OWEN COYLE was over the moon to secure a first three points of the season as Queen’s Park came out on top against Partick Thistle in a fiercely contested Championship Glasgow derby clash.
Goals from Grant Savoury, Tommy Robson and Simon Murray secured the victory, but the Spiders did not have it all their own way.
Thistle enjoyed large spells of possession during the Ochilview contest and twice found the back of the net through Jack McMillan and Anton Dowds, but it was ultimately Coyle’s side who came out on top.
“I think that win today was hugely important,” the Queen’s Park boss said. “When you have been in the game as long as I have you know you have to be positive, especially with what happened at Ayr last week.
“If you finish above Thistle you are certainly going to be in the play-off places that is for sure. They are going to be right up there.
“We wanted to show real intent to win the game and we were very good at moving the ball and passing. But there is still more to come.
“We are nowhere near where we want to be. Some of those kids out there today have never played at this kind of level.
“They are getting better and they will continued to grow. At 1-1 it would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves, but we picked ourselves up again.”
Queen’s Park started the brightest in the contest and forward Scott Williamson was causing the Thistle backline all sorts of problems as he looked to get in behind at every opportunity.
The striker’s tenacious work helped to set up winger Savoury on ten minutes, but his powerful strike was blocked well and sent behind for a corner.
The visitors then almost took the lead on 21 minutes when the experienced Brian Graham headed towards goal from a corner, but his effort was saved well by Calum Ferrie.
It was unusual to see a Glasgow derby played in Stenhousemuir at Ochilview Park, but despite the added journey time due to lesser Hampden’s renovations, supporters from both sides showed up in healthy numbers.
An attendance of 1,357 was officially recorded and the home portion of the stadium were treated to an impressive opener in the 35th minute.
Referee Steven McLean awarded a Queen’s free-kick just outside the penalty area when Simon Murray turned Kevin Holt before being brought down.
Dom Thomas took charge of the free-kick and rolled the ball into the feet of Murray who slid in the advancing Savoury on the blindside of the Thistle defence. The winger, who had looked sharp up until this point, then took a touch and curled past the advancing David Mitchell.
Thistle looked up for it as they emerged for the second half and they hauled themselves level just after the hour mark. McMillan finished off a lovely move on the edge of the penalty area after a neat interchange with Kyle Turner.
It was a goal that Fir Park boss Ian McCall felt was deserved but when Queen’s Park regained their advantage just a minute later, he was far from pleased.
It was full-back Tommy Robson who found the back of the net against his former club and he converted expertly as he fired low across goal after making an overlapping run on the left flank.
McCall reacted: “I’m disappointed. I feel like we have let down a fabulous support. I don’t think we deserved to get beat. First half going in at 1-0 down was just ridiculous.
“At 1-1 we kept the lead for what? One minute? It is really disappointing. The first goal from them was well worked but the other two we conceded were a shambles.
“When you see the tightness of the league, it is going to be like that all season. It is very frustrating.”
Simon Murray steered home a third goal for Queen’s with 13 minutes remaining to ensure that the three points were heading to the Southside of Glasgow instead of the West.
Thistle looked for a way back into the game in the final stages and they managed to claw one back through substitute Dowds.
The big striker flicked home into the back of the net following a goalmouth scramble, but ultimately it was too little too late for McCall’s side.
