East Stirling vs Queen's Park

Anyways, Queen's last triumphed over Shire in August, when we won 5-0 on SFL Challenge Cup 1st Round business but since then we've suffered league defeat to the league's 9th placed team twice. In October a Paul Ronald goal wasn't enough to avoid a 2-1 defeat thanks to a late OG by Stevie Canning. And in December, EIGHT man Queen's were beaten 3-1 at Hampden Park as Paul Paton, Alan Trouten and Richard Sinclair saw red in what was a shameful day for the Spiders.

More recently, Queen's haven't tasted defeat since Berwick Rangers came calling in mid October, and we were defeated 2-0. Since then, Montrose and Stenny have tasted defeat while Frankie Carroll's first Queen's goal since April 2005, when his late goal gave us a 1-0 win over Elgin, despite a sending off to Queen's defender Andy McGinty, helped us get an undeserved point last week at home to East Fife.

Meanwhile, Shire were stuffed last week at Links Park by Montrose (4-0), a team that Queen's humped by 5, now if only football were that simple but we will no doubt face a stiff challenge on, if the game survives, what I am sure will be a stiff park with the terrible conditions plaguing much of Britain over the last number of days.

Queen's will be without Alan Trouten, whose spark in the middle was badly missed last week; Richard Sinclair, who has been a rock at the back recently; long term injured left back Shaun Molloy and captain Stevie Reilly, who after recovering from a thigh injury has now picked up a knock in his knee now ruling him out for another number of weeks.

On the plus side, Frankie Carroll is likely to start his first Queen's Park game, since September 2006!

LIKELY LINE UP
XI: David Crawford, Paul Paton, Mick Dunlop, Steven Canning, Damiano Agostini, Paul Ronald, Staurt Kettlewell, Tony Quinn, Frankie Carroll, David Weatherston, Mark Ferry

SUBS: Mark Cairns, Jonny Whelan, Robert Dunn, Paul Cairney, Richard Bowers