QUEEN'S PARK manager Gus MacPherson believes any chance of promotion this season has been helped by the amateur club's commitment to the players.

The Spiders travelled to Elgin last night in order to give themselves the best possible preparation for today's game.

And that is something MacPherson believes can only benefit their title ambitions. He said: "We are a very professionally run club and that is something that can give you an edge at this time of the season.

"The club strives to be as professional as possible in all areas and it shows when it comes to games like these. Getting the players up last night and getting a good night's sleep before a pre-match meal makes a lot of sense.

"It lets us give the best we have and that is something you need when you get to this stage of the campaign when you are coping with various knocks and bruises.

"We try to do things the right way and that gives us the very best platform possible to go out and play football."

Shaun Rooney and James Baty are both expected to miss the game, but it will be the same squad to play Elgin as the one who beat East Fife last weekend.

And MacPherson believes that since the arrival of Jim Weir at Elgin there has been a vast improvement in the way in which the Highlanders are playing.

"They have really started to turn things around," he said. "We played them at Hampden when Jim hadn't long taken over and, to be honest, we were probably fortunate to get a draw.

"I have been really impressed with them and it will be a tough game. But the one thing about us just now is that we are playing with a lot of confidence and that is invaluable.

"We have six guys here who were fighting off relegation last season and they are really enjoying being at the other end of the table this time.

"We have put ourselves in a cracking position simply through hard work and a lot of desire. You can sense the will of the squad to go out and do something and hopefully that can carry us through these last few months of the season."