Queen’s Park U18 3 vs 1 Aberdeen U18
Scottish FA Youth Cup 4th Round
Lochinch Sports Pavilion
Friday 13th December
The Young Dons travelled to Lochinch on Friday afternoon to face Queen’s Park in the Scottish FA Youth Cup 4th Round.
Despite the Dons having spells of pressure in both halves, they fell to a 3-1 defeat with Sam MacLachlan grabbing a brace and Leo Clark scoring for the home side with Tristan Stephen scoring Aberdeen’s only goal off the bench.
Report
Manager Scott Anderson named an unchanged team from the side that started last week’s 5-1 victory against Kilmarnock. Jamie Mercer made a welcome return to the squad, starting on the bench following over a year out with injury.
The Young Dons began brightly and created their first opening of the match within four minutes when Timothy Akindileni’s long ball down the left was met by the onrushing Fraser Mackie whose shot forced a sharp save from goalkeeper Milosz Sliwinski.
Despite Aberdeen’s start it was the home side who took the lead with their first attack of the match just two minutes later. Godspower Oguama looked to unleash a shot from just inside the penalty area, his effort was deflected onto the crossbar before the rebound fell perfectly to Connor MacLachlan who headed home to put Queen’s Park 1 up.
That gave the hosts a real boost in confidence when Oguama was picked out by MacLachlan from a corner around ten minutes later though the winger could only fire his shot over Vitols’ crossbar. Vitols was called into action moments later when Aiden McGinlay slipped in Connor Falls who did well to strike goalward, but the Young Dons’ keeper did well to make the save.
The away side came close to equalising on 26 minutes when Noah McDonnell looked to find Fraser Mackie down the left channel. Mackie forced another great save from Sliwinski before the keeper was called into action again when the rebound fell to Joseph Teasdale, though Sliwinski did brilliantly to keep the scores at 1-0.
The Young Dons seemed to of gained a foothold in the match from then on in and looked like the side in the ascendency heading towards half time. Following excellent work from Fletcher Boyd and Viktor Enem, Boyd was released on the right wing cutting the ball back to Zak To whose shot was smothered well by Sliwinski.
Referee Kieran O’Reilly called time on the first half with the Young Dons trailing by 1 goal to nil.
Half-Time: Queen’s Park U18s 1-0 Aberdeen U18s
The Young Dons started brightly as expected in the second half, Fletcher Boyd won a free kick on the edge of the box which Ellis Clark took, with the midfielder’s effort finishing just over the top.
Enem then found himself in space on the right-wing moments later before whipping a teasing ball across the face that narrowly evaded Fraser Mackie before falling to Teasdale, but the winger’s shot was off target.
On 54 minutes the Young Dons were hit with a sucker-punch as the hosts doubled their lead. Substitute Murray-Smith did well to fashion the chance to slip in MacLachlan once more with the winger’s shot going straight through the gloves of Vitols who had been on top form all afternoon.
The Young Dons made two changes on 60 minutes when Jack Searle and Tristan Stephen replaced Joseph Teasdale and Fletcher Boyd.
Stephen made an instant impact as he pulled a goal back for the visitors just two minutes after coming on. Sliwinski looked to play a pass into midfield which was intercepted by Ellis Clark. Clark then picked out Stephen who swivelled and finished well with his right foot across the goalkeeper.
The Dons continued to press for an equalising goal and should have got just that on 71 minutes when Mackie was picked out by Clark again just inside the penalty area with the striker’s shot flashing agonisingly past the post.
Queen’s Park pegged the Young Dons back once again on 74 minutes after surviving waves of Aberdeen pressure. Leo Clark did excellently to dribble past three Aberdeen defenders in the penalty area before remaining composed to lift the ball over Vitols on his weaker left foot to put Queen’s 3-1 ahead.
With ten minutes to go, Jamie Mercer made his long-awaited return from injury as he came on to replace Viktor Enem. Ellis Clark also made way for Oliver Green as the visitors searched for a route back into the tie.
Tristan Stephen came closest to pulling a goal back on 88 minutes when the ball dropped kindly to the substitute in the penalty area, though the striker failed to connect as he would have liked, sending his shot high and wide of target.
The Young Dons pressed on as the game entered its dying embers though as the theme was throughout the match, the visitors failed to find that cutting edge in the final third as Queen’s Park clinched victory and in doing so advance to the 5th round of the Scottish FA Youth Cup.
STATS:
Queen’s Park: Sliwinski, Clark, Coyle Morrow, Fisher, Burke, Matheson, Maclachlan, Thomson, Falls, McGinlay, Oguama
Subs: Campbell, Reid, Ridell, Murray, Lumsden, Murray-Smith, Shields
Aberdeen: Vitols, Enem (Mercer 81’), Carrol, Akindileni, Clark (Green 81’), Masson, Mackie, Boyd (Stephen 60’), Teasdale (Searle 60’), To, McDonnell
Subs not used: Douglas.
GOALS – Queen’s Park: MacLachlan 6’ 54’, Clark 74’
Aberdeen: Stephen 62’
