Queens Park vs Connahs Quay Predictions

Connah’s Quay are in hot form atop the Welsh Premier League but how will they do north of the border against League Two Queen’s Park?

The Nomads have only lost one of their last 12 matches, winning nine of them in what has been such a successful run for the club. They have come runners-up in their last two seasons in the league but are on course to claim their first ever Welsh Premier League title win. They just faced 2nd placed Barry Town though in what was their most difficult game this season.

They drew 2-2 with Town in a very exciting game which just reflected how tight this title race is this year. The top four sides are split by just three points and every team has had to keep their standards so high to stay in the running.

Much of Connah’s attacking threat has been thanks to Callum Morris, who has scored seven goals in 12 games from central-midfield. The Englishman has been on fire recently and will have to be earmarked by the Queen’s Park defence.

In the Irn-Bru Cup so far, they have beaten Ray McKinnon’s Falkirk side as well as Northern Irish team Coleraine in two tight victories. The long journey up from Wales is always going to be a factor in these games but the buzz of such an away day will be fuel enough to fix their travel fatigue ahead of this exciting quarter-final.

Queen’s Park currently sit 6th in League Two after a horrible start to the season but are now playing much better under Mark Roberts and are unbeaten in their last six matches. Gus MacPherson had been manager for four years at the club but was sacked in October after a terrible run of results didn’t seem to be getting any better.

They have now picked up 10 points from their last possible 12 which has seen them shoot right up the table to 6th, within four points of 3rd. There have been some major wins here as well, with 2nd and 3rd placed Peterhead and Clyde being beaten and 4th placed Annan being matched in a 0-0 draw at home. These games could have been heavy defeats under MacPherson but Roberts’ effect on the club has been massive in the short term.

Each of their three top scorers last season (Adam Cummins, Aidan Keena and Luke Donnelly on eight goals each) left in the Summer but Smart Osalodor and Lewis Hawke are doing a solid job of replacing them with six goals between them. Jamie McKernon has also been in fine form this season with two goals and four assists, so he will be key in this game.

They have conceded no goals in their last four league matches, which is a great feat considering they had only kept two clean sheets in the seven matches prior. Queen’s Park have also been pretty good in front of goal with 11 scored in their last five matches. They do have a game on their hand though as Connah’s Quay have scored eight goals in their last two matches and have only lost one of their last 12. They haven’t been the best on the road recently though with a win, a draw and a defeat making up their last three away games, which is disappointing when considering their form. Queen’s Park have actually been very good at home with just one loss in their last 11 at Hampden which is incredible as they have generally been so poor recently. This factor is leading us to believe that Queen’s Park could swing this one as they are still high off the appointment of Mark Roberts, so we’re going to back this one to finish 2-1 to the Scottish side. Connah’s Quay are playing well but struggled against a poor Falkirk and Coleraine side in the previous stages of this tournament which is why we’re backing Queen’s Park to win this one.