Queen’s Park u19 Win CAS Performance Cup with win over Ayr
TYRECE McDONNELL’S double gave Queen’s Park the silverware against Ayr United at Somerset Park.
The midfielder found the net twice in the first half after cutting in from the left side as Charley King’s league leaders added the CAS Performance Cup to the cabinet before the league climax.
The Young Spiders included a trio of young stars who contested last Tuesday’s Scottish Youth Cup Final at Hampden, but this time the outcome was different for Sam McLachlan, Cole Goldie and Kyle Rodger.
Harris Afzal and Joseph Lafferty were also named on the bench, part of a squad that included a clutch of players who have sampled first-team football this season.
McDonnell, who kicked off the season with three goals in the opening month of the season ended it with a first-half double to help the Spiders to glory at sunny Somerset Park.
For all Queen’s led at the break, Ayr had spells of pressure and it was far from comfortable at times for Milosz Sliwinski who was forced into a great point-blank save from Brandyn Bain after 37 minutes, and saw sub
Zach Smith hit his post.
However the Young Spiders had the best of the chances, in quality and quantity before the interval – two taken well by McDonnell.
It took just nine minutes in a quick move from front to back that saw the left-winger plant a powerful low drive into Cameron Cowan’s left-hand corner from the edge of the area.
Ayr immediately hunted down an equaliser and Rodger hooked an effort off the goal-line less than a minute from the restart.
Cowan denied Ross McLean with a two-handed save after 23 minutes, pushed away to McDonnell. Good feet from the goalscorer created space to clip a cross to back post for Goldie whose drive low at goal was hacked clear.
McLean should have done better a minute later when he met McDonnell’s cross with a side-foot volley, but could only cushion into Cowan’s arms from 12 yards out.
McLean, named Young Player of the Year by the QPSA last month, turned provider and hung a cross up for Goldie that was inches too high – but on the stroke of half-time Queen’s Park doubled their lead.
McDonnell found space and time in the same area he found the net first time round, this time he steered the ball right-footed into the opposite corner from his first seconds before the whistle for half-time.
After the break both sides settled into a rhythm without asking too many questions of either goalkeeper.
Daniel Matheson kicked the second half into gear after 20 minutes, first seeing a low drive blocked then cutting down an Ayr breakaway by fouling Zach Smith – a challenge that brought a yellow card.
Many more would follow later in the game, including a red for the home side who almost pulled one back from the resultant free-kick.
Oliver Fisher’s sliding block in the six-yard box denied the Honest Men at the expense of a corner and Jack Simpson met the set-piece but headed onto the roof of Milosz Sliwinski’s net.
Matheson came in for heavy treatment from Simpson next, then Rory Devenney joined him for a foul on McDonnell.
The match-winner was quickly substituted without adding to his brace, but Jamie Bradley was incredibly unlucky not to add his name to the scoresheet.
The midfielder had controlled the tempo and Spiders’ attack for most of the game and, finding space 35-yards out, almost caught Cowan out from long-range. The audacious shot was perfectly placed, but the goalkeeper
scrambled back to his line to push the dipping effort onto the crossbar.
Ayr had a late appeal for a penalty for a high boot from Darryl Carrick clearing his lines, and the home side couldn’t find a route back into the game. Inside the final four minutes Jay O’Donnell entered the book for
a late kick on Matheson and Devenney saw red for a second yellow card in the corner of the park as the Young Spiders wound the added time down before lifting the cup.
The post Queen’s Park u19 Win CAS Performance Cup with win over Ayr appeared first on Queen's Park Football Club.