Two weeks ago Queen’s appeared to be dead and buried at the foot of the Championship but maybe, just maybe, the great escape is on.
The Students had won just two of their opening 23 Championship matches before winning 3-1 at home to Knockbreda before following it up with a 2-1 win at H&W Welders this weekend.
“The position we are in now, we need to be picking up points regularly and to build a run of results,” midfielder Ben Mulgrew told Match on Tuesday.
“We cannot get carried away with results and we should not think too much about our position in the table either and instead just keep focusing on our next game.
“We need to give ourselves a fighting chance going into the split and those five games because there will be 15 points up for grabs then.
“So many times this season we have lost by the odd goal and there have only been four or five games the entire campaign where we have not been in the match.
“But we are a young squad without much experience and this league can be a huge learning curve.
“Mattie Hughes has been out since the first game of the season, Jonah Mitchell is in England and goalkeeper Declan Brown moved on, which were three huge blows.
“But the core group of players have remained at the club and will do regardless of what happens in the final few months of the season.”
It’s not only the league that is looking optimistic for the Students but in the Irish Cup too – having defeated Newington in the previous round it is Glentoran who lie in wait, for the second time in three seasons.
“The cup brings a bit of relief to us without the pressure of the week-to-week in the league,” added Mulgrew – whose brother Jamie captains the Glens’ ‘Big Two’ rivals Linfield.
“Glentoran and Linfield have progressed so much when we faced them in the cup two years ago so this is s a game which is a massive challenge.
“We still have a very low profile as a club and these games really put us on the biggest stage to showcase ourselves.
“Our game plan will be about staying in the match and trying to play it on our terms.”
Mulgrew also paid tribute to Queen’s boss Peter Thompson (inset) for helping build an environment that has allowed the club to enjoy the best period in their history.
“I dropped out of the team after having Covid and a bit of sickness, but when a team is playing well and they are winning then it is difficult to get back in,” added the midfielder.
“Thomo is a manager who is entirely fair with his decisions and is someone who makes his players want to play for him and the club.
“I have had such brilliant moments at the club with winning cups, the Premier Intermediate League, playing in the Championship and the Irish Cup results.
“Despite not being a regular in the team at the moment it is a great club to be a part of which is full of great people – I would not want to be anywhere else.”
