Party time for solid Spiders
Players enjoy Christmas party after first home win
Queen’s Park’s players might still be at the bottom of the league but they were able to enjoy their Christmas night out in Belfast after coming from behind to defeat East Fife.
Luke Donnelly’s double cancelled out Chris Duggan’s opener to earn the rock-bottom Spiders their first home win of the season.
And MacPherson was more than happy to give the festive evening the green light.
He said: “The players deserve great credit for the way they came back from a goal down. Their heads never went down, they turned it around and Luke Donnelly showed with his two goals how talented a player he is.
“They deserve their night out. It’s a testament to their commitment that they lost the first goal but just powered through to get the win. I’m really happy that they get to go out and enjoy themselves with an extra spring in their step.”
MacPherson made three changes from the defeat to Raith last week, with Jack Iredale taking over from Adam Cummins in defence alongside 17-year-old Lewis Magee, Donnelly replaced Chris Duff, and Billy Mortimer came off the bench to swap places with his young strike partner James McLennan. There was not much to report on in the opening exchanges until a poor goal was conceded by Queen’s on 16 minutes. There looked little danger as Aaron Dunsmore fired a hopeful ball forward, but keeper Michael White chose to dash from his line only to lose the race with ex-Spider Duggan, who lobbed the ball over him and into the empty net. But the heads did not go down and Queen’s fashioned a splendid equaliser just two and a half minutes later. Donnelly had earlier failed to get the ball out of his feet when presented with a chance six yards out, but he had no such problems when Mortimer created the opening for him to stroke a right-foot shot past Mark Hurst. The goal galvanised Queen’s and they perhaps should have scored again in 20 minutes. After good build-up play, Mortimer burst into the box and had a shot blocked and when Donnelly looked certain to stick away the loose ball, Hurst got his hand to the shot to divert it round a post. Mortimer and Donnelly were having some success getting space in the box but the final touch was proving more elusive, Mortimer failed to connect properly with a header and then later shot straight at Hurst.
On the 50-minute mark, the Hampden stand erupted in delight as Queen’s took the lead. A cute David Galt dummy just inside the box left Donnelly clear, but the big man still had to swivel before sending a low shot wide of Hurst and in at his right-hand corner.
Queen’s defender Jack Iredale volleyed against the bar and Mortimer sent a low shot against a post before a last gasp Jonathan Page header looked to have grabbed East Fife a point. However, keeper White produced a fine one-handed stop.
The Fifers’ boss and Cambuslang man Darren Young said: “To go from beating Airdrie 6-1 to losing is very disappointing. We were flat and even getting ahead failed to lift us.”