Queen's Park booked their place in the Challenge Cup last 16 with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Aberdeen U21 on Tuesday. After a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32, the Spiders held their nerve to win 4-2 from the spot.
Tyrece McDonnell gave the visitors the lead after 14 minutes, finishing from a Brannan assist. Aberdeen U21 levelled through Michael Spence with 12 minutes of normal time remaining, forcing the tie straight to penalties.
Perfect from the spot
Queen's Park were flawless in the shootout. Nikolay Todorov, Scott Martin, Louis Longridge and Zebedee Lawson all converted their penalties. Aberdeen's Zack To and Lewis Carrol saw their efforts saved, sealing a 4-2 win for the Championship side. The victory provides a welcome boost for a team sitting 10th in the league with just seven points from 13 games, having recorded only two wins and a draw all season. Their recent league form shows one win, one draw and three losses from their last five matches, including a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen U21 on Tuesday and a 3-2 defeat to Ayr Utd last Saturday.
Their focus now shifts to a key league fixture this Saturday at The City Stadium. They host league leaders Partick Thistle, a side they held to a 0-0 draw back in August. Partick currently sit 18 points clear of Queen's Park in the title race, making this a formidable challenge. The team's league campaign has been difficult, with only eight goals scored and 22 conceded, giving them a goal difference of minus 14.
This cup win marks a positive result amidst a difficult run of form, which has seen the team lose three of their last five league matches. The result against Aberdeen's youngsters will be a confidence builder ahead of the derby clash with Partick. In their last league outing before the cup tie, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Morton on Saturday 17 October.
