfortunately he mistimed his diving header and the chance had gone, maybe if it was Lyle on the end of the cross the result would have been different. So just like last season`s meeting between the sides in this competition, extra-time beckoned.
Thomson at full stretch to take the tie to extra time
EXTRA-TIME
The hosts got the extra period underway, and the persistence of Lewis Kidd saw them win an early free-kick in what was a promising position, but once again like so many of the set-plays, yet again this one was wasted.The best chance of the period fell to Queens when a clever pass from Jacobs sent Aidan Smith racing clear and when the youngster set up Derek Lyle for a shot from 12 yards it looked as though the breakthrough had arrived, but the striker`s shot was too close to the `keeper who saved well, and although the ball rebounded back to Smith, he was unable to keep his shot on target.
The visitors began the second period of extra time with more urgency, and the lively substitute Mullen was at the heart of all their good build up play, and as they began to dominate the game, Queens started to look tired as their efforts took their toll. A succession of corners put the Queens defence under strong pressure as the visitors chased a goal.Striker White fired over from distance, and then saw his shot at the near post hit Robbie Thomson and deflect over the bar as the away side sensed a victory.
With just 4 minutes of the contest to go and with everyone starting to prepare for a penalty shoot-out, Livingston grabbed the winner. A corner was floated in from the left and as several players fell to the ground, the ball bounced off of the back of White and rolled over the line to send the away players, and fans into raptures. A few Queens players started appealing for what they thought was a foul, but neither the referee, or his assistant were moved and the goal stood.
Queens players claim for the handball by White but the referee was unmoved
So for the second season running Livingston ended Queens` interest in the Petrofac Training cup, on a night when the home side were not quite able to find a way to score.