James Fowler couldn’t hide his delight as Queens beat Raith 4-3 on Friday night.

In a compelling game, Queens were 2-0 nil up before the hour mark through John Baird and Gavin Reilly before Mark Stewart and Christian Nade leveled the match. Derek Lyle put Queens back in front moments after Kevin Holt had been sent off.

Mark Stewart then scored another for Rovers as they leveled it but deep in to extra time Iain Russell hit the winner and Fowler praised his squad’s fighting spirit.

He said: “It was great because we won in the end but I think the first half performance we were brilliant.

“To be only 1-0 up at half time we’re kicking ourselves but then we get the second and they make some changes and we’re on the back foot.

“And with the sending off after that, to come back and win is a great feeling.

“We crumbled a little bit for 10, 15 minutes and it’s all about how we reacted. Credit to the boys to go right until the end and it’s how we wanted to finish the first quarter (of games).”

Fowler picked himself on the bench for the first time in his managerial career but the 33-year-old replaced John Baird with twenty minutes to go.

The midfielder mentioned he was possibly at fault for the third goal but Fowler knows the importance of Friday’s win.

He joked: “I think I was to blame for their third goal so I’ll need to give myself a row in the mirror!

”We had a shaky spell and I thought we needed to go a bit more defensive. I’ve had a few games like that in my career but it means a little bit more as a manager.

“The TV will be buzzing about that game, what an advert! The plan was to go above Raith and we’re delighted we’ve done that.”

Queens sit third in the Championship behind Hearts and Rangers with the Doonhamers facing Falkirk at Palmerston next Saturday.