Sore one for Queens

Jan 7 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

“THAT was a sore one, a real kick in the teeth,” admitted Queens’ boss Gordon Chisholm moments after full time at Cappielow on Saturday.

Peter Weatherson’s 94th minute equaliser had just cancelled out the visitors’ early two-goal lead to deny the Dumfries club its first win in nine games.

“It felt like a defeat in the dressing room,” revealed Chisholm.

“Before the game, we would have said that a point here is good, but not after being 2-0 up.

“I thought we were handling the pressure in the second half, but the (injury) time just seemed to be continually going.

“If we play like that, we’ll win more than we lose, so I’ve told the lads to keep their heads up. If we get our full squad back from injury, we can compete with the other teams.”

A sparkling debut goal from Barry Wilson put Queens ahead after seven minutes as the former Inverness midfielder beat keeper Kevin Cuthbert from 15 yards with a precise, left-foot curler.

“Tosher (Steve Tosh) said he laid it on a plate for me, but I'm not sure about that,” joked Wilson.

“It’s great to get off the mark at a new club, and it was good to get back on the park again after being so long on the bench at Inverness. I just want to play as often as I can and help Queens climb the table.”

Chisholm continued: “Barry came in and did really well. It was a composed finish and that’s why I brought him in – for that bit of quality.”

Queens’ second goal was also a bit special, Gary Arbuckle rounding off a fine one-touch passing move with a low finish that went in off the post.

Arbuckle’s afternoon ended badly, though, as he was stretchered off to hospital eight minutes from time with a suspected broken leg after hearing a crack in a challenge with defender Dominic Shimmin.

Two-down within 20 minutes, the home side looked rattled but not for nothing have they lost just once at Cappielow all season.

The arrival of substitute Brian Wake and a looping header from former Doonhamer Weatherson “gave them a big lift”, said Chisholm, and Wilson added: “We were two-up and looked quite confident, but then Morton got a goal out of nothing and the whole game changed.

“Losing such a late equaliser is typical when you’re down at the bottom of the league. Everything seems to go against you.

“But maybe this will be the point that turns our season around and kick-starts things for us.”

Teams

Morton: Cuthbert, McGuffie, Walker, Shimmin, Greacen, Jenkins (Paartalu 78), Finlayson, Masterton, Weatherson, Grady (Wake 20), McAllister. Subs: Stewart, Russell, Smith)

Queen of the South: Robinson, Reid, Harris, MacFarlane, Barr, Thomson, Wilson (Scally 86), Tosh (O’Connor 70), Arbuckle (Weatherston 82), Robertson, McQuilken. Subs: Halliwell, Dobbie.

Referee: Steven Nicholls.

Attendance: 2,647.