Queens Finish Fourth after defeat at Firhill

Last updated : 05 May 2010 By QUEENS MAD

A late strike by sub Kris Doolan earned Partick Thistle a narrow win over Queen of the South at Firhill.

The best chance in the first half came in 36 minutes when Queens' Jordan McMillan cleared a Bryan Hodge effort.

After the break Derek Holmes hit the post, before Willie McLaren, David Weatherston and Sean O'Connor all had chances for the visitors.

But with the last kick, Doolan curled a left-foot, 25-yard winner into the top corner past David Hutton.

On a poor surface chances were thin on the ground. Simon Donnelly cut along the box before hitting a left-foot shot wide and then Martin Grehan dragged another wide.

With nine minutes of the first half left, Martyn Corrigan played Chris Erskine away down the wing, who did well to get the better of Craig Reid, dragging the ball along the by-line before cutting it back for Hodge whose left foot shot was cleared by McMillan.

Early in the second half Queens manager Kenny Brannigan introduced Weatherston and he almost made an instant impact.

McLaren laid the ball across for the substitute, who was in the clear and looked odds-on to score but took a touch too many, knocking it too far in front of him and straight into the arms of Jonny Tuffey.

Two minutes later Weatherston cut the ball back across goal for Holmes and with the outside of his left foot he crashed the ball off the outside of the post.

McLaren dragged wide and O'Connor's snap shot was well saved by Tuffey. At the other end, man-of-the-match Erskine took the ball round Hutton but the defenders did their job well and got back to cover.

The winner came with the last kick of the ball two minutes into injury time when Doolan was allowed to cut back inside before curling an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.

This result leaves Queens in fourth place with also their highest points tally. It has been a reasonably successful season but if we wish to consolidate for next season there is much work to be done.

A somewhat bemused Queens Fan