Queens and Dunfermline played out a goalless draw as the first quarter of the league season reached it`s conclusion this afternoon. After three successive away games, Queens returned to Palmerston to face the challenge posed by their visitors from Fife, and although clear scoring opportunities were thin on the ground, it was the hosts who went closest to claiming the win in an evenly fought contest.

 

 

Following last weekend`s extra-time win at Montrose, Queens shuffled the pack making four changes to the side that began at Links Park, out went Chris Kane, Callum Tapping, Andy Stirling, and Shaun Rooney, and in came Conor Murray, Jason Kerr, Lyndon Dykes, and there was a first start for James McFadden.

 

Queens made a bright start and good link up play involving Dobbie and Dykes allowed the former to get a shot away, but from distance his attempt was never a concern for Murdoch in the visitor`s goal. An early break down the right by Callum Fordyce forced the game`s first corner, and although James McFadden`s delivery looked inviting, Ashcroft headed clear relatively easily.

 

The visitors won their first corner of the contest on 12 minutes and although Queens cleared the initial cross, when the ball was recycled by Splaine his pass found Smith on the left and when the youngster clipped the ball into former Queens striker Clark, his effort from close range only found the side netting.

 

There was little between the two teams in the opening exchanges as both teams enjoyed plenty of possession without finding the final pass or the opportunity to test either of the two goalkeepers. Midway through the half Queens worked themselves a half chance following a foul on Jordan Marshall on the left hand touchline. Murray`s dead ball delivery was headed out only to be collected by John Rankin just outside the penalty box and his ball over the top picked out Dykes, but with the ball bouncing away from the striker he failed to make full connection and his shot was comfortably held by Murdoch.

 

Kerr kept Clark quiet

 

On 28 minutes an even better chance presented itself to Queens as we came only a few inches away from taking the lead. Fordyce headed the ball into the path of Murray on the right and his first time cross on the half-volley sat up nicely for McFadden to hit at the back post but with Murdoch rooted to the spot, McFadden`s effort back across goal slipped agonisingly wide of the upright. Queens were having the better of the contest at that point and moments later Dobbie broke clear inside the penalty box but as he tried to cut back inside before shooting the ball was smuggled clear by a Dunfermline defender .

 

At the other end the lively Smith was proving to be a tricky customer for Fordyce to contend with and his cross from the right after a quick break was blocked away for corner number 3 as the visitors responded well to being under pressure.

 

Crunch time - old Livingston team-mates Talbot and Jacobs prepare to clash

 

Queens best move of the half almost saw them take the lead when Marshall, McFadden and Dobbie were involved in a flowing attack that saw Rankin end the move with a low cross shot that wasn`t too far away from finding the target. Dobbie forced Murdoch into making the game`s first save but the visiting `keeper comfortably tipped over the striker`s effort after 40 minutes.

 

In a keenly contested but never dirty encounter, Fordyce became the first player to be booked when he found the only way to stop Smith was to haul him back. The final action of the half saw Queens create another opportunity when Darren Brownlie`s pass was chested into the path of Dobbie by Dykes, but the former dragged his shot well wide of goal and the game remained scoreless at the break.

 

 

Neither side made any changes at the interval and it took sometime before the second period got going but as play settled it was the visitors who made the better start to the half and Smith was unlucky to see his shot deflected into the arms of Alan Martin turning what might have been a difficult save into a routine one.

 

The home side began to grow into the half and a Stephen Dobbie cross picked out Murray, but he was the wrong player in the right place as he was unable to generate any power in his attempt to get a header on target. The silky footwork of Dobbie almost found a way through the Dunfermline rearguard, but after gliding past 2 defenders he was seen off by the covering play of Morris who read the situation well.

 

Flag display

 

Last season Callum Fordyce was captaining Dunfermline and he came very close to scoring against his former team-mates when he got on the end of Kerr`s back heeled pass 8-yards out, but unfortunately his low shot was straight at `keeper Murdoch.

 

The visitor`s Splaine joined Fordyce in referee Finnie`s notebook for a rather rash challenge on McFadden and although the game was allowed to continue, in the next phase of play, Dykes was unable to direct a cross from Murray goalwards. We made our first change with a little over 20 minutes to play when Derek Lyle replaced McFadden with Dykes moving out to the left side of midfield, and just 4 minutes later Murray was replaced by Andy Stirling as Queens looked to find the way to breakthrough a well organised visiting defence.

 

As the game moved into the closing stages, Brownlie was booked and Callum Tapping replaced John Rankin for the final few minutes. There was hardly time for the final substitution to get involved in the game, but thankfully for all those in the home support he kept his concentration and played a vital part in securing a valuable point for his team. Right on time a Dunfermline corner was headed goalwards by Ashcroft, and with the ball seemingly heading into the Queens net, Tapping was on hand to head the ball off of the line.

 

Tapping heads off the line late on

 

So Palmerston`s best crowd of the season - 1834 - so far, witnessed a fighting performance from Queens but somewhat disappointingly it will be seen once again as 2 points lost rather than 1 gained. We are on our travels again next weekend as we visit Brechin City for the first time this season, and hopefully with a bit more luck we can return home with all three points.