QUEEN’S PARK slid to late defeat in rain-drenched Greenock as Morton moved eight points clear of the Spiders in the William Hill Championship table.

Michael O’Halleron’s overhead kick in injury time decided a match marred by torrential rain.

The difficulties presented by the conditions increased when the home side went ahead through a Tomi Adeloye penalty – but Queen’s Park delivered the perfect response to equalise and go into the half-time interval level.

That’s how it seemed set to finish until the Ton sub caught the Spiders’ re-shuffled rearguard out with just a minute to play.

Queen’s Park added Tyrece McDonnell to the starting XI to replace the suspended Josh Fowler and the youngster – the Spiders’ second top-scorer this season – performed well under the gaze of the BBC cameras.

It was the third time the broadcaster had lined up the Spiders for TV and the second time they fell behind and battled back on the box.

Henry Fieldson carved open the first chance for the Spiders on 12 minutes, but only after Owen Moffat had tested Calum Ferrie with a curling strike that the keeper beat away.

Fieldson bundled into the box and hung a cross to the backpost for Aidan Connolly but the Ton defence scrambled away.

Then a rare slack pass from Roddy MacGregor almost let Tomi Adeloye in but Spiders captain Euan Murray and Carlo Pignatiello ushered the ball out for a throw in the slippery underfoot conditions.

Murray then had to block the striker after a neat pass in off the right from Kerr Robertson but the captain pulled up on the half hour with a tightening hamstring and couldn’t continue.

Henry Fieldson had just fired a wicked strike from the left just over after some great build-up play from Tyrece McDonnell, and the defence needed a re-shuffle.

Rocco Friel was pitched in at left-back, with Fieldson and Matty Shiels each shuffling right in the 4-2-3-1 set-up favoured by Sean Crighton.

Ten minutes later Morton went ahead when Adeloye got through the backline and was toppled by Calum Ferrie’s sliding dive on the slick surface.

Referee Peter Stuart had no hesitation pointing to the spot and the striker converted for the half-time advantage.

Or so the home support though. Aidan Connolly had other ideas.

A swirling run, holding off the double-team of Moffat and Garrity, saw the little winger spin out of trouble and advance play to Carlo Pignatiello. The former Morton man played in sub Rocco Friel and his drive at goal was good – but into a cluster of players.

One of them was Connolly and he tucked the ball past Storer for the equaliser a minute before half-time.

Despite the worsening conditions both teams re-emerged with a zest to their attacking play and the second period was a much brighter encounter than the opening 45 with both teams going much more direct.

Seb Drozd was booked for a coming together with Jackson Longridge on 53 minutes and the same pair tangled off the ball later in the game, resulting in Peter Stuart having a word again.

To that point the Spiders put their bodies on the line and a series of shots at goal were blocked a short while later and though Calum Ferrie was busy, the Queen’s P

ark number one wasn’t too troubled.

Even when Morton were presented with a free-kick from just six yards.

Another stramash, a consequence of the conditions, in the Spiders box caused chaos and Friel and Ferrie were adjudged to have combined for a deliberate pass-back. That gave the Ton an indirect free-kick with the Spiders camped on the goal-line. A combination of Ferrie and Roddy MacGregor repelled both close-range blasts and the Spiders survived.

The rain began to have a huge bearing with players struggling to keep their footing and as the game slipped and slid towards full-time Ton substitute O’Halleron pulled a finish out of the top drawer to hook a Nathan Shaw cross over his head and flash past Ferrie for the win.

It was a punishing end to a difficult evening down the Clyde coast and gave the home side an added cushion over the Spiders in the William Hill Championship table.

QUEEN’S PARK: Ferrie, Pignatiello, Murray (Friel 31), Shiels, Fieldson, Longridge, MacGregor, Connolly (Scott 87), Savoury, McDonnell (Waugh 77), Drozd (Sowa 87).
Unused: McLean, McGinlay, Carrick, Sliwinski