Queen of the South manager Jim McIntyre has called for better from his players after failing to win for the third match running in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Cowdenbeath at Palmerston Park.

Queens started the game incredibly nervously and gifted Cowdenbeath`s Greg Stewart the opening goal after Calum Antell fumbled into his own net after 12 minutes.  The home side improved in the second period but struggled to break down the visitor`s defence, missing plenty of chances before Andy Dowie headed in with five minutes remaining.  The Queens fans could have expected an onslaught from their team for the last few minutes but defensive errors swung the momentum Cowdenbeath`s way and they could have stolen the three points but for Chris Higgins goal-line clearance in the final moments.

Jim McIntyre said: “I thought Cowdenbeath started the game much better than us.  They came out of the traps better than us and that was really disappointing but credit to the lads after that I felt we got right back into it and made some good goalscoring opportunities.  Derek Lyle was really unlucky from the set-piece, his header comes off the bar and then Ryan McGuffie`s got a great chance to equalise.  That was disappointing but I felt in the second half we came back out and really took the game to Cowdenbeath.

“I felt their bit of pressure at the very end was our own fault, it came from a slack back pass and some crazy decision-making rather than good play from Cowdenbeath.  That was disappointing and it was straight after we scored and it took the momentum away from us that we hoped to use from the goal to get another.

“There`s got to be better decision-making and it all stems from talking.  We`ve got three experienced boys out of the four at the back and there has to be better communication there and that was the whole reason for it. 

“Credit to the lads for keeping going and again we did a lot of things well.  We`d done enough for me to go and win the match but we`re just not ruthless.  I seem to be saying the same things but we`re definitely creating chances and it`s about putting them away.  It`s important to take a lead in a match as well because we`re always having to come from behind and nine times out of ten it`s been a mistake that`s put us there.  We`ve got to be ruthless at both ends of the pitch.”

The manager came under fire from the Queens support after substituting Iain Russell after 69 minutes and there have been murmurs of discontent following recent results but McIntyre was optimistic that things would turn for his team.

“The bottom line is that results haven`t been good enough.  I`m the first to put his head above the parapet and say `look, it’s got to be better than that`.  I take that right on the chin, it`s my responsibility to win football matches and I`m there to be shot at. 

“The bottom line is I didn`t think Iain Russell was playing particularly well so I put young Reilly on.  It was a straight swap, we were still going for it and sometimes these things work for you, sometimes they don`t.  I`ll take all the stick going but just get right behind the team – that`s the most important message. 

“This league is notoriously difficult but I still believe we should be better than where we are and so do the players.  The players know that but we`re creating plenty of chances, even against Rangers and Hearts, so we`re doing a lot of things well and we will climb the table but the Championship is a ruthless league and we`ve no divine right to be thinking because things went swimmingly last year that we have the right to win football matches.  A wee bit of lady luck would be nice as well.”

Determination