THE future continues to look bright for a club so often venerated for its Victorian past.
Queen’s Park made light work of the Championship’s in-form team to get their title charge back on track - and they did so with some aplomb.
Jack Thomson’s first-half finish and a brace from Connor Shields put some gloss on the scoreline, but it was Aaron Healy, scorer of the second, who was the story.
Two months ago he was playing for Arthurlie away to Shotts Bon Accord, now his is a team in pole position for Premiership football next season.
Has Coyle unearthed a diamond?
Wherever you looked, Queen’s Park impressed all over the pitch.
The step up to the Premiership may have been too much for him (although, even Pele would have looked out of sorts in that Motherwell team of the last 13 months), but Shields remains a dangerous Championship striker, and deserved to make it four goals in four games for the Spiders. Then there’s Marcel Oakley, who galloped into Accies’ territory as often as was his wont, and Malachi Boateng, a cheat code at this level.
But it was a man scoring his first senior goal who will rightly be the toast of Larbert this weekend. Healy was playing in Scotland’s sixth tier a matter of months ago, but there he was, strolling beyond his marker to finish with aplomb. It was like he’d been playing at this level his whole career.
He was just one of a number of youngsters who continue to give Queen's Park plenty of cause for optimism. Not bad for a team whose halcyon days were when beaver beards were in vogue.
Given the league remains in Dundee’s hands - by virtue of having played one game fewer - it was vital they won. And win they did.
Accies improvement not enough against league leaders
What of Hamilton Accies? So far adrift at the bottom of the league for so long, next season’s fixtures already had them down for Kelty Hearts and Queen of the South away. But that’s a certainty no more.
Connor Smith is undoubtedly key to that upturn in form - and he so nearly levelled with Accies’ best chances in the dying embers of the first half - but so is the steeliness that had been so badly lacking.
Whether it was Steve Lawson, Reghan Tumilty or Scott Martin, a player whose default setting appears to be crunching into a tackle, the Accies midfield five worked tirelessly to put out fires, the only concern being how isolated it rendered Jean Pierre Tiehi. Try as he might, the Fulham loanee got little change out of Stephen Eze.
The loss of Dylan McGowan to injury midway through the first half did little to help John Rankin’s cause.
In truth, Queen’s kept them just about at arm’s length for much of the day, but there’s no real shame in that. And a Dario Zanatta goal did inspire something of a late charge, but it was too little, too late.
Friday night is not to be missed
The following has probably never been committed to print before but there’s a kernel of truth to it; if you have plans for next Friday, cancel them to watch Hamilton Accies against Arbroath. Just a single point separates the bottom two sides in Scotland’s most exciting league, and it would be pretty foolhardy to confidently predict a winner.
Strap yourselves in for the ride.
