Temple raiders hand out lesson to Queen’s

28 October 2015

A FIRED-UP Temple side gave Queen’s seconds the third degree treatment before passing this league test with honours at Langley Road on Saturday.

Davy Gillespie’s side made things difficult for themselves at times, but they managed to stay on top of this goal-fest that was full of attacking football.

Temple started confidently and they stroked the ball about the park for a while, looking patiently for openings, but they were hampered by the long grass that adorned the Langley playing surface.

However, with five minutes gone Roy Shilliday burst though from midfield and let fly, but his effort was well off target. Two minutes later, Scott Croskery played a delightful ball inside the Queen’s left back and Raymond Tate was on to to it in a flash before beating the ‘keeper all ends up with a confident strike.

Andy Vance chanced his arm from outside the box, but he too was off target as Temple looked to increase their advantage.

Queen’s came more into the game at this stage, but they were unable to get past the Annett brothers, Sam and Richard, the impressive Jim Wilson and Alan Dickson, who revelled in the freedom of the left back berth.

Queen’s were only able to create one meaningful opening in this period, but Anthony Ardlanfey blasted over the top.

Temple didn’t have such problems in front of goal and with 38 minutes gone the lightning fast Tate capitalised on an attempted clearance from Tom Empsaul and promptly made it 2-0.

Temple were now in cruise mode, but they shot themselves in the foot just before the break when they went asleep in the box and Tomas Diamond made them pay with an improvised finish to make it 2-1.

Queen’s went on the attack from the opening whistle of the second half and Matt Andrews missed an absolute sitter from six yards out before Richard Annett did well to clear an Ardlanfey effort off the line.

It was all queen’s now and with 52 minutes gone Andrews made up for his earlier miss when he ghosted into the box and made it 2-2 with an angled drive.

Temple woke from their slumber and with 60 minutes gone James Croskery caught one as as sweet as a nut just outside the box and the ball went straight as an arrow to the back of the net.

Queen’s were having none of it and a minute later Marc Watts blasted the ball home after he got on the end of a Diamond corner to make it 3-3.

With 65 minutes gone Tate completed his hat-trick when he was on hand to stab the ball home after great work from Vance.

It was 5-3 a minute later when Vance deservedly got on the scoresheet when he headed in a Jason Croskery cross.

Queen’s continued to give Temple some anxious moments and Adam McDowell saved well from Ardlanfey and Jason McDermott before Ryan Dickson converted a Sam Annett free kick with unerring accuracy to make it 6-3.

Andrews, Queen’s most impressive player on the day, grabbed his second goal in the 80th minute, but the day belonged to Temple as they leapfrogged their opponents into the security of a mid-table position.

Temple Rangers: A McDowell, A Dickson, J Wilson, R Annett, S Annett, J Croskery, S Croskery, R Shilliday, R Johnston, A Vance, R Tate. Subs: R Dickson, G Patton, J Dickson.

Queen’s II: T Empsaul, M Andrews, R Fenwick, J Whitman, M Watts, H Maguire, T Diamond, J Homan, J McDermott, M Coulter, A Ardlanfey. Subs: H O’Connor, F Devine, E Maguire.

Temple Rangers 6

Queen’s II 4

AMATEUR LEAGUE DIVISION 2B

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder