ZANCAN BE QUICK FOR THE SPIDERS
Dario signs emergency loan deal
Gus MacPherson says his latest signing is exactly what Queen’s Park need to boost their attacking options.
Dario Zanatta penned an emergency loan deal with The Spiders from Hearts that keeps him at the club until mid October.
The Canadian-born forward met with the squad for one training session and made his debut in the 2-0 defeat to Stranraer on Saturday.
The 19 year old failed to find the net despite forcing Blues’ Cameron Belford into a string of diving saves throughout the match.
Commenting on his new signing, MacPherson said: “Considering he has came in at such short notice, he has done well and we certainly knew since the summer we needed more striking options within the squad and he’ll give us that.
“He did okay. He’s only had one training session with the group, played up front and had a couple of half chances in the first half. He had a really good one after the break but the goalkeeper had a made good save.
“Dario has played in the first team at Hearts. He’s a young player and has very good attributes but like any player, he is going into a new group.”
Young Zanatta went straight into the team against Stranraer, taking over from John Carter, while the only other change from last week’s defeat to Alloa was David Galt for Paul Woods.
On-loan St Johnstone kid Craig Thomson was proving a menace for the Spiders defence and he started a move which almost brought Stranraer the opener in 13 minutes, cutting in from the right and setting up a shot for Craig Malcolm that Willie Muir turned over the bar.
Muir made another good stop on 37 minutes when Gibson’s corner from the right was met perfectly by Bell and the keeper threw himself to his right to turn away the powerful header.
That was two important saves from the Spiders keeper, but he undid his good work in 39 minutes when his error gifted Stranraer the lead.
He looked to have taken Thomson’s cross from the right at full stretch on the jump, but the wet ball slipped through his fingers and fell perfectly at the feet of Dick to slot home.
Queen’s came close to an equaliser in 54 minutes. Galt got in a good inswinger from the right and the diving Zanatta, very low to the ground, connected with a header that Belford blocked at point-blank range.
But it got worse for Queen’s when they were reduced to 10 men two minutes later as Turner was sent through on goal and fouled from behind by Miller.
Stranraer missed with the free kick, but they looked out of sight when they scored their second via Malcom’s headed effort from a corner on 63 minutes.
MacPherson said: “It was one of those games where there was going to either be a bit of magic or a mistake that gives somebody the lead or leads to a goal and unfortunately this week it was us that made the mistake which gave Stranraer a boost just before half-time.”