After three home games, it was off to Kelty Hearts for the first of three tough matches on the road. Having made changes for the cup game against Motherwell on Tuesday, the manager made four changes to the starting eleven. Ross Stewart was back in goal in place of Lawton Green, Niall Rogerson, Ben Johnstone and Kian Leslie also dropped to the bench as Brennan Dickenson returned from injury and Kai Kennedy and Benji Luissint were back in the line-up.
The first chance of the game fell to the home side after six minutes when Ricco Diack hit a low shot from distance just wide of the keepers right-hand post. With nothing between the sides, Queens quickly had a chance of their own when Kurtis Guthrie hit a shot from close-range that smashed off Kyle Gourlay as the keeper got his body behind it.
As Queens won a free-kick out on the left, Kennedys delivery was headed on inside the box but referee, Cameron Stirling judged that Matty Douglas handled as he challenged.
There were some bruising challenges going unpunished as Queens captain, Douglas took an elbow to the face and Guthrie was brought down at the half-way line as he was sandwiched between two former Queens players, Alex Ferguson and Jack Brydon.
When play resumed, Liam Smith played a terrific ball in from the right-hand side to the back-post but Craig Clay turned it out for a corner. The visitors had momentum and some great link-up play on the right channel from Smith and Reece Lyon resulted in the latter playing a good low cross into the box but nobody could get a foot on it.
Midway through the half, Brydon escaped a yellow card for his heavy challenge on Guthrie and it was the striker who was booked for complaining.
With just over half an hour gone, Dickenson hit a right foot effort low from the edge of the box but it was wide of the upright. Five minutes later some great play by Queens saw them switch it from one side of the pitch to the other with some slick passing but the final ball into the area was headed over by Guthrie.
Queens were edging it and Jack Stotts strike from 18-yards was deflected for a corner. The first of several corners in quick succession for the Doonhamers, but they couldnt make them count. As Kennedy played in another, Stotts powerful shot was cleared.
The final chance of the first half fell to the hosts when manager, Thomas OWare headed wide as he got on the end of a corner.
HALF TIME: Kelty Hearts 0 Queens 0
After a goal-less first half, Queens opened the scoring within five minutes of the restart. Two minutes in, Guthrie was toppled inside the box by OWare and after a short delay to allow treatment for the striker, a strong right foot penalty from Kennedy gave the keeper no chance.
The lead was cut short as Kelty levelled within five minutes. Stott who has been immense the past few weeks caught Jack Hannah off guard with a pass and with the defender on the wrong foot, Diack was on his own as he went through on goal to beat Stewart.
Kennedy was causing a few problems down the left and as his cross found Guthrie inside the six-yard area the frontman could only head straight at the keeper. A minute later, Kennedy cut inside this time setting up Lyon but his touch was too heavy and spun away from him.
Back in the side, Dickenson showed some determination as he used his strength to get into the box to win his side a corner, unfortunately it came to nothing.
With twenty minutes of the game left, another cross from the left reached the head of Guthrie who was on the by-line but from the tight angle he forced a save from Gourlay.
As Kelty came back at Queens, they forced a string of corners and Dickenson eventually cleared. Minutes later Dickenson was up the other end of the park to get on the end of Kennedys free-kick, but from inside the box his powerful header was just wide of the target.
Both sides pushed for a winner and in added on time, Douglas cleared as Diack played the ball across goal and for Queens as Taylor Charters crossed, Guthrie ended up inside the net as he tried to get on the end of it and Freddie ODonoghue was blocked.
Neither side could find a second and they had to settle to a point.
FULL TIME: Kelty Hearts 1 Queens 1