View from the Shed: Spiders win can ease Morton concerns

With Rangers lodging at Hampden until three weeks ago, and an international played in the National Stadium as recently as last Thursday, I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why Queen’s Park can’t move back into Hampden before this weekend.

Ton edged past Cowdenbeath last week (Image: Gary Bradley)

But alas, Morton fans have faced a ticket scramble, which has not helped by our own club’s quite bizarre policy of distribution I hasten to add, in order to back their team at the much smaller venue.

On a positive note, I suspect Imrie and his side will be relishing playing on the Spiders’ top-of-the-range synthetic pitch, which was a major factor in Steve Clarke’s decision to use the facility as the national team’s training base.

With the Central Park pitch playing at its dry and bobbly best last weekend, Morton will at least be able to move the ball around as Imrie has been wishing this term, after struggling against the Blue Brazil in Fife.

There can’t be many for whom last weekend’s match will live long in the memory, such was the sluggish nature of Morton’s display. However, as Imrie pointed out post-match, at least we’re in the hat for the next round, where an enticing visit to Hamilton awaits.

There were of course major concerns from the match, with the Fifers having a goal ruled out in the early seconds and Ton thankful to Ryan Mullen for helping avoid the rigours of a penalty shoot-out, with his late spot-kick save sparing the visitors' blushes.

Mullen was on form to keep the Lowland League side at bay (Image: Gary Bradley)

Zac Delaney’s ordering-off should be a massive worry for this observer, but after a change in the rules at the start of the season, he'll miss that last-16 trip to New Douglas Park.

Having previously picked up a booking for a similar altercation with Partick’s Scott Robinson at Firhill on the opening day of the league season, I’d hope Delany’s recent indiscretions don’t become a common theme. Especially with Morton’s indiscipline being a huge talking point during 2023-24.

How Imrie eventually adapts to the loss of his left back I’m unsure, with the potential for Alex King to slot in as he has done previously, or for Cammy Ballantyne to move across and Cammy Blues to take his place on the right-hand side of the back four.

Perhaps the more worrying absence, though, was that of Iain Wilson from Saturday’s team. While Morton just about got away with it against non-league opposition, the loss of the influential, but injury-prone, midfielder for any length of time isn’t something any of us would wish to contemplate.

Morton will look to continue their recent successes against Queen's Park (Image: alex craig)

Queen’s Park, like Morton, toiled through in the Trust Trophy against more modest opposition in the form of League Two relegation favourites Edinburgh City. 

Despite that, Callum Davidson will point out, as Imrie has, that being in the hat is all that really matters.

The Spiders' league form has so far been inconsistent, with their only victory coming against an Airdrie side who look to be suffering a hangover from last season’s endeavours and their most recent result, a 3-0 derby drubbing at Firhill, apparently not flattering the southsiders.

They, too, have seen big changes on the pitch over the summer, with talisman Ruari Paton leaving, and as a result Queens are relying on former Partick and Falkirk striker Zak Rudden to find the goals this time around.

Callum Davidson will be looking for revenge tomorrow (Image: alex craig)

This has seen Davidson take a similar approach to Imrie in filleting Inverness’s squad post relegation in his recruitment drive, with the acquisitions of Nikola Udjur, Roddy MacGregor and Cammy Kerr.

While the Spiders may see the return of keeper Calum Ferrie to the side as a boost, such is his record against Morton that there won’t be many Morton fans too upset by his presence between the home side’s sticks.

Queen’s Park haven’t beaten Morton in the league since 1962; let’s hope that a change of venue does nothing to scupper that longstanding record!