Morton 0 Queen’s Park 0 – Ferrie Fantastic as Safety Assured

QUEEN’S PARK confirmed their status in the William Hill Championship next season with a scoreless draw away at Morton.

It was a brave display that typified this Spiders squad this season – guts, determination, heroic individuals and a battling collective.

Sean Crighton’s side needed a point to guarantee they would avoid ninth, achieved it and will now look ahead to finishing as high up the second tier standings as possible.

Calum Ferrie produced a string of saves to deny the hosts who had a man advantage for the last half hour following Scott Martin’s second yellow card.

But the Ton, who needed the points themselves in eighth place with two games to go, couldn’t make the breakthrough.

It was almost the Spiders who did in the opening seconds as Callum Smith shot over after a great breakaway from Aidan Connolly. Immediately the Ton went up the pitch and Curtis Main shot narrowly wide after Owen Moffat’s lay-off.

A brilliant burst down the right from Magnus MacKenzie then teed up Jamie Bradley but his drive was deflected out for a corner.

Grant Gillespie stopped Louis Longridge’s delivery but Smith struck at goal only for Louis’ brother Jackson to head off the line.

All that within three and a half minutes of action in a match that meant plenty in the bottom half of the league.

There would be more goalmouth action – and plenty in the second half, but no goals. Thanks, in no small part, to Ferrie behind the Spiders defence.

The early pace had settled before Queen’s Park picked it up again on the half-hour. Aidan Connolly and Michael Ruth went close with headers and a Jamie Bradley drive, teed up by Ruth, was well held by Jamie Storer.

Curtis Main had a header nicely taken by Calum Ferrie as the clock struck 36 and at that moment, Airdrie took the lead at home to Partick Thistle.

That tightened things up at the bottom, with Ayr United trailing Ross County too.

And that made the brave defending of Euan Murray and Calum Ferrie on the line to all the more important to deny Main and Nathan Shaw.

Ricki Lamie had raced across to slide in on Main and the striker rode the tackle, feeding Shaw in the middle, and then striking the rebound against the keeper’s feet in a hearts in mouth – and bodies on the line – moment for the away support.

Three minutes before half-time Michael Garrity headed over unchallenged for the home side, and on the stroke of half-time Matty Shiels floated a header just wide from a clipped Connolly cross.

Queen’s Park returned to the dressing room having been the better side in an open first half but it was the hosts who threatened first in the second. 

Moffat managed to get in behind Matty Shiels but fired his shot over. At that point in proceedings Partick drew level with Airdrie.

Then Calum Ferrie pulled off a brilliant one-handed stop to deny Cameron Blues from the edge of the box. It could have proved all so important for the Spiders, but more was to follow.

Blues was heavily involved in the next big moment when he was caught late by Scott Martin just before the hour. The midfielder was shown his second yellow by ref Steven McLean, and had no complaints as he walked off the Cappielow Park.

Even a man down, the Spiders looked for the go ahead goal. Matty Shiels was inches away from connecting to a Longridge free-kick into the box, then Moffat escaped a caution when hauling back Michael Ruth from running at the home defence.

That was Ruth’s final act, replaced by Henry Fieldson and as Morton  began to press their man advantage, but the Spiders defence held out – sub Roddy MacGregor making a brave block then Cal Ferrie doing Cal Ferrie things to make an incredible stop on the line from Curtis Main, scrambled away by Aidan Connolly.

This was backs to the wall defending for the assurance of safety and it came, eventually.

Morton were chasing similar and thought they had the decisive goal in the 78th minute when sub Fergus Owens’ strike on the edge of the box hit the underside of the bar and bounced off the line.

Ferrie then made another point-bank stop to deny Cammy Ballantyne from a yard out, and push his effort over the bar.

With a minute left Airdrie pulled one back on the Jags which had a significant bearing for the hosts, and that news intensified the celebrations when Cammy Ballantyne knocked the ball over the line in the 90th minute.

It was less dramatic than Michael O’Halloran’s acrobatic effort in added time the last time the sides met here – but the excitement was soon curtailed by the linesman’s offside flag.

The cheers that followed a minute later were from the away end as the Spiders celebrated securing Championship status for a fifth season, with two games left to play.