After three games on the road, it was back to Palmerston for the league one fixture against Cove Rangers. There was one change to the starting eleven from last week’s trip to Dunfermline, Jack Hannah returned to the heart of defense with Niall Rogerson dropping to the bench.

The visitors are sitting near the foot of the table but have been on a good run recently and picked up results including a Scottish Cup win over St Johnstone. And they made a positive start to the game and Matty Douglas had to make a good challenge inside the box to cut out the danger.

Queens made a break though and as Kurtis Guthrie held the ball up well, he found Benji Luissint who in turn played it in for Brennan Dickenson who had made a run but his cross into the area was cut out.

Former Queens loanee, Lewis O’Donnell made up part of Cove’s midfield and ten minutes into the game, his shot was blocked. Two minutes later, Guthrie’s touch was majestic as he looked to set up Dickenson, but even he was caught off guard.

It was end to end and the lively Adam Emslie linked up with Reuban McAlister as they worked their way along the 18-yard line and as he opened up space, Emslie hit a shot that was heading for the top corner before Ross Stewart made a one handed save to turn it out for a corner.

Paul Hartley’s side were a threat and a dangerous ball into the box had to be cleared before Dickenson got himself on the end of Hannah’s pass down the channel. He delivered a great ball into the area but it was just out of reach of Guthrie.

Midway through the first half, Kai Kennedy fired a free-kick into the six-yard area but the ball was hooked clear. From the resulting corner, Douglas got to Kennedy’s cross ahead of Michael Doyle to head it back across looking for Guthrie but Robbie Mutch came off his line to punch it away.

Both sides pushed for an opener and Zander Mackenzie played a brilliant ball for Dickenson only for Doyle to block. It fell to Taylor Charters at the back-post but the keeper got his body behind it to keep it out.

Queens had been playing well up until the final third where their final ball was disappointing and that continued when Liam Smith tried to find Dickenson.

It was the visitors who finished stronger and as Emslie found himself in space, Hannah made a well- timed challenge inside the box. But on the stroke of half-time, Stewart managed to save from David Eguibor only for the ball to fall nicely to the unmarked winger, Emslie who fired into the net to give his side a lead at the interval.

HALF TIME: Queens 0 Cove Rangers 1

Queens came out for the second half and had an early chance when MacKenzie played the ball forward to Guthrie who headed it to Dickenson, his left foot effort was decent but saved by Mutch.

It was better from the hosts and as Reece Lyon played the ball out to Kennedy on the right, he floated the ball in and Guthrie headed just over.

On the hour mark, Guthrie used some skill to hang onto the ball but hit a left foot volley wide.

There was a delay in the game as substitute, Greg Stewart who had been on the park less than five minutes required treatment and had to be stretchered off. But when play resumed it was Queens who had another chance this time, Kennedy’s free kick was headed on and cleared before Guthrie played it back across and as Dickenson challenged the keeper held on.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Stewart made a good save when he got down to save McAlister’s attempt from close range.

But Queens continued to push as they looked to get back into the game and as Kennedy took on Doyle, he got the ball to Guthrie but it was on the wrong side of him as he tried to steer a header towards the target.

In the closing stages the big striker was still causing problems for the visiting defense and as Dickenson made his way down the left, Liam Parker managed to head clear before Guthrie could got to it. Douglas and Kian Leslie both had shots cleared before Jack Stott’s free-kick was knocked out for a throw-in.

With the clock running down it looked like Queens were going to fall short but with two minutes remaining, Kennedy played a free-kick into the box and Douglas sent a perfect header past Mutch into the net to level.

As they looked to turn the game around, in added on time, Kennedy’s final ball was just too short for Guthrie and Charters burst through the middle into box but as he found Lyon, his header was the wrong side of the post.

Stung by the late goal against them, Cove weren’t finished either and they too pushed for a winner, Douglas cleared as the ball was played up field and with the last chance of the game, a long ball forward was chased down by Emslie who had both Mackenzie Strachan and David Eguibor inside the box but Stewart got down to save.

FULL TIME: Queens 1 Cove Rangers 1