Queen of the South boss hails his warriors for winning derby for crocked team-mates

Marvin Bartley revealed how his warriors rallied to his cry to win the derby for crocked team-mate Jack Brydon.

Bartley’s battlers finally ended their dreadful run of five straight defeats with a header from Gavin Reilly.

And they had hero keeper Gordon Botterill to thank for a last-gasp save as they survived a second-half Galabankies blitz.

But Bartley revealed how his half-time team talk helped drag his crock hit players over the line.

Brydon was stretchered off in the first half as Queens’ injury curse struck again.

And the gaffer sighed: “It’s just our luck is against us.

“Jack was lying on a bed in the middle of the dressing-room at half-time and I said to the players: ‘He would love to be out there so go out and make sure you go out and win this for him.’ And they did.”

Bartley added: “We have been on a real tough run and I said to the players that all tough runs come to an end some time regardless of football or any job or maybe in life. Coming out the end there is no better feeling.

“And we need to get out of this run and start a positive run now. It was all down to the players and they put their bodies on the line there.

“They are still very much on board about what we are trying to do and showed a fantastic side to them which wasn’t always pretty, but for me as the manager’s point of view it was a brilliant side to see.

“And it wasn’t just about Gavin Reilly getting the goal. It was a fantastic ball in by Kieran McKechnie.”

While Bartley was delighted and relieved to get the points, Annan manager Peter Murphy was upset by a headbutt storm.

He reckoned it would have been a different story if referee Calum Scott had red carded Doonhamers’ Kieran McKechnie for a first half incident with