We rounded of the first quarter of the season with a home game against Alloa. With Brennan Dickenson getting up to speed after a lengthy layoff, he made his first start in over six months in one of two changes made to the starting eleven. Callum Penman was the other player to come back into the side with Ben Johnstone and Taylor Charters both dropping to the bench.
Played in the tail end of the storm that swept across the country conditions werent ideal and the game was never going to be a classic. The first chance fell to the visitors when some slack defending opened up the opportunity for Kurtis Roberts but his header was well saved by Ross Stewart.
With quarter of an hour gone, as Kai Kennedy floated the ball in from the left, Jack Stott tried to turn it into the net at the near post but it made its way further into the area and some how came off Dickenson and away to safety.
Two minutes later as the ball came in from the opposite side of the park it was Kennedy who got on the end of it but he didnt connect properly and skied his effort.
Queens were starting to take a hold of the game and a great ball forward by Matty Douglas was chased down by Dickenson but as he tried to cut inside, he was crowded out and the chance was removed.
Midway through the half Kennedy took off on a mazy run but was brought down 20-yards out by Stefan Scougall. Dickenson took the free-kick but hit his shot off the wall. Five minutes later another set piece was played forward, this time it was Dickenson who collected but under pressure from Cameron ODonnel he wasnt able to have a clean strike.
With just over half an hour played, Luke Donnelly found himself in space but Douglas made a challenge to cut out the danger.
As both sides looked for an opener, it was Queens who had the better chances in the closing stages of the first half. Kennedy hit a right foot shot from outside the box but Liam McFarlane saw it all the way and got down to save. Dickenson then cut inside and kept his shot from the edge of the box low but was just wide of the target and on the stroke of half time, Mikey Hewitt came within a whisker of giving Queens the lead but was denied by the woodwork as his attempt crashed off the post.
In added on time, the home side claimed for a penalty as Scott Taggart looked to handle the ball as Liam Smith delivered into the six-yard area. It wasnt given and the game remained goal-less at the break.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 Alloa Athletic 0
It was a slow start to the second half and it was almost fifteen minutes old when we had the first attempt on either goal. The first effort after the restart fell to Reece Lyon, 25-yards out and in space but he needed to keep the ball down. A minute later, Dickenson played the ball across goal but it was just too far out Smiths reach.
With conditions deteriorating, a string of changes and a number of bookings the game became very stop start and scrappy. Chances were limited until three minutes from the end when Penman gave away a free kick in a dangerous area, thankfully for Queens ODonnell hit it the wrong side of the post.
Then in a dramatic end to the game, three minutes into added on time, under the floodlights and in front of the TV cameras, Hewitt sparked celebrations as he scored with the final kick of the game. Kennedy was taken out as he went on a run and from the free-kick, Stott floated a great ball into the area where Douglas headed on. Hewitt timed his move from the pack of defenders to make a run into space and from 12-yards hit a left foot shot past the keeper into the bottom corner.
It wasnt pretty but it was a victory that moved Queens back up the league table and at the end of the first round of fixtures, they sit in fifth place on 13 points, four behind leaders Hamilton Accies.
FULL TIME: Queens 1 Alloa 0