QUEEN'S PARK gaffer Gardner Speirs today admitted his side's 2-1 Hampden defeat by Alloa has left them facing the stark realities of a relegation dogfight.

The Spiders had Barry Douglas dismissed as they slumped to second bottom in the Irn-Bru Division Two despite Paul Harkins giving them an early lead.

And Speirs admitted that the dismissal of Douglas in 47 minutes was the turning point in a tight contest.

He said: "Although we had not played that well we were in the lead and holding our own when Barry picked up the two yellow cards in very quick succession.

"Almost instantly after he was sent-off Alloa equalised but although that was a hammer blow we stuck at it and played our best football with 10 men.

"The winner coming with just two minutes left was hard to take after what was a determined effort by the lads, but this is a defeat that means we have dropped into the bottom two and we have a dogfight on our hands."

Speirs added: "Consolidating our status in Division Two has been our priority all along this season, and we will have to battle to do so. But we have Arbroath away next week and now that they have moved a point above us this is a real six pointer."

And the Hampden gaffer refused to use a Scottish Cup hangover from Queen's gallant defeat at the hands of Celtic as an excuse for his side's defeat.

Speirs said: "I don't think that was a factor in the defeat. We could take only positives from the way we played at Parkhead and if anything I felt that performance had given us a platform to build on in the league. But we have passed up on that opportunity and that is a real disappointment.

"The other big concern for us is that we lost both Paul Cairney and Richard Sinclair to injury."

However, despite their setback at the hands of the Wasps, QP still remain 11 points ahead of bottom-placed Stranraer.