Stranraer repeated their October victory earlier in the season with an outstanding performance to royally demolish Queens Park at Hampden and score five in the process for the second time in three away outings bringing back happy memories of ten seasons ago. That was the last time the Blues scored five twice on the road in the same season with that glorious 5-0 November win at Palmerston followed six weeks later by a 5-2 triumph at Forthbank as Prince topped the charts demanding that "we party like it's 1999.....". The travelling faithful would do just that as the Blues became Kings of Mount Florida for the afternoon.

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The talk before the game on internet forums and in the match programme was of whether or not Stranraer could continue to enjoy their lengthy hoodoo over Queens Park or would the Spiders finally lay that bogey to rest. The answer arrived after just 7 minutes. Queens attacked and Holms crossed from the left, Carroll nodded back across and Quinn hooked an overhead effort just wide. Mitchell took the clearance and as the ball bounded through the Spiders back line, Stuart McColm reacted fastest and raced in on goal before firing a ferocious left foot shot under Hamilton and into the back of the net as the Blues got off to a dream start. They had chances to double their lead minutes later when Agnew’s deep corner was hooked back in by Nicoll towards Bouadji who headed straight at Hamilton and then when One broke down the right and crossed for McColm but Sinclair reacted well to clear the danger. Having been sent off the last time these two teams met at Hampden, this was to be the unfortunate defenders last involvement as he sustained a broken bone in his foot in a challenge with Nicoll and had to be carried off the field. The disruption didn’t help and Queens continued to struggle with the pace of McColm, the presence of One and the tough tackling Stranraer midfield and it came as no surprise when One sprung the offside trap and released Scott Agnew on the right hand side. The Blues midfielder cut in on to his left foot at the edge of the box before curling a delightful shot over Hamilton and into the net off the far post to double the visitors’ advantage. The Spiders retaliated and a neat move saw Chris Hamilton send over a tantalising cross for Quinn but the big striker didn’t get high enough to meet the header and glanced the ball well wide. Moments later they gained their first corner that resulted in another great chance….. at the other end for Stranraer. Douglas failed to control the corner kick and was robbed by Danny Mitchell who broke half the length of the park before linking up with Noble and his shot was deflected and fell comfortably to the Queens keeper.

The Spiders at last fashioned an attempt on target on 34 minutes when Chris Hamilton found Walker on the right. The ex-Blue crossed for Carroll who got a snap shot at goal but Mitchell was perfectly placed. The Blues went on the attack again and their fantastic first half got even better. Sharp linked with Noble on the left and beat Walker before sending a deep cross to the far post that looped over Hamilton and gave Armand One the simplest of chances to nod the ball home to the delight of the travelling support. With the game drifting towards half time and little sign of any further goal action Queens grabbed a lifeline when their other ex-Blue Martin McBride latched on to a loose ball 25 yards out and smashed a dipping drive into the roof of the Stranraer net to give the home side hope of a recovery.

Queens had their best spell after the interval and matched the Blues, clearly believing that if they could nick the next goal then it would be game on once again. An early McBride corner, as many of them did, caused the Stranraer defence some problems and the ball fell to Brough in the crowded six-yard box but he couldn’t get a swing at it and the Blues rearguard were able to clear. Carroll would shoot high and wide cutting in from the right before Queens keeper Hamilton gave the ball away to McColm and he set up One with a good chance that the big striker knocked wide. On their next attack McColm went for goal himself from the edge of the box and his left foot shot squirmed away from Hamilton who was rescued by Little’s clearance as One waited to pounce. It took 54 minutes before Queens usually dangerous left-back Douglas came to prominence having been well marshalled all afternoon by the busy Agnew but his terrific diagonal ball although eluding Henderson, also eluded Carroll by the smallest of margins. Agnew was denied a goal scoring opportunity by a last ditch Brough tackle after a good move by the outfield Mitchell brothers had set him up twenty yards out. With 25 minutes left and the fifth goal evidently going to be pivotal, Queens went for broke and brought striker Daly on for Walker. Stranraer boss, Knox reacted by replacing McColm with Montgomerie and while both substitutes would make an impact, the Blues replacement made his mark first with his involvement in a great team move that resulted in a fourth goal for the Blues. Danny Mitchell won the ball in midfield and linked with One who in turn found Montgomerie wide on the right. Montgomerie beat Douglas and crossed into the middle where the Stranraer skipper, who had continued his forward run connected powerfully first time at the near post to flash the ball past Hamilton to round off a terrific piece of play in the best possible fashion. The Queens substitutes Daly and Murray linked up well with a move down the left but when the latter crossed, Nicoll cleared the danger. The Spiders kept battling and did look at their most dangerous from set pieces and particularly corners. Two corners in five minutes would eventually see Michael Daly reduce the leeway. He headed over from the first McBride delivery but when Douglas took the second, he would not be denied and headed home. Queens Park didn’t seriously threaten to get back into the game and still managed to gift Stranraer a fifth. Goalkeeper Hamilton, who had an afternoon he will want to forget in a hurry, crowned his own personal nightmare by inexplicably directing a routine clearance straight at Montgomerie only 30 yards from goal. He had the simplest of tasks to make space for Scott Agnew inside him and when the ball reached the Blues man of the match, a superb left foot rocket into the postage stamp corner completed the rout. There was time for Chris Hamilton to see a deflected shot loop just over Mitchell’s crossbar and for Noble to set up a shooting chance for Montgomerie that caused the Queens keeper more trauma but the game was up and Stranraer picked up three well deserved points with an excellent team performance that saw pass marks awarded throughout as they continue their recent good run of form that now stands at only one defeat in five matches with the prospect of two home to follow in the next fortnight.

Queens Park: Peter Hamilton, Robert Walker (Michael Daly 65), Barry Douglas, Richard Sinclair (Jamie Brough 14), Ricky Little, Guiseppe Capuano, Martin McBride, Chris Hamilton, Frankie Carroll, Tony Quinn, Ryan Holms (David Murray 53). Subs not used: Ross Dunlop, Gordon McPherson.

Goals: McBride 45, Daly 81.

Booked: Capuano, Quinn.

Stranraer: David Mitchell, Glen Mitchell, Lee Sharp, Romuald Bouadji, Murray Henderson (Kyle Wright 88), Scott Agnew, Armand One (Michael Moore 76), Danny Mitchell, Stuart McColm (Ray Montgomerie 67), Kevin Nicoll, Steven Noble. Subs not used: Martin Jack, Robbie McKillop.

Goals: McColm 7, Agnew 22,87, One 36, Danny Mitchell 71.

Booked: Nicoll, Henderson, Danny Mitchell

Attendance: 553            Referee: George Salmond

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