Queen’s Park 0 Dunfermline 2 – Sore Send-Off at city Stadium

SEAN CRIGHTON’S Spiders fell to defeat at home for the second time since September – and it was another team from Fife doing the damage. 

Dunfermline proved more clinical against Queen’s Park who struggled to test Aston Oxborough in the visitors’ goal a week on from the heroic display at Cappielow which secured William Hill Championship safety.

Queen’s Park started the game quickly and – just like last week – Callum Smith had a chance in the opening 10 minutes, after a quick counter allowed Ross McLean to unleash the forward but he shot straight at the keeper. 

After 24 minutes Calum Ferrie picked up where he left off last week as he produced a brilliant save at his near post. However, from the resulting corner Dunfermline’s Chilokoa-Mullen scored to give the visitors the lead. Queen’s Park looked to fire back quickly as Connolly saw a cross floated towards him but he couldn’t connect cleanly before the linesman raised his flag. 

With just under 10 minutes left in the first half the Spiders had a freekick near the opponents box, Connolly crossed the ball to the back post but the Spiders were unable to find the back of the net trailing 1-0. Just before halftime Louis Longridge showed his defensive instinct as he intercepted a cross which looked destined for the goal to keep Queen’s Park in the game with just a goal in it.

The sides went into the interval with the visitors winning 1-0, the first half saw Dunfermline control the ball for periods of time, but were unable to create much due to the Queen’s Park players keeping their shape well and being difficult to break down.

The visitors started the second half off well as Chris Kane looped a header over Ferrie to double Dunfermline’s lead a minute into the second half. 

Ferrie continued his recent vein of form as he turned a shot from Callum Morrison behind from a corner, to keep Dunfermline from making it three inside five minutes of the second half. 

It didn’t take long for the Spiders to have a chance themselves as Smith got onto the end of a corner at the back post but he couldn’t keep his header down to open the scoring for Queen’s Park. 

Despite going down 2-0 early in the second half the Spiders maintained their defensive shape well in the first 25 minutes of the second half, which limited Dunfermline to very few chances as Queen’s Park looked to sign off from The city Stadium with a goal. 

They almost did with 12 minutes left as MacGregor floated a ball into the box but was inches too high for McLeish to get onto.

With 10 minutes to go Longridge once again showed off his defensive capabilities as he arrived late into the box to intercept a cross and put it out for a corner and keep the scores at two, however that’s how it ended for the 2025-26 on the southside. 

At full-time the players said their farewells for the summer with family on the pitch and despite the defeat were cheered off having secured safety in Greenock last week.

Queen’s Park: Ferrie, Fieldson, Murray (Burke 86), Longridge (Rodger 86), MacGregor, Connolly, McLean (Ruth 46), Shiels (McDonnell 25), Mackenzie, Smith (McLeish 65), Lamie.

Match report by Robbie McNair, Glasgow Clyde College