Gus surprised by Spiders’ revival
Win at Stenny puts QP in play-off spot
Gus MacPherson admits seeing his Spiders sitting in a play-off spot is hard to get his head around after their disastrous start to the season.
His side eased past struggling Stenhousemuir to go fourth after Dario Zanatta’s first-half opener and a late strike from Anton Brady sealed three points – despite Ross Millen’s dismissal for two bookings with 18 minutes left to play.
MacPherson welcomed the win and said: “It’s unbelievable that we are in this position considering we lost seven out of the first 11. So to find ourselves in a play-off position speaks volumes for the players.
“We are a target for a lot of clubs in this division and it’s a credit to the players about how they go about their business.
“Again, we have our goalkeeper to thank , particularly for an unbelievable save in the first half.
“If you get that first goal it gives you something to defend and thankfully we did that.”
The first half was a sizzling affair with Spiders dominating and Stenny keeper David Crawford keeping his side in the reckoning with a string of fine stops. The Ochilview number one pulled off a fine save after just five minutes from Dom Docherty’s angled low drive after a chipped pass from Anton Brady but the Warriors hit back with a header from Colin McMenamin which keeper Willie Muir tipped into the air and then gathered while on the deck.
However, McMenamin claimed furiously that his seventh-minute effort had crossed the line. Spiders then took command and Paul Woods slammed in a low shot which Crawford brilliantly diverted with his left boot on 15 minutes before Jamie McKernon cracked in a piledriver from the edge of the box which flew straight at the keeper on 26 minutes.
Finally, Spiders broke the deadlock with a well worked opener. Brady played in Dario Zanatta on the right with a fabulous ball and he ran on to whack a shot across keeper Crawford and into the bottom left on 32 minutes.
Spiders’ Paul Woods passed up two chances to finish the match when he headed over from close range just after the hour before being blocked from a couple of yards out after a blunder at the back by Stenny.
Then Ross Millen walked for two bookings in two minutes – the second a harsh caution for bringing down Ciaran Summers on 72 minutes.
However, Anton Brady tied up the points three minutes into stoppage time when he closed in on goal on the left before firing a 12-yard shot into the bottom right.
Stenny boss Brown Ferguson said: “The most disappointing thing for me was that when they went down to 10 men we didn’t press them enough. I don’t want to sound like sour grapes, but it wasn’t a great game.”