QUEEN'S PARK gaffer Gardner Speirs reckons his side's hard-fought point at Peterhead has given the Spiders a survival platform in the Irn-Bru Second Division.

Ian Watt gave QP a 54th-minute lead but were pegged back within three minutes and forced to settle for their second 1-1 draw in four days.

But Speirs said: "To have gone to both the leaders, Ayr and a Peterhead side in third place and going very well and gain a point at both, is not a bad week's work.

"We have now gone 13 points clear of Stranraer at the foot of the table and are within four of Arbroath in third bottom and we have got to look at catching them.

"I thought there were a lot of positives from our performance and our attitude was first-class. It is up to us to build on that now."

Meanwhile, in the Irn-Bru Third Division, a Pat Boyle strike earned Dumbarton a vital 1-0 win over Albion Rovers as the Sons went six points clear of their Coatbridge promotion play-off rivals in fourth place.

And Dumbarton gaffer Jim Chapman said: "This was an excellent three points for us and the signs are that we are starting to gel at exactly the right time. I always knew that it would take time for what is a completely new team to knit, but it is coming.

"The one thing we have got to improve on is taking a greater proportion of the chances we are creating.

"With leaders Cowdenbeath losing the gap between us and them is down to just seven points and it has just put in perspective how important this win was."

Rovers boss Paul Martin groaned: "We played some good football and finished strongly and on another day may have got a point."

TOMORROW: Irn-Bru First Division: Clyde v St Johnstone, Dundee v QofS, Livingston v Dunfermline, Morton v Airdrie Utd, Ross Co v Partick Th.

Irn-Bru Second: Brechin v Stranraer, Peterhead v Arbroath (7.30).

Irn-Bru Third: Albion Rov v East Stirling, Cowdenbeath v Forfar, Dumbarton v Elgin City (7.30).