Coyle happy with the fight as Murray seals Queen’s win
QUEEN’S PARK 3 Savoury (37), Robson (67), Murray (76) PARTICK THISTLE 2 McMillan (64), Dowds (87)
Queen’s Park took the honours in the Alternative Glasgow Derby at Stenhousemuir’s Ochilview ground with a 3-2 success over Partick Thistle.
Grant Savoury’s first-half lead for the hosts was cancelled out by Jack McMillan but Owen Coyle’s side responded with goals from ex-Jag Tommy Robson and Simon Murray before Anton Dowds grabbed a late consolation.
Queen’s head coach Owen Coyle said: “It was important for us to bounce back after losing a game to Ayr that we should not have lost.
“We came determined to be on the front foot and we were, with a very attacking approach. When Thistle equalised, it was important to show that we could handle that set-back, and we did by scoring a really good goal within a few minutes.”
Coyle gave a debut to loan signing from Crystal Palace, Malachi Boateng, and the Spiders almost grabbed a goal on seven minutes when Murray slipped a pass to Scott Williamson on Thistle’s 18-yard line. Only David Mitchell’s fine one-handed stop from the striker’s drive kept the ball out.
Thistle enjoyed decent pressure midway through the first half with Aiden Fitzpatrick’s trickery forcing a corner before a surging McMillan run did the same.
The second flag kick from Kyle Turner almost brought a goal with Ferrie pushing away a net-bound Brian Graham header and, as the Firhill men kept probing, Fitzpatrick hooked over from close range. On 27 minutes Partick looked set to punish Alex Bannon’s poor pass when Ross Docherty found Steven Lawless. The wide-man cut picked out Graham at the back post with his header dropping into the arms of Ferrie.
Ten minutes later Queen’s took the lead with a goal following a free-kick routine straight from the training ground. Murray was bundled to the ground 28 yards out and with everyone expecting Dom Thomas to have a shot the winger rolled a 19-yard pass to Murray who sent Savoury clear with a single touch. The attacker took a touch before side-footing into the corner.
Thistle had the first chance after the restart when Cole McKinnon got in behind the home defence but his lobbed effort went high over.
The Maryhill men had much better fortune on 64 minutes when McMillan surged forward again and swapped passes with Graham before sliding a shot out of Ferrie’s reach.
Parity only lasted three minutes with Queen’s retaking the lead when Boateng threaded a pass into the path of the darting Robson who rolled the ball into the far corner. It got even better for Queen’s with 14 minutes left when Murray forced the ball home from close range after Mitchell had saved a Jake Davidson header with the Queen’s defender sending the loose ball back into the danger area.
Substitute Dowds hooked home a Docherty corner from a couple of yards out with three minutes left to set-up a rousing finish but they couldn’t find an equaliser.
Thistle manager Ian McCall said: “We let down our support. We did not deserve to lose and whilst their first goal was well worked the other two were a shambles.”