Why Queen's Park's recent downfall should serve as warning to Championship leaders Raith Rovers

Robin Veldman left his post as Queen's Park manager earlier this month

Queen's Park's recent downfall should serve as a warning to surprise Scottish Championship leaders Raith Rovers.

For much of last term, the Glasgow side looked bound for the top flight in what would have been a storybook ending for a club who ended their 152-year amateur status in 2020.

Back-to-back promotions since then saw them climb the SPFL pyramid to point they became Championship favourites for a large chunk of last season.

But there isn't always a happy ending.

Queen's picked up 11 points out of a possible 30 between March and May and were pipped to the title by Dundee in a remarkable final-day decider.

And although they secured a spot in the play-off quarter-final, a second-leg hammering by Partick Thistle ended their promotion hopes.

Since then it has been struggle after struggle. Manager Owen Coyle stepped down at the end of last season and was replaced in June by Dutchman Robin Veldman, who was relieved of his duties earlier this month.

Queen's sit rock bottom of the Championship table with 13 points from the 15 games. They last won a league match in August. A run of eight defeats and four draws have followed.

On paper, it doesn't get much easier on Friday. Second-placed Dundee United, the league's top scorers, are the visitors to Hampden to face a Queen's side who have shipped the most goals in the division.

"The Queen's Park players are under pressure to produce," Clyde manager Ian McCall said on the Scottish Football Podcast. "It doesn't need to be a performance, but you need to get the three points."

'I've not known a season like this'

The battle at the top is heating up with both the top two in action on Friday as United, who have a game in hand, aim to close the five-point gap.

But the leaders, who will be buoyed by the influential Sam Stanton's contract extension, are heading into their game at home to Ayr United off the back of a stunning run of form, having won eight and drawn two of their last 10 league games.

The most recent victory in that run came at Tannadice last weekend as Ian Murray's side consigned United to their first Championship defeat of the season.

If they want to guarantee their lead at the top remains at least five points, they will have to beat an Ayr team who sit sixth with one win in their last six league outings.

It's been a slightly underwhelming start for the Somerset club, who have just five wins in 15, but McCall insists they shouldn't be written off - even if they are coming up against a Raith side who continue to go to the wire.

"These ones are potential banana skins when all the expectation is on [Raith]," the former Ayr boss adds.

"Ayr's away form is actually decent so I don't think that game is a foregone conclusion. And you wonder how long Raith can keep up scoring late goals.

"I've not really known a season like this. I don't know how many points they've garnered from their late goals, but it seems to be every second week they're doing it. I don't know if that'll continue, maybe it will."