Peterhead came within an inch of taking a point from League One leaders Queen’s Park but player-coach Derek Lyle reckons they should still be embarrassed by their performance in this Firhill defeat.
Lyle said: “There were errors all over the place in the first half. It was the worst I have seen from us.
“The manager was embarrassed and everybody should feel the same. The second half was better but it should not take us that long to get going.”
Brett Long had to leap high to prevent Grant Gillespie from firing the Spiders in front from the edge of the box in the first minute and as Peterhead offered little resistance Long had to race from goal to deny Michael Doyle.
With five minutes gone and the ball having rarely left the visitors’ half Tommy Robson exchanged passes with Simon Murray before side-footing past Long.
The hosts continued to dominate and only the woodwork stopped Liam Brown adding a second after a dazzling run through the heart of the visiting defence.
Despite their struggle to make an impression, Peterhead should have been handed the opportunity to draw level midway through the first half when home goalkeeper Willie Muir blocked Russell McLean but referee Chris Fordyce penalised McLean.
The second goal that Queen’s Park deserved almost came just before half-time when Murray brushed his way into the box and, after the waltzing past Long, the former Dundee United striker fired goalward only for Simon Ferry to rescue his side by popping up to clear.
With manager Jim McInally unable to get involved due to a one game SFA ban assistant Davie Nicholls took off Andrew McCarthy and McLean with new signing David Wilson and Lyle coming on.
The changes worked with an equaliser coming on 51 minutes when Scott Brown’s shot landed at the feet of Hamish Ritchie and he scrambled an effort over the line.
Three minutes later Lyle slammed in a cut-back from Josh Mulligan to give Peterhead an advantage that had looked extremely unlikely throughout the first half.
The lead was held until 14 minutes from time when home substitute Luca Connell punished Lyall Cameron for losing possession by drilling a low shot past Long from 18 yards and three minutes later Jack Thomson slotted home the winner after being set-up by Bob McHugh.
In injury time Lyle was given a glimpse of goal but his shot crashed off the bar, and the 40-year- old said: “I could not have connected with the ball any better and it looked in. It would have been a fortunate point as they should have been out of sight at half-time.”
Nicholls said: “In my near ten years at the club I have never been as embarrassed as much by a performance as I was in the first half. They were walking past our players like they weren’t there and if wasn’t for Brett we would have been a few goals down.
“We made changes that made a massive difference. It should not take that long for players to be brave.”
