IN THE first 20 minutes of the game, Queens Park tore their opponents apart with a display that made a mockery of Mal United's pre-match boast: "We'll beat them even if we are a man short."

Boastful claims have a habit of slapping you in the face and that's precisely what happened to Mal United player Tahir Mukaddam when he was forced to retire from the game after only four minutes, when a clash of heads left him somewhat concussed and a lump on his forehead the size of a golf ball.

And it wasn't just the unfortunate Makaddam whose head was left spinning, most of his team-mates looked totally disorientated as Queens Park bombarded the United goal in an opening spell that promised a rout and left more than one United player requiring the smelling salts.

The action came thick and fast and in the first minute Queens Park's Mohammed Nadat shaved the foot of the United post with a blistering shot.

United's keeper Kamal Ali then had to pull off an excellent save to prevent a 20 yard effort from Afzal Patel finding the back of the net.

And following an infringement by the United keeper on the edge of his own penalty area, Zubair Mulla's goal-bound free-kick flew just inches wide of the post, thanks only to a deflection from the outstretched leg of a United player.

The introduction of late arrival Sunu Ali bolstered United's number of players on the park, but he could do nothing to stop Queens Park going into a two goal lead. It was Mohammed Nadat who made the break through when he rounded defender Mubarak Bux, side-stepped keeper Kamal Ali and despite hitting the post with his first shot, remained cool and collected enough to bury the rebound into the back of the empty net.

Within seconds of the restart Queens Park took possession and made it 2-0 when Afzal Patel latched on to a through ball inside the United penalty area and made no mistake, blasting home from 10 yards out.

United eventually emerged from their collective befuddled state and with Sunu Ali now making his presence felt in midfield, pressed forward and almost pulled a goal back when a dipping shot from Ali clipped the post and bounced to safety.

This unexpected United attack seemed to cause momentary confusion in the Queens Park defence and when United's Marvin Jackson hit a long ball into the goalmouth moments later, a misunderstanding between goalkeeper Chris Goodison and defender Terry Topping resulted in Topping stabbing the ball past his own keeper.

Straight after the break, Queens Park increased their lead again. A superb clearing header by Ayub Surti from a United corner fell to Zubair Mulla on the halfway line and as Kamal Ali raced off his line, Mulla steered his shot wide of the advancing keeper, deep into the bottom left hand corner.

United retaliated with a stunning volley from Sunu Ali that whistle over the Queens Park crossbar and Nasser Azad almost crowned a glorious surging run with a shot that narrowly missed the target. United almost paid the price for their all-out attacking style when a Queens Park counter-attack resulted in Ayub Surti hitting the bar from a Zubair Mulla's pass. But United's persistence was rewarded with a lovely executed goal from Marvin Jackson following a corner kick from Nasser Azad. As Azad's cross dropped on the Queens Park penalty spot, Jackson rose head and shoulders above the challenging defenders and powered home a precision header that gave Goodison no chance.

Sadly it proved too little too late and with the clock ticking away, Queens Park sealed a well deserved victory with a fourth goal from Ayub Surti.

Afzal Patel set off a jinxing run deep into the United box and despite beating keeper Kamal Ali, failed to get a shot on goal. Forced out wide by defenders, Patel turned on the edge of the box and found Surti with a pinpoint pass that Surti gleefully deposited into the roof of the United net from 10 yards out.

Queens Park: Chris Goodisen, Mohammed Nadat, Zubair Mulla, Ismail Lambat, Ayub Surti, Afzal Patel, Ibrahim Nagdee, Terry Topping. Subs: Suhayl Mulla, Mohammed Jogee, Ibrahim Patel.

Mal Utd: Kamal Ali, Nasmul Hussain, Marvin Jackson, Mubarak Bux, Nasser Azad, Tahir Mukaddam. Sub: Sunu Ali.

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