Our run of home games continued under the floodlights as Hibs B were the visitors for the second of our KDM Evolution Trophy matches. Manager, Nicky Clark made five changes to the starting eleven from the side that lined up against Alloa at the weekend. Chris McQueen, Ben Johnstone, Benji Luissint, Aaron Davis and trialist Rocco McColm came in for Caleb Goldie, Jack Stott, Zander Mackenzie, Cole Coughlin and the Gaffer himself as they dropped to the bench.

The first chance of the match came after two minutes when Ben Johnstone hit a right foot shot from inside the box and Ryan Mallon made a great one handed save. Hibs barely had time to draw breath before they were forced into a change when Josh Radcliffe picked up an injury and had to be replaced. The game had barely restarted when Luissint took a nasty knock on his ankle but he managed to get back to his feet and continued.

From the free-kick the ball fell to McQueen who hit a strong shot towards goal only for the visiting defender to get his body behind it.

The game was bity but the visitors forced a couple of corners when Zach Bruce crossed from the right and Niall Rogerson cleared. As the first set-piece was played in it was knocked out for a second time only for the delivery to land on the top of the net.

With thirteen minutes gone, Taylor Charters was unlucky with his cross come shot as it came off the top of the crossbar. And midway through the half the left back made a good run down the wing and made a good cross into the box but it was cleared as Brodie Dair and Liam Smith looked to pounce.

Two minutes later, Luissint did well to head the ball across but again the ball was cleared at the edge of the area as Charters went to shoot. Charters was again involved on the half hour mark as his shot was blocked after decent play from Smith and Luissint.

With no further clearcut chances, the game remained goalless at the interval.

HALF TIME: Queens 0 Hibs B 0

Five minutes after the break, Callum McDonald fired the ball across the face of goal and as the ball broke to Bruce, he hit an acrobatic kick towards goal but Deniz Mehmet got down well to save.

Back at the other end, Johnstone hit a left foot shot from the edge of the box towards the top corner, but he couldn’t get enough curl on it and it flew wide.

With just under an hour played, Clark made changes, coming off the bench himself along with Coughlin and it did have an impact as Queens got to grips with the game and stepped up the tempo. Smith quickly had a chance but his shot from inside the area was blocked. Within sixty seconds, Dair was out on the wing and played it in but it was the wrong side of the post.

Coughlin then found himself through, he had options to pass but carried on himself and was deny by Mallon who made a good save. The home side kept up the pressure and Clark laid the ball off to Johnstone but his shot was high.

It was far better from Queens and as Smith played the ball over the top to Dair, the youngster on loan from Fulham rattled the base of the post.

The breakthrough did come in the 69th minute when a good move ended with Clark playing the ball across from the right-hand side and Dair was at the back-post to steer the ball over the line from close range.

With fifteen minutes remaining Dair headed the ball on for Coughlin who had a good chance blocked by the keeper. And as Queens continued to pepper the visitors box, Clark and Davis both had powerful efforts blocked.

Queens continued to look for a second and in the closing stages another good move involving, Smith, Coughlin and Johnstone set up a chance for Dair but again Mallon saved.

It was to be Dair’s last involvement as he was replaced by Billy Gray and just three minutes after coming on the park the youngster was down the right and drilled the ball across the box but just missed the bottom corner.

With the last chance of the game in added on time, Davis made a great run and hit a right foot shot with power but it was the wrong side of the upright.

FULL TIME: Queens 1 Hibs B 0

Teams:

Queens: Mehmet, Charters, McQueen, Smith, Dair (Gray 85), Johnstone, Rogerson, Ellis, Davis, Luissint (Clark 55), Trialist (Coughlin 55). Subs not used: Petry, Goldie, Stott, Mackenzie, Morton & Kelly.

Hibs B: Mallon, Buckley, Gillie, Riddle (McNeill 79), McGrath, Bruce, Downie (Burns 73), Thomson (Gallacher 73), Jimenez, McDonald & Radcliffe (Halliday 2). Sub not used: Vautherin.

Ref: Jamie Wilkie

Crowd: 327