With a number of players out through injury, illness and suspension Gordon Chisholm had to reshuffle his starting eleven once again. This week he settled for a more solid looking 4-4-2 formation and brought back into the squad Andy Aitken to stand in for suspended captain Jim Thomson. Also in was Tom Parratt at right back at the expense of Michael McGowan whilst Craig Barr missed out due to injury. David Weatherson was given a role wide left with the aim of supplying the front two of O'Connor and Dobbie. The only change on the bench was Gary Arbuckle who came into the squad.

The first twenty minutes of the match saw Queens dominate their visitors with chances falling to David Weatherston and Paul Burns but neither able to convert their efforts. An innocent looking ball dropped onto the head of Craig Sives on twenty minutes and the on-loan Hearts defender elected to head back toward Cammy Bell in the queens goal. What Sives didn't notice was Peter Weatherson lurking just behind him and before Andy Aitken could do much to prevent it 'Nelly' had struck yet another effort into the back of the net at Palmerston. The former favourite of the home crowd was once again dignified in his celebration.

Nelly slips it past Cammy

Rather than an immediate positive response Queens looked to be a bit shell shocked at the opener coming for the visitors, they looked even more shell shocked ten minutes later as a superb run down the wing by Jim McAllister resulted in a cross to the far post that was headed back across goal by Allan Jenkins and onto the head of Peter Weatherson once again to notch another goal against his former employers. It was 2-0 to Morton and they were the team playing the good football.

At this point Queen looked a side well beaten and resigned to the fact.  Eight minutes later it looked as though that was that as Allan Jenkins pounced onto a half clearance from a corner by Neil Macfarlane and rifled home an effort through a ruck of players and into the top corner - the home side and crowd were stunned.  It was 3-0 to the visitors and only eighteen minutes previous it was Queens who had looked the more likely. On the stroke of half time Andy Aitken picked up a booking for a frustrated challenge on Peter Weatherson.

It was hoped that this would be the typical, 'game of two halves', as the fans chatted at half time and indeed it was.  Queens came racing out of the tunnel and onto the park eager to get something from the match. The first thing that they got was a booking for Jamie McQuilken. The second thing that they got though was a goal and what a well worked goal it was. Stephen Dobbie picked up the ball in his own half and ran at the defence, he laid the ball off to Paul Burns who in turn set up Sean O'Connor inside the box, Sean needed no invitation and cooly slotted the ball into the balc of the net and then raced after it to ensure that the kick-off wasn't delayed by a tardy Morton reaction.

Let's get on with it!

It was all blue now as the stiff breeze ensured that the ball could not comfortably be cleared toward the Terregles Street end. Time after time Queens bore down on the visitors goal. Stephen Dobbie was presented with a free kick 25 yards out, his strike was perfect as it looked set to dip in under the bar but somehow Kevin Cuthbert in the Morton goal stretched a hand far enough out to touch the ball ever so slightly and send it over the bar. Five minutes after that Dobbs managed to get himself unhooked from a Morton defenders arms and volleyed an effort that was dipping over Cuthbert and into the top corner until the 'keeper again pulled off a wonderful save to deny Queens a second.

It was all one-way traffic as Queens laid seige to the Morton goal, Dobbie - again and Tosh - wide, were denied as was Neil Macfarlane who almost got the touch needed to send a through ball over Cuthbert. Then Craig Sives managed to send the ball further away from the goal than it had been when he met it at the back post on the post and Tom Parratt saw a decent effort comfortably saved by Cuthbert. Sives was the culprit again as he managed to shoot over the bar from three yards as a corner was whipped onto his toe from McQuilken. David Weatherston was next as his dipping effort was pushed over by Cuthbert again as the 'keeper proved what a good shot stopper he is. 

A moment of madness by Steve Tosh led to the killer Morton goal as the midfielder brought down a Morton player 40 yards out, Tosh was booked for it and from the resulting free kick former Queens loan star Stewart Greacan dipped low to head it past the makeshift Doonhamers defence. One effort on goal from Morton in the second half and one goal!

Nelly came out on top today

Gordon Chisholm had seen enough and threw on two strikers, Kean and Arbuckle for right back Parrat and left winger Weatherston. Paul Burns moved to right back and Stewart Kean took over on the right with Gary Arbuckle on the left. Shortly afterwards Neil Macfarlane was replaced by Stephen Simmons and the assault on the visitors goal contnued.

There wasn't to be a second goal however as a Cuthbert point blank save from a Sean O'Connor effort followed by a wickedly deflected effort from Stewart Kean that rolled into Cuthbert's hands were to prove. The final whistle blew and the proud unbeaten record of almost twelve months ends at almost twleve months.

Morton came and played a good game of football, only late in the game did they attempt to shut up shop. Queens looked the more likley for all but twenty five minutes of the game but in those twenty five minutes Morton scored three goals! Defensively there is work to be done!

Colin Johnstone

For all of the photos from the game today click on the link http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/queenofthesouthfc