Settled side eludes boss

Sep 26 2008 by Iain Pollock, Dumfries Standard Friday

QUEENS manager Gordon Chisholm may have to put shuffling skills to the test again this weekend.

A steady stream of injuries and a heavy early season fixture schedule have forced him to chop and change his first eleven more than he would wish.

And he is likely to ring the changes to the team which faced Falkirk in the Co-Operative Insurance Cup on Wednesday for tomorrow’s league clash with Clyde.

Chisholm told the Standard: “It will be the third game in a week and we may need to freshen up if we can.

Paul Burns and Jamie McQuilken could be back in contention, but Sean O’Connor will have to wait at least another week.

Chisholm said on Wednesday: “With the injuries I will need to wait until nearer the time. I will look at Paul Thursday and Friday.

“It would be good to have Paul and Jamie McQuilken back but I could not say at this stage.”

He added: “I’m hopeful Sean will be back soon. Saturday is too early but, without anything definite, he could be back a week on Saturday fingers crossed.

“I still feel we have enough in the tank to win games but he’s certainly a miss for us.”

Queens will be looking to bounce back from their controversial midweek defeat by Falkirk.

The Doonhamers head north in search of their first win on the road while seventh placed Clyde, who beat Airdrie 2-0 on Saturday, are bidding to record their first home victory.

Chisholm said: “This league is very difficult to predict. It’s so tight in the early stages and that will be the case until November/December.

“My boys have done well considering we have had five or six injuries every week. If we can have a full squad round about Christmas we may start to see things pulling away in the top three.

“Every week, I would not say they’re shocks but they never go the way you expect. We just have to hang in there.”

Talented defender Bob Harris yesterday signed a two-year extension to his current contract tying him to the club until 2011.