Queens hungry for more European action

27th August 2008

Queen of the South's first taste of European football has left them hungry for more.

The Doonhamers' brave bid to qualify for the UEFA Cup first round ended in failure on Tuesday night as Danish top-flight side Nordsjaelland completed a 4-2 aggregate victory over the Irn Bru First Division battlers.

But manager Gordon Chisholm said: "I think it's a launching pad, I think we're going in the right direction."

"It's great to taste it. I felt we could've gone through, I felt that's a tie we were capable of winning and I'm disappointed. We'll go forward from here," he added.

Queens came agonisingly close to overturning the 2-1 first leg deficit. Bob Harris' 30-yard piledriver levelled the tie after just two minutes but Queens knew they would lose on away goals if they did not score again.

The visitors threw everything at their opponents and were unlucky not to score again before their desperation allowed Martin Bernburg to net twice in the closing stages.

It was a bitterly disappointing ending for Queens and their small, but vocal band of travelling supporters. Harris was first to pay tribute to them, saying: "It was a fantastic game with so many fans in the stands.

"They must have spent a lot of money to travel over here to support us. It was massive."

Harris said of his wonder-strike: "The early goal was a bonus for me and the team, but we still had to go for the second goal.

"But we also have to say that Nordsjaelland probably were technically better team than us."