QUEEN’S WILL KEEP FIGHTING
MacPherson upbeat despite loss to Rovers
Queen’s Park boss Gus MacPherson reckons their performance against Raith Rovers set the benchmark for their final two matches as they bid to beat the drop.
The 2-0 defeat at Stark’s Park means The Spiders remain level on points with Albion Rovers at the bottom of the division.
Queen’s now have two games left against Forfar and Arbroath and a possible play-off fight to save their League One status.
MacPherson was pleased with his side’s second half showing and felt it could have been a different game if they had pulled one back.
He said: “We’ve worked them probably as much as we possibly could.
“We missed a couple of right good chances as well. If we could have got a goal back, it would be interesting to see how the game went. Credit to them they were challenged at half-time to make sure they go compete better than they did in the first half.
“They did everything that was asked of them.”
Bobby Barr put the hosts ahead after 10 minutes when he volleyed Jason Thomson’s cross from the right side.
Raith doubled their lead in the 39th minute when former Spider Dario Zanatta received the ball off Thomson on the right side, dribbled past the Queen’s Park defence to then finish into the top left corner.
The visitors put pressure on the Rovers defence in the second 45 minutes and their boss Barry Smith applauded their fight.
He said: “You know folk discredit them and I didn’t want to discredit them because I thought they did well.”
MacPherson told the Reformer ahead of the match nobody expected his side to take any points away from their trip to Kirkcaldy.
And despite a correct prediction, he was upbeat about the remaining matches.
He added: “We’ve said to them after the game there that they’ve set the standard now.
“In the second half, the tempo and the application where they were just a bit slow in starting.
“We had to change one thing at half time, change the system, personnel because young Lewis [Magee] was ill. So, it’s had the effect and hopefully that can carry onto next week.”
He added: “You’ve just got to take care of your own business.
“We should be able to take plenty positives from the game.
“This team haven’t lost a game at home all season so we knew it would be a tough ask. But credit to how the players applied themselves.”