The four crucial games for Marvin Bartley as Queen of the South appoint new manager
Queen of the South manager Marvin Bartley will look to hit the ground running as he looks to change the fortune of the club's season.
Queens are languishing down in eighth position in League One after a dismal first half of the campaign.
Inconsistency with their form coupled with poor results led to the dismissal of Wullie Gibson.
After 21 matches of the campaign, new manager Bartley will face the challenge of turning his side's fortunes around and pushing for a play-off position in the second half of the season.
The former Livingston assistant manager is only six points behind fourth placed Airdrieonians as he takes over in Dumfries.
Here are five crucial matches Queen of the South must win if Bartley is to have a successful first half of the season in the job.
Kelty Hearts (home) - 10 January
A massive game for Bartley to kick off his managerial career, Kelty Hearts will be the visitors at Palmerston.
A semi-final spot in the SPFL Trust Trophy is up for grabs and a win at home against Kelty will give the Queens faithful something to cheer.
Kelty Hearts sit one point and one place ahead of Queen of the South in the League One standings and it was John Potter's side who came out victorious in the last meeting between the sides.
In the last match between the sides Ruari Paton opened the scoring for Queens before two goals in the final 10 minutes saw Kelty leave with all three points.
Bartley will be keen to ensure he starts his managerial career with a victory and will certainly increase morale in Dumfries if he can get the side into a semi-final in his first match.
Montrose (away) - 14 January
Bartley's first league game in charge of the Doonhamers will the side travel to Montrose to take on the Gable Endies.
Sitting just two positions ahead of Queens in the table the match is a crucial one for Bartley if he is to steer his side back into promotion contention.
Montrose have been in poor form of late having not won any of their last eight matches.
Montrose's most recent defeat came against Falkirk where they fell to a 2-1 loss.
This is the type of match that will be essential for Bartley to win as he looks to put more consistency back into the Queen of the South side.
Dunfermline (home) - 25 February
A home match against promotion favourites Dunfermline Athletic at the end of February will signify the end of six matches in charge for Bartley.
Dunfermline Athletic, one of the other full-time sides in the division, will travel to Dumfries in a match Queens should be targeting to win.
At the time of Bartley's appointment Queens are 16 points behind the Pars - ambitions at the start of the season were to be challenging the Fifers for the title.
The match against Dunfermline could be a chance to showcase the potential improvement seen in Marvin Bartley's Queen of the South side.
Kelty Hearts (home) - 6 May
The final match of the season for Queens will see them host Kelty Hearts, the side Bartley is set to welcome in his first game in charge.
Kelty Hearts will share ambitions with Queens for a strong end to the campaign as they will have a promotion push as their target.
The match for Queen of the South will hopefully not be their last of the campaign as they will hope to be in the play-off positions come the end of the campaign.
If Bartley can steer Queens to a cup final in the SPFL Trust Trophy and guide the club into the play-off places then he certainly will have had a memorable and successful first six months in the job.
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