Yahoo News New Queen of the South manager on signing blitz
Queen of the South have snapped up a clutch of players in a signing blitz ... and new boss Peter Murphy can’t wait to unleash them on his rivals.
Murphy has lured his former powerhouse midfielder Benji Luissint from old club Annan with Brennan Dickenson joining from Oldham after his loan spell at Hartlepool.
He also recruited another ex-Annan player Matty Douglas, plus Reece Lyon from Kelty Hearts - while also persuading Ben Johnstone to remain at Palmerston on another one-year contract.
Luissint cemented his place in Annan history by scoring two goals in the play-off final against Clyde to secure promotion for the first time for Galabankies and also scored the vital opener in a 1-1 draw at Stirling Albion on the final day of last season to keep them in League One.
Murphy said of signing Luissint, a former Queens player, on a two-year deal: “Benji had gone away from Queen of the South and honed his skills over a number of seasons.
“He has a drive to succeed and takes on board everything that is on offer. He has room to develop and will be a top player for Queen of the South. Benji has popped up with some important goals over the last couple of seasons and is not phased at the demands we place on him. We are looking forward to seeing how he progresses and pushes Queen of the South forward.”
Luissint first signed for South in the summer of 2019 on a recommendation from former goalkeeper Alan Martin. He joined on an amateur basis whilst training with Eddie Warwick’s reserves group and quickly became a regular at that level, had a successful loan spell at Gretna and eventually earned himself a seat on the first team bench a couple of times. Luissint had a brief spell at Brechin before signing for Gretna again before Annan swooped in summer 2022.
Dickenson, 31, can play anywhere down the left side and is a former Gillingham, Colchester United, MK Dons and Exeter City player.
He joined Carlisle United in 2020 and had three years at Brunton Park before moving on to Oldham Athletic last summer. He finished the season on loan at Hartlepool United.
Murphy said: “We are delighted to sign Brennan after stiff competition from a number of suitors.
“He has shown a real ambition to be a part of something special at the club. Having played the majority of his career in the English leagues, we have a player with a wealth of experience and he knows what it takes to push his team-mates to be better day-in and day-out.
“We are looking forward to seeing how Brennan can push himself - which will no doubt help us to achieve greater things.”
Murphy is also excited at landing Douglas and insisted: “Matty is a stalwart and has demonstrated his exceptional defensive abilities year-in, year-out, whilst also being a threat in the opposition box. He is a leader by his actions on the field, he captained his previous side to the play-off finals and promotion so will prove a valuable asset for the coming seasons.”
And of signing Lyons, who had a loan spell at Annan from Morton, on a two-year contract, he remarked: “Reece is an exceptional young talent who we are delighted has agreed to take us forward at Queen of the South. In the 2022/23 season Reece was named in the League Two Team of the Year and has had an impressive season in League One last year with Kelty Hearts. Reece will go from strength to strength being full time and help the club drive forward in the coming seasons.”
Queens also announced that Niall Rogerson has agreed a one-year contract extension. The 18-year-old joined Queens last year and had a successful loan spell at Dalbeattie Star in the first half of last season.
Queens, meanwhile, have confirmed they will face Clyde in a pre-season friendly at Palmerston on Tuesday, June 25, with a 7.45pm kick-off. They also play South League side Abbey Vale at Maryfield Park on June 22 with a 3pm kickoff. A game with Morton at Cappielow was announced for Saturday, June 29 at 3pm and the club hope to reveal at least one further friendly soon.
