Queen's Park's difficult start to the season continued with a 2-0 defeat away to Greenock Morton on Saturday. The loss at Cappielow Park, sealed by two first-half goals, leaves the Spiders anchored in 10th place in the William Hill Championship with only seven points from their opening 11 matches.
Early setback
The visitors were behind inside a quarter of an hour. A foul by Matthew Shiels on Cammy Ballentyne resulted in a penalty, which former Queen's Park midfielder Grant Gillespie converted in the 14th minute. The home side doubled their lead just before the break, with Michael Garrity finding the net in the 44th minute after being set up by K. Robertson.
Queen's Park struggled to create clear chances in response. An early effort from Aidan Connolly was blocked, and a header from Michael Ruth was well saved by David Mitchell in the Morton goal. The side made four substitutions after the hour mark, introducing Ross McLean, Lewis Stewart, Aiden McCallion and Zach Mauchin, but could not find a way back into the contest.
Manager's view
First-team manager Sean Crighton acknowledged the result but pointed to his team's persistent effort. "Effort is not something Sean Crighton has ever question from his side and they continued to seek a way back into the game," he said in a post-match interview. The match marked personal milestones for two Queen's Park players, with defender Euan Murray making his 50th appearance for the club and Louis Longridge, who was facing his brother's side, reaching 500 career games.
The result extends a concerning run of form. They have conceded 18 goals this season while scoring only six, giving them a goal difference of minus twelve. They now sit 16 points adrift of league leaders Stenhousemuir. The team's current run of form shows only one win in their last nine league outings, a 1-0 victory over Airdrieonians in late September.
What comes next
Attention now turns to a key home fixture against Dunfermline Athletic this Saturday. Dunfermline currently occupy sixth place in the standings, presenting another tough challenge for Crighton's side as they look to climb away from the lower reaches of the table. The match at Letherby Drive kicks off on October 24. Following that, Queen's Park will face a trip to face third-placed Dundee United on November 2.
First reported at queensparkfc.co.uk
The result on October 17 saw Morton climb above Queen's Park on goal difference. Miller, who leads the side with Michael O'Halloran, said the 2-0 win secured Morton's "first home victory in almost seven months." The Spiders, now 10th in the Championship with seven points, face Dunfermline next.
