New striker quick off the mark

Jul 25 2008 by John Ballard, Dumfries Standard Friday

QUEENS received a boost ahead of the club’s first game of the season tomorrow after clinching two more new signings.

Ex-Clyde men Gary Arbuckle and Michael McGowan, both 23, have joined the Doonhamers on one-year deals.

And striker Arbuckle made a dream start to his Queens career, scoring after 30 seconds against Queens Park at Hampden on Tuesday, in a game Gordon Chisholm’s men went on to win 2-0.

Chisholm told the Standard he’s delighted to have captured the duo.

He said: “I tried to sign Gary last summer – he’s got lots of good qualities like wonderful pace and both him and Michael will be a big benefit to the squad.

“Both of them are a good age and they are exactly the kind of players I was looking for.”

On Tuesday the crowd of around 200 at Hampden Park was rather smaller than the 49,000 that packed the ground on Queens’ last visit to the national stadium for the Scottish Cup final, but this time the Doonhamers finished as winners.

A 25-yard Stephen Dobbie strike, following a neat lay-off from Sean O’Connor, doubled the advantage Arbuckle had given his new team and although the visitors continued to create chances they failed to find the net again.

However, Queens’ pre-season record makes impressive reading – three wins, one draw, 11 goals scored and only one conceded, and that was against highly-rated English Championship outfit Burnley.

While Chisholm knows pre-season results count for little, he’s glad his men are going into tomorrow’s Challenge Cup clash away at Berwick Rangers in good form.

“I’ve no complaints about our pre-season results and I’m pleased with the way we’ve kept things tight at the back,” he said.

“We look to win in every game we play, no matter what level it’s at and the game at Berwick will be no different.

“We’ll be going there expected to get a result and that’s what we’ll try and do.”

Queens’ league campaign starts a week after tomorrow’s visit to Berwick Rangers, when the Doonhamers play host to Airdrie United.