Match Report

LYLE HAT TRICK ENDS ANNAN HOPES

Any hopes Annan Athletic had of repeating the success of the previous week when they defeated Morton evaporated in the 59th minute at Palmerston Park of this League Cup tie when Annan had defender Peter Watson sent off for a second booking and to rub salt into the wound Queens took full control of their advantage when within seconds of the sending off Derek Lyle headed Queens ahead. It was the turning point in a match when up until that point Annan had worked well to stifle Queens and had indeed posed a few anxious moments for the home support to endure.

Queens started promisingly and within 2 minutes Iain Russell had Mitchell at full stretch to turn his effort round the post for a corner kick. Steven Sloan who worked hard all afternoon tested Callum Antell in the 11th minute with a low drive . At the other end Chris Mitchell presented former Athletic player Ryan McGuffie with an opportunity but the header sailed over the bar. Hopkirk then set up Ally Love with an opportunity but the Annan player blasted over the bar. Michael Paton unleashed a shot which again sailed over the bar. The Queens goal survived an anxious spell in the 20th minute when Kenny McKay and Iain Chisholm both had shots blocked as Annan mounted a serious attack . The home side survived the scare to break from defence ending with a near post effort from Stephen McKenna.

Annan were giving as good as they got and Flynn shot past from a Love corner in the 24th minute and in the 30th minute Steven Swinglehurst connected with another Love corner to sent in a powerful header which was directed into the arms of Antell. Queens were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box in the 31st minute when Lyle made the most of a Steven Sloan challenge but Annan defended the ensuing free kick . With half time approaching Paton’s cross found the head of McGuffie but the effort missed the target. Annan won a corner in the 43rd minute and this time Weatherson connected with the corner but once again Antell was well placed to deal with the effort.

After a competitive first half the second half started where the first half finished and within a minute Queens goalkeeper Calum Antell produced a breathtaking save to deny Iain Chisholm who connected with a brilliant Love low cross swung in from the left. Within 2 minutes Peter Watson received his first yellow which was followed by the rash challenge on Iain Russell in the 59th minute, it was moment which no doubt the player will reflect back on with regret but it was the defining moment in the match. Within seconds Queens scored and took control of the game. It was an excellent goal when Derek Lyle’s header from a McKenna cross deflected off the underside of the bar. The success of the goal gave Queens the edge and you could now sense the enormity of the task facing Annan. The misery was piled on in the 66th minute when Mitchell fumbled a well struck Paton shot and the alert Lyle was first to respond to prod the ball into the empty net. Annan were dead and buried and two minutes later their misery was completed when Lyle connected with a Kevin Holt free kick to send in an unstoppable header into the net to complete the hat trick in a glorious eight minute spell for the doonhamers.

Annan boss Jim Chapman said, “We shot ourselves in the foot. I felt Queens were running out of ideas and were starting to panic until the red card. I’ve no complaints about the decision but Peter’s hurting because he let the team down. We might still have lost 3-0 even without the red card because Queens are a very good side but it is disappointing because we were comfortable at that stage of the match”.

Queens boss Jim McIntyre hailed Lyle and said “ Annan played well but it was a fabulous hat trick from Derek. The first goal was quality and he showed great hunger at number 2. He’s a great example to the kids here”.

Attendance 1588