Queen’s University came within touching distance of pulling off the greatest of great escapes but in the end they fell just short and were relegated from the Championship on Saturday.
The Students picked up just nine points in their first 23 league matches and were cut adrift at the foot of the standings for month, with a double-digit points gap to those sides above them.
A remarkable run began in mid-January that saw them pick up 21 points in 11 matches which, briefly, lifted them above Knockbreda on goal difference.
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Yet their final four matches yielded just one point – with three one-goal defeats along the way – which saw them prop up the standings, three points off Breda and returning to the Premier Intermediate League.
Despite the immense disappointment, Queen’s boss Peter Thompson was full of praise for his squad.
“The players were a credit to the club, they showed so much resilience and never gave up despite our situation and nobody pointed the finger at anyone else,” he told Match on Tuesday.
“Nobody put in less than 100 percent and I have told them all that directly, there was so much that they showed that I was so proud of.
“Throughout the season we have continually improved our team despite very few chances to the playing personnel in that timeframe.
“Nobody ever complained or gave us an ounce of bother, they followed our instructions, worked hard and continued to improve.”
Queen’s twice blew a lead on Saturday, just as they had done the previous week against Ballyclare having also squandered advantages over Institute and Dundela recently to lose.
“Saturday was a microcosm of our entire season,” Thompson lamented.
“We played well and I could not fault our approach to the game but the opposition was better in both boxes, and they scored some brilliant goals.
“There have been so many games throughout the season when we have been the better side for most of the games but could not pick up enough points.
“We have lacked a little bit of quality in both boxes and that has been our downfall.”
While focus will only turn to next season after a well-earned rest period, Queen’s are in a strong position to bounce back and keep the core of their playing squad together.
The boss explained: “We will stick together as a group through this and come out the other side stronger.
“The nature of the club means that there will be students who will move on because they have opportunities abroad or elsewhere, but then the younger players will get their chance.
“We have had youth players who have been training with the first-team squad but not necessarily have been given minutes, but we have a conveyor belt that will continue to replenish our squad.”
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