Match Preview: Queen’s Park vs Airdrieonians
Queen’s Park face Airdrie for a fourth time this season with Head Coach Callum Davidson’s side knowing that a first win over the Diamonds in this campaign will ensure a third season of Championship football for the Spiders.
The games between the clubs this season have been tight with a Friday night fixture in October seeing a 1-1 draw after Callum Gallagher had put the hosts Diamonds ahead and Jack Turner replied in the second half.
The second meeting produced a horrible ending to 2023 for Queen’s Park as a first half penalty from Dom Thomas was cancelled out midway through the second 45 minutes by Mason Hancock with Nikolay Todorov rubbing salt into home wounds with an injury time winner.
It was 1-1 again in Lanarkshire in March in a game where Thomas scored again for Queen’s and Hancock did likewise for Airdrie with the woodwork denying Danny Wilson a winner for QP.
After their fine 5-0 win over Arbroath last Saturday Queen’s Park know that they need to match or better Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s result against Morton to avoid the play-offs.
A win would ensure that no-one is looking north to check a result!
Pre-Match Interviews
Head Coach Callum Davidson spoke to QPTV and as well as talking about the task his side faces, he talked about the important role the club supporters have.
Callum talked about
· Let’s not do this again!
· Shutting out what happens elsewhere v reacting to what happens elsewhere.
· Airdrie’s ability to mix things up.
· Injury news.
· Back the team.
Dom Thomas, who scored two cracking goals at Arbroath last weekend, also gave his weekly Captain’s update.
Dom talked about
· Building on the performance and win last Saturday.
· Focussing on ourselves.
· The importance of the supporters.
The cinch Championship so far:
Queen’s Park sit eighth in the cinch Championship table and go into the meeting with Airdrie looking to avoid a play-off whereas the Diamonds, are heading to a play-off that could see them secure a second successive promotion.
Rhys McCabe’s side, who have already won the SPFL Trust Trophy, presently sit fourth and go into the meeting knowing that a win and a ten-goal swing could see them rise above Partick Thistle in third.
Even if they do not succeed in moving up the way it has been a successful season for Airdrie although it got off to a disappointing start in the Championship when they lost 2-1 to Dunfermline on the opening day.
Wins in Game Day 2 and 3 over Partick Thistle and Inverness Caledonian Thistle got Airdrie up and running however an uncharacteristic 4-0 reverse at Arbroath followed a 2-0 defeat at Dundee United in September.
Airdrie rallied and ended the month with successes over Raith and Morton and the point from the 1-1 draw with Queen’s Park live on BBC Scotland in October lifted them into the top four.
2023 ended in dramatic fashion for Airdrie thanks to Todorov’s winner at Hampden with that result leaving Queen’s Park in bottom spot three points behind Arbroath and four adrift of Inverness.
The success over Queen’s was the first of three consecutive wins and talk of a promotion push gathered pace after a 2-0 win at the Tannadice home of Champions Dundee United just three days before the second 1-1 draw with Queen’s Park.
Only one defeat in nine games ensured that Airdrie grabbed a top four place with their pride restored with a goalless draw against Dundee United following a 4-0 defeat at Partick Thistle.
Squad News
Will Tizzard’s season has come to an end due to a hamstring issue and Jack Thomson will also miss out due to a knee injury. Danny Wilson is a doubt with the long-term injured trio of Ben McPherson, Patrick Jarrett and Grant Savoury again absent.
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Last Time Out
Airdrieonians 1 Queen’s Park 1
cinch Championship.
Queen’s Park – Calum Ferrie, Alex Bannon (Ben McPherson 68), Danny Wilson, Tommy Robson, Louis Longridge (Cillian Sheridan 68), Josh Scott (Cameron Bruce 90+1), Sean Welsh, Jack Turner (Stuart McKinstry 52), Dom Thomas (Mackenzie Carse 90+1), Ruari Paton.
Unused substitutes – Jack Wills (G/k), Will Tizzard, Liam McLeish, Zach Mauchin.
Airdrieonians – Josh Rae, Cammy Ballantyne (Mason Hancock 60), Dean McMaster, Craig Watson, Callum Fordyce, Charlie Telfer (Arron Lyall 60), Adam Frizzell, Liam McStravick (Chris Donnell 60), Kanayo Megwa, Nikolay Todorov, Gabby McGill (Calum Gallagher 68).
Unused substitutes – David Hutton, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Rhys McCabe, Josh O’Connor, Gavin Gallagher.
Referee – Willie Collum
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