Walking football continues to expand across the region, and most clubs take part in the National competitions (Glasgow), the Cumberland League (Whitehaven/Penrith/Carlisle) and Northern Ireland.  

Whilst competitive football is good for some it tends to leave out the less competitive players who are a big part of the overall numbers and probably the most invested group. In a recent meeting it was decreed that local events between the clubs should include festivals for non-competition players only to involve 65s to over 80s.  All the local clubs are invited to hold a festival at some point over the next two years making them a half-yearly event.  The first one took place at Galabank on Wednesday, and our Walking Football group were one of the teams who took part.

Given the opportunity to wear the club colours the team did very well. Although the scores were not recorded in a competitive way they are nevertheless important to those playing.  Stand in reporter, Peter Heath provided a roundup of the sides matches.

In their first match, Queens faced hosts Annan.  The fourteen players were fully familiar with each other but not necessarily used to playing as competitive teams and saw out a game of walking football as originally intended. Early on Queens stand-in goalkeeper Alan was the busier of the two keepers although as the game wore on the link up play between two stalwarts Kenny and Ally resulted in several pops at goal but neither side could find the net and the game ended goal-less.  

Next up for Queens was Kirkcudbright side, St Cuthbert Wanderers.  Team manager Andy issued a rallying call, and the gloves were off - unfortunately St Cuthbert's had the same idea. This game always had an edge to it but still within the philosophy of walking football. Alan in goal pulling off several saves in "continental" style to keep Saints out before Queens were awarded a penalty for incursion in the penalty area. Captain, Kenny hit it straight into the keeper’s midriff. Straight away on the break St Cuthbert's had three on two but Iain's right foot saved. Unfortunately, moments later nothing could stop the excellent goal from St Cuthbert's, a 15-yard screamer into bottom corner. Bob took up a midfield role in the second half and added a presence as he linked up well with centre forward Ally. Bob, Ally and fan's favourite Dougie all had their shots well saved. The pressure paid off and Queens were awarded another penalty, with Kenny off, Ally took the spot kick but an excellent save by the goalie denied them again and Saints won by the solitary goal.

The third game saw Queens take an established WF team, Stranraer. Queens started well with Billy marshalling his defence of Kim and Iain. Twinkle toes Kenny was rolling back the years in midfield, although his shouting for Ally to show himself up front was a bit harsh as he was on the bench! Mike in the lime green boots was literally causing headaches to the Stranraer defence and then the Queens performance went to another level. Davie found space in the midfield and with a combination of a Cruyff turn and suspected mis-control turned to fire in a 15-yard worldie. Queens were dominant and a win looked on the cards. However, Alan who had been a standout so far with upwards of a dozen saves then unfathomably under no pressure passes the ball to Stranraer centre forward and the game ended one all.

It's tough being a goalie, especially a stand in goalie, but Alan was later presented with player of tournament as AAFC laid on their hospitality afterwards. All in all, it was a great first event, there were plenty of smiles and laughter from the guys who don't normally get to represent Queens elsewhere.

QOS Walking Football are also grateful for the support from the club and for the access to the minibus which keeps the squad together and engaged whilst travelling. 

Team Manager: Andrew Durham

Queens Squad: Kenny Wallace (Capt.), Ally Rankine, Billy McRobert, Mike Jones, Iain McKie, Dougie Lockhart, Davie Henderson, Alan Cameron, Kim Bellwood & Bob Park

Match Day four of the KDM Evolution Trophy saw Annan Athletic visit Palmerston.  After two heavy defeats in league one, manager Nicky Clark was hoping for a confidence boosting result.  He made three changes from Saturday’s trip to Hamilton with Chris McQueen, Brodie Dair and Aaron Davis coming in for Shaun Want, Cole Coughlin and Ruari Ellis.

Liam Smith got the game underway, and it was a cagey start to the game. The visitors won an early free kick that Wullie Gibson played out to the left channel for Cameron Clark, his low delivery into the box was collected by Deniz Mehmet at the near post.  Queens were playing the better football, but it was Annan who had another chance on ten minutes when Ali Roy forced a corner, but it never threatened Mehmet.

Josh Dixon then had a half chance that created another corner for the visitors, but it didn’t carry any danger.

With just fifteen minutes played Queens were forced into making an early substitution when Ben Johnstone picked up an injury and couldn’t carry on and was replaced by Ellis.

Midway through the half, Queens started to take more control of the game and put Annan under more pressure, but they were finding it hard to break down the back line and Connor Young couldn’t open enough space to get a shot at goal and Mouhamed Niang cleared.

It was Queens on top and on the half hour mark as Niang fouled Young, the Queens frontman got up to take the free kick himself but hit it off the defensive wall. Four minutes later Taylor Charters hit a shot from the edge of the box, but it was knocked out for a throw-in.

The home side had the upper hand and minutes later Charters fired a left foot effort from 19-yards, but it was high and wide.  Queens continued to push and as Zander Mackenzie played the ball out to Young, Milosz Sliwinski saved with his feet, but the offside flag went up anyway. 

With five minutes of the first half remaining, some excellent play by Smith allowed him to make his way into the box and as he laid the ball off for Dair, Sliwinski made a great block at close range to deny Queens an opener.

On the stroke of half time, the two combined again when Smith made another good run to slip it through but the Fulham loanee had gone just too early and the flag was raised.

HALF TIME: Queens 0 Annan 0

Less than a minute after the restart the home side did break the deadlock when a ball in from the right-hand side was flicked on by Young into the path of Ellis who was waiting at the edge of the six-yard area, but Dylan Williamson handled and Lewis Hogarth had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Young converted as he beat the keeper to his right-hand side.

However, the lead only lasted five minutes as Josh Dixon curled a left foot shot from outside the box into the top right-hand corner to level.

As Queens attacked again, Smith played the ball along the edge of the box for Ellis, but his effort was turned out for a corner. As the ball was delivered, Smith played it in closer, but Dair couldn’t turn it towards goal.

With just over an hour played, Caleb Goldie was robbed by Gibson as he tried to play it out from the back and as the ball was played in Mehmet was off his line, but Ellis was on hand to clear.

Mistakes were starting to creep in, and Annan started to get more of a foothold in the game and as they had a decent spell, Dixon was flagged offside. And when Niang won a corner, Gibson floated it into Charlie Maxwell, but he was crowded out by three defenders as he went for a header.

In the final fifteen minutes Gibson played in another corner and as it came across, Tommy Muir headed straight at Mehmet. As Queens broke Caleb Goldie crossed from the right but Charters header from the left was saved by the keeper.

It was the visitors who finished stronger and Charters headed away twice before Cameron Cooper forced a corner and then Queens survived a scare in the final minute when Aidan Smith raced away and fired the ball across the face of goal but Cooper and Corey O’Donnell couldn’t connect but they did win a corner and as Gibson played it in Paul Smith knocked it across Mehmet but Clark was there to knock it back to the keeper as the full time whistle went.

FULL TIME: Queens 1 Annan 1

Teams:

Queens: Mehmet, Goldie, Charters, McQueen, Smith, Mackenzie, Young, Dair (Coughlin 73), Johnstone (Ellis 17), Rogerson & Davis (Clark 62). Subs not used: Petry, Gray, Morton, Kelly & McColm.

Annan: Sliwinski, Clark, McKnight, Dixon (Cooper 87), P Smith, Muir, Williams (O'Donnell 79), Niang, Roy (A Smith 79), Maxwell & Gibson.  Subs not used: Albinson

Ref: Lewis Hogarth

Crowd: 1086

Our Walking Football group recently took part in the Cumberland league cup.  When they faced Carlisle, Workington and Gretna.

Over the three matches, they had two goal-less draws against Carlisle and Gretna and lost the other 1-0 against Workington. All three matches were very tight affairs with very few goals as the scores show. 

In the third-place play-off, Queens faced Gretna, Andy Durham scored Queens goal in a one-all draw.

The final between Workington and Carlisle also finished in a one all draw with Workington winning 2-0 on penalties.

After the long trip to the Highlands on Tuesday Queens made the shorter journey to face Hamilton Accies the side knocked off the table by Ross County after their win over us in midweek. With players still out injured manager Nicky Clark stuck with the same starting eleven as he looked for a reaction to a disappointing defeat in Dingwall.

Unbeaten Accies won an early corner but as they played it in it was knocked over from close range.

Queens fought back and as they won a free-kick, Zander Mackenzie crossed from the right to Shaun Want who was on target with his header but Dean Lyness collected easily.

The deadlock was broken five minutes later when Liam Smith picked up the ball just inside the home sides half and raced through the middle before firing a right foot shot past the keeper to give Queens the lead after twelve minutes.

Accies forced a couple of corners but Ben Johnstone and Ruari Ellis cleared. As Queens hit on the counter through Smith, he played it out to Cole Coughlin on the right side of the area but his right foot shot was wide of the post.

Queens attacked again and as Ellis chipped it over the top he hit it with too much power.

Twenty minutes in Andy Ryan intercepted the ball 40-yards out and shot from distance but Deniz Mehmet watched it all the way and collected. 

Midway through the half Queens failed to cut out a cross from Stephen Hendrie on the left and Mehmet managed to punch it clear but only as far as Ryan who headed home the equaliser.

Two minutes later Dom Thomas crossed from the right and Ryan managed to get his head to it but Mehmet made a terrific save.

The home side were now starting to get on top and Kyle MacDonald headed wide at the back-post. just before the half hour mark, Thomas cut inside from the right to the edge of the area and fired a powerful shot towards the top corner but he couldn’t get enough curl on it and it flew wide.

The game turned minutes later when Stuart McKinstry got the better of Goldie and cut it back to the unmarked Ryan outside the box and he smashed a left foot shot past Mehmet at his near post.  Two minutes later a slack clearance fell to Aaron Comrie at the edge of the box but he fired well over. 

As Queens tried to find a second, Goldie took a quick throw-in and Connor Young played the ball across goal but it was behind Coughlin. It was a half chance for the visitors that they didn’t take and with four minutes of the first half remaining the fell further behind when MacDonald missed the ball at the front post but Ryan was again left on his own and he slid in to steer the ball past Mehmet for his and Accies third.

The hosts kept up the pressure and MacDonald aimed for the top corner but his effort was wide. 

On the stroke of half-time, Niall Rogerson did well to get the ball into the box where he found Coughlin who controlled and opened up space to have the shot but his effort was blocked.

HALF TIME: Hamilton Accies 3 Queens 1

As the second half got underway Thomas fired a low drive into the box but Mehmet got down to collect.  Two minutes later Coughlin hit a shot from 20-yards towards an empty net but his right foot effort crashed off the bar.

Back at the other end, as the home side played in a corner It was cleared but MacDonald caught it and forced Mehmet to get down low collect at the base of the post.

Queens were battling but lacked the real threat in the final third, Coughlin did lay a good ball back to Young and he really needed to shoot first time but delayed and Accies got back to cover. Sixty-seconds later, Mehmet was again called into action when he blocked with his feet to cut out a cross from Thomas.

The home side continued to press and McKinstry played the ball across goal but it was out of reach of Ryan. Midway through the second half, Taylor Charters played a free-kick in for Rogerson at the back-post but it was headed clear before he could get his head on the end of it.

The visitors were living dangerously at the back and Comrie crossed but again Ryan in front of goal couldn’t get on the end of it.  They did however, find the net a minute later when Thomas floated in a corner and Tony Gallacher headed home at the front post.

As the game played out, Mehmet collected when Aidan McGinlay crossed and his counterpart in the home goal did the same as Goldie delivered from the right and Coughlin headed towards goal.

With five minutes remaining, Lyness came out to collect at the feet of Coughlin.

FULL TIME: Hamilton Accies 4 Queens 1

Teams:

Hamilton Accies: Lyness, Comrie, Gallacher, Blues, Thomas (Crookston 69), MacDonald, Smutek, Bannigan (McGinlay 69), McKinstry (Eadie 86), Ryan (Morgan 86) & Hendrie (Owens 73).  Subs not used: Lane & Sheils.

Queens: Mehmet, Goldie, Charters, Smith, MacKenzie, Young (Dair 86), Want, Johnstone (Davis 63), Rogerson, Coughlin & Ellis.  Subs not used: Petry, McQueen, Gray, Kelly, Morton & McColm.

Ref: Abbie Hendry

Crowd: 885

Our youngsters were involved in Cup action last night as they faced Darvel in the SFA U18s Scottish Cup at Palmerston.

A William Salfenmoser hat-trick, along with a double from Lewis White and one from Lucas Jones earned them a six - nil win.

Full-time: Queens 6 Darvel 0

Coach Eddie Warwick said “We are very pleased with the young lads workrate and effort tonight. They played good football going forward and scored some good goals in the process.  With it being a u18s cup we combined our squads for this one with some players from the u17s joining our younger boys from the u19s and they all acquitted themselves well. It’s job done and into the next round.”

We are back on the road again tomorrow as we make the shorter journey to Hamilton to face Accies in league one.

Our result against Ross County on Tuesday was enough for the Staggies to knock Hamilton off the top of the table on goal-difference but they are both on 16 points from their six games so far, unbeaten with five wins and a draw. 

Ahead of the game, Queens boss, Nicky Clark said “We definitely need a reaction. We know the performance against Ross County on Tuesday was absolutely embarrassing. It was nowhere near good enough, but we need to try and get the positivity back into the group, that's important as well. I expect Hamilton to be just as tough a test but we need to go with belief to get a positive result.” 

Supporters Information

For those making the trip tickets are now on sale via the following link.

https://www.tixr.com/groups/hamiltonacciesfc/events/hamilton-accies-v-queen-of-the-south-206515

Tickets are priced as follows:

Adults: £18
Concessions (Over 65/Students): £13
U18s: £5

Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 U12s): £35

Turnstiles will open at approximately 2pm and away fans will be located in section J of the Main Stand.

Address:

New Douglas Park

Hamilton

ML3 0DF

Kick-off: 3pm

A reminder that our academy players have a SFA Youth Cup for U18s match tonight. A mixture of our youngest u19s and some of our u17s will take on Darvel at Palmerston. Kick-off 7.30pm.

Usual entry of £3 pay at the gate.

Congratulations to our Community Trust team who were recognised for their hard work when they were crowned winners of the Scottish FA Grassroots Award for “Best Community Football for All Project”.

The award was for their Dougie’s Day project that saw them engage with more than 4,500 children in the area within Dumfries and the wider region. The aim was to help children get more active and involved in sport by providing free football sessions in schools, tournaments and activities for young people to take part in.

From schools across the region to one big celebration of football, the project was all about making football accessible, inclusive and fun for everyone.

Dougie couldn’t make it along to the awards in person, but coaches Ali and Kieran travelled to Ayr for the South West Region Awards and picked up the trophy.

Kieran said “It is fantastic to see the work we do within our community recognised in this way. A huge thank you to all the schools, teachers, coaches, volunteers, players and everyone who helped make Dougie’s Day possible. This award is for all of you.”