Queens and Airdrie fought out a free scoring 3-3 draw at the Penn;Cars Stadium and a game absolutely nobody would have claimed defences were on top in;

After last weekend`s ill deserved dropped points against Alloa, Wullie GIbson made 3 changes to the starting eleven, one being due to being unavailable himself with a calf injury. Kieran McKechnie came back into the squad as a result. Calvin McGrory and Ruari Paton also dropped out of the starting eleven, whilst Harry Cochrane, Lee Connelly and Michael Ruth stepped in. The home side could only name 15 players and fielded right back Cammy Ballantyne on the left side whilst Rhys McCabe dropped to play centre back next to his cousin Callum Fordyce.

It was a whirlwind start with Queens taking the lead after just 3 minutes only for the Diamonds to equalise 2 mins later. Queens opener was created and scored by captain Josh Todd, taking possession on the right side and committing opponents before exchanging passes with Lee Connelly and then curling a shot into the bottom left corner past debutant home keeper Dean Lyness. Airdrie didn`t sit feeling sorry for themselves though unfortunately and were back on level terms in their next attack. From a throw in Lewis Jamieson kept the ball away from Iain Wilson and found Callum Gallagher inside the box. Airdrie`s top scorer made no mistake like Todd before him, guiding the ball into the bottom left corner but the keeper`s despairing dive.

The Diamonnds took the lead in simple fashion on the quarter hour mark. A cheap corner conceded was headed home at the near post area from inside the six yard box by former Doonhamer Callum Fordyce. Queens battled their way back into the game though, slowly beginning to dominate possession. When the equaliser arrived it was in spectacular fashion from an unlikely source. Harry Cochrane had been having a difficult half, being caught in possession a couple of times but he never hid and was constantly back looking to create something. He hadn`t scored in his year with us to date but changed that spectacularly when a loose ball arrived at his feet 25 yards out just before the interval and was crashed into the net via the right hand goalpost. Before the break, Lee Connelly showed bravery to throw himself in front of a goalbound drive to keep the match level.

Early in the 2nd period Cammy Ballantyne picked up a booking for a bad challenge on Cochrance. That would have great importance later on. Cochrane himself has been booked earlier and, after another stretching challenge on an opponent  which fortunately made no contact but was never the less warned by the referee, it was decided to change him before he was sent off. A double change saw Cochrane and Ruth replaced with McGrory and Paton. Shortly afterward Connor Murray replaced Lee Connelly when the diminutive forward picked up an injury.

On the hour mark Calvin McGrory picked up a yellow card for a cynical drag back on Jamieson and Airdrie used their free kick to full advantage, making progress up the right side before swerving in a cross that Callm Smith prodded into the net at the back post area. Straight away though Queens got themselves back in it with Stephen Hendrie`s left sided cross powerfully headed into the net via the cross bar by Gavin Reilly.

With still 12 minutes to go Queens took a numerical advantage when Ballantyne picked up a 2nd yellow card, this time for a foul on Gavin Reilly. Despite the unequal numbers, both sides continued to push for a winner and there were dangerous situations in both boxes, wthout either goalkeeper ever having much of any consequence to do.

So it`s 4 matches unbeaten but a 2nd successive draw as we head to Kelty Hearts on Tuesday evening.