Kavinda Herath
Anton Fitzgerald scored two goals in Queens Park’s upset Southern Premier League victory over the Dunedin City Royals on Saturday. [File photo].
Paddy Murphy has no hesitation in describing Saturday as one of his best in terms of days he has been involved in football.
The Queens Park coach has every right to be a happy and proud man as he reflects on a special 90 minutes on Saturday.
Queens Park put on one of the most impressive performances by a Southland football team through its 3-2 win over the Dunedin City Royals in Dunedin.
The Royals tackled the match in the Southern Premier League unbeaten through 12 matches and hot favorites to take out the league.
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While Queens Park was in eighth place before the game and when the two teams met earlier in the season, the Royals dished out a 5-0 knockout in Invercargill.
When the Royals took a 1-0 lead after 15 minutes on Saturday, it followed most people’s script.
But faith remained in picking Queens Park camp.
“To be honest, we had a plan we were working on all week, and the boys executed it perfectly,” Murphy said.
Anton Fitzgerald tied the scores 1-1 at the 36-minute mark before the Royals pushed it to 2-1 early in the second half.
An own goal leveled the scores at 2-2 before Fitzgerald scored again late in the game to grab the remarkable victory.
“We believed we could get something out of it, [but] “I don’t think anyone else did it to judge the amount of messages and phone calls I had,” Murphy said.
Queens Park won back-to-back Donald Gray Cup titles in the South in 2020 and 2021 before deciding to enter a team in the Southern Premier League this year.
Saturday provided another statement that Queens Park belongs in that league.
He lost his first five games of the competition, but has since won four of his last seven outings to sit seventh in the 10-team league.
“I think it just shows how far we have come. We definitely made a turn, “said Murphy.