Rumple's Match Report. Pish game & nae football.

Just back, after a stop-off for a few hours in Moffat. My heart sank in the reception at Palmerston when I was picking up the tickets. I caught a glimpse of the teamsheets, and saw David Worrell was playing. Not a problem with that really, but it could only mean Cowan was needed for centre back so Malone could play left midfield. Nae Swankie mean all the players with the real attacking menace were out. That was pretty much how the game panned out for us. We never looked like scoring, apart from one scramble just before Queens scored, when McDonald spilled a Dickers cross. The midfield looked like what it was, a unit that had never played together before. It never clicked, never penetrated the Queens defence, and only in the last 25 minutes did our midfielders start to look comfortable in posession. We were lightweight and inexperienced in that area, and couldn't cope with Queens strength and experience. It was a game in which we were crying out for the sort of skill, composure and steel that Robbo and Kevin Mac give us. The game passed Noubissie by for the first hour, but he started to look useful in the last half hour. He could be a good player for us, but it was asking a lot for him to come in and do the job we needed today. Queens were never much better than us, but they were much more effective as a team, and they were right in our faces with an aggression that stayed just the right side of the ref's tolerance. I did think that McCurry was much to lenient about challenges from behind, especially by Thompson on Davidson, but that's nothing new in Scottish football. The conditions were awful. The pitch was heavy, sodden and treacherous, and long spells of the match were played in torrential rain with a fierce wind. Only one side really adapted to that though, and it wasn't us. The first half saw no football, and nothing close to a goal. The first goal came six minutes into the second half when a Samson punt went right the way through to McDonald, the Queen's keeper. He quickly launched it with the wind straight back down the field. Our defence had been looking more or less convincing up to then, but dozed off horribly allowing the ball to sail over their heads to Dobbie, who killed it with his first touch, and shot home from the edge of the area with his second. Beautifully executed by Dobbie, but a ridiculous goal to concede. We tried to press forward, but looked more likely to conceded a second. Gradually from about the hour mark we started to get a grip, and play the ball around better, but there was no penetration, and no clear chances. The second goal right at the end when Samson was up for a free kick. Malone'e cross was cleared, played back, it came out again and Ryan McCann punted it from his right back spot, half way inside the Queens half, with the wind and bobbling through the mud into the goal. The aftermath of the goal was pretty dismal. Instead of running to the home support, he turned to the Dundee fans. The Queens players surrounded him and started taunting the Dees support. Inevitably some phuckwits lobbed cans, and the Queens players kept stirring. An idiot ran onto the pitch, and Jim Thompson went for him like he was in a pub brawl. Stupid, disgraceful behaviour by the fans, but a stronger ref would have been flashing cards at the Queens players. It's ridiculous and infuriating that Colin McMenamin is on the verge of suspension after celebrating with the home fans last week, over a hundred yards from the nearest opposition fan. Yet, not one of the Queens players was spoken to for their conduct. So all that matters is whether or not you're on the pitch. Crazy. As for the moron who ran on in the first half! Pathetic, childish behaviour. At least he got roundly booed and jeered by the Dees support. Well, at least we didn't get anyone else crocked. We just don't have the players to cope when so many of the top players are missing. The players today did their best, but they just weren't quite good enough. Black marks for Bill Leckie and Billy Dodds on the radio. The agreed line from the BBC was that Palmerston is a proper old fashioned ground (which it is) and a cup tie there is a chance to enjoy football as it used to be played. Leckie and Dodds came out with endless patronising rubbish about what a fantastic game it was. It wasn't. Dundee played well below their usual standard, and Queens have played much better against us this season. Today they did little more than keep working and keep focussed and not getting thrown by the awful conditions. Enough to deserve their win, but it was a poor match, with precious little goalmouth action, and no skill on display - except for Dobbie's goal. Still, it wasn't a bad day out.