Abbey Vale boss admits 7-0 friendly loss to Queen of the South could have been much worse

Abbey Vale boss Allan Clark thanked Queen of the South for providing the opposition at their 50th anniversary match despite a seven-goal pounding.

Clark also praised his keeper Taylor Hall for an outstanding display in goal and said: “I want to thank Queens for bringing their team down here for the game.

“We knew it was going to be a hard, hard game. And it could have been a lot more but for Taylor.”

The keeper pulled off a string of superb saves as Queens dominated the pre-season friendly at Maryfield Park in a 7-0 win.

Clark said of Queens: “They have players going for a contract and are a full-time club coming down to play a South of Scotland club so they should be taking that amount of goals off us.

“But it could have been double if it wasn’t for our keeper.

“Our boys did well but with a few in Germany following Scotland and a few away on holiday, we were missing about seven or eight and it was a game that maybe came a bit too early for us, but you are not going to say no to a friendly like this.

“It is a friendly that brings money into this club and I thought the boys dug in and did well.”

Clark added: “Queens are a League One team and we are a South of Scotland team and I would like to think that they will be up there challenging for the league this season, so Peter (Murphy) got what he wanted out of the game and we did as well, with a good work out.

“We never troubled their keeper too much, but Bryden Bruce had a good chance and their keeper made a good save.