Arbroath 2 - 2 Queen’s Park: Hosts battle back

SIMON MURRAY showed why Dundee United have signed him for next term after netting a double to help ten-man Arbroath rescue a draw.
Queens Park's Bryan Wharton (left) wheels away in delight having put his side 1-0 to the good. Picture: SNSQueens Park's Bryan Wharton (left) wheels away in delight having put his side 1-0 to the good. Picture: SNS
Queens Park's Bryan Wharton (left) wheels away in delight having put his side 1-0 to the good. Picture: SNS

Scorers: Arbroath - Murray (43, 64); Queen’s Park - Wharton (18), Fraser (36)

Murray scored in 43 and 64 minutes after Bryan Wharton and Shaun Fraser looked to have put Queen’s Park in a commanding position in the League 1 play-off semi-final.

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The result was made all the more remarkable as Arbroath played for 70 minutes with ten men following Kieran McWalter’s red card.

The visitors stormed into the lead on 18 minutes when a Sean Burns corner was met superbly by Wharton who bulleted a header into the net. Wharton wheeled away to celebrate with his joyous travelling support and within minutes they were given another boost as Arbroath were reduced to ten men.

McWalter’s full-blooded challenge on Burns forced the Queen’s Park player off for treatment and left referee Craig Charleston little option but to show red. The visitors took full advantage of their extra man when they doubled their lead on 38 minutes. Shaun Rooney’s low cross somehow made its way through a ruck of bodies and was tapped in by Fraser.

Arbroath, though, refused to lie down and they hauled it back to 2-1 before the break as Murray connected with a Linn cross to crash a ten-yard strike in off the bar.

The second half was all Arbroath and they scarcely looked like a side with ten men. Wave after wave of attack ensued as Murray had a strike saved by Queen’s Park ’keeper William Muir and Bobby Linn cracked a strike off the crossbar from 20 yards. They got their just rewards on 64 minutes as Murray beat the offside trap to power into the box and drill in his sixth goal in six games from 15 yards.

Arbroath: McCallum; Little, Lowdon (Johnstone 46), Nicoll, Gordon, Whatley, Linn, McWalter, Murray (Buchan 88), Carreiro (McBride 46), Stewart. Subs not used: Wilson; Buchan, Smith, Grant, Lindsay.

Queen’s Park: Muir; Mitchell, Burns, Berry, Quinn, Wharton, Woods, Slattery, Carter, Fraser (McPherson 68), Rooney. Subs not used: George; McElroy, McVey, McGregor, Gibson, Moore.

Referee: C Charleston. Att: 837