Injury worries at Palmerston

Nov 7 2008 by Doug Archibald, Dumfries Standard Friday

QUEENS don’t have their troubles to seek on the availability front ahead of an awkward encounter with Morton.

Skipper Jim Thomson will be in the stand after his red card at Firhill.

Craig Sives, Gary Arbuckle, Jamie McQuilken and Craig Barr missed training yesterday for various reasons.

Neil Scally and Scott Robertson are still on the long-term injury list.

And Bob Harris has just had a specialist scan although the news there is better and he should make it back in a couple of weeks.

But David Weatherston, struck down last week by a flu bug doing the dressing room rounds, is available again.

Boss Gordon Chisholm could well be forced to field yet another combination when Queens run out at Palmerston for the first time in almost a month.

And after the disappointment of defeat at the hands of Partick Thistle he is keenly aware that three points are vital if the Dumfries side is to force its way back to the top of the division.

Morton may be languishing at the bottom of the table but they have already beaten Queens at Palmerston this season, 2-0 in the Alba Cup.

Chisholm was somewhat philosophical after the Firhill defeat.

“We’re not going to win every game, and we must accept that,” he said.

“No team will go through this league unbeaten and we all know that.

“It’s how we respond that matters now!

“We lost at Airdrie but bounced back to beat Ross County.

“So, although we lost out at Firhill I’m looking for a victory against Morton.”

He added: “Despite them being bottom of the table we’ll be taking nothing for granted.

“They beat us 2-0 down here in a cup-tie a few weeks ago and that has been our one and only defeat at home in 2008.”

Chisholm was also quick to point out only four goals have been conceded in the league at Palmerston this season.

He said: “There’s a penalty to be paid for our success.

“Visiting teams acknowledge that and come here, put up the shutters, sit-in rather than attack which makes it difficult. But we must learn to adapt and get used to it.”