With no game last week due to the Scottish Cup 4th round, we were back in action with an away trip to East Fife. Manager, Peter Murphy stuck with the same side that started in the last game against Kelty Hearts.
As high winds and rain swept across Bayview, the hosts had the wind at their backs from kick off and won an early corner, but Ross Stewart watched it all the way into the box and collected easy. With five minutes on the clock, using the conditions to their advantage, Michael McKenna tried to curl a free-kick towards goal but was denied an opener by the post.
A minute later Sean Culbert fired a shot over from 20-yards. And as the home side continued to attack McKenna hit another free-kick into the area which was headed over by Andy Munro. Creating the better chances, they were in again, this time as the flag stayed down, their trialist ran into the box and as he slipped the ball to his right, Jack Hannah beat Alan Trouten to the ball to steer it to safety.
The hosts had looked more likely to score in the opening ten minutes, mainly due to the weather but as Queens made their way up the park, they opened the scoring with their first attack, Kurtis Guthrie skipped through a couple of challenges before playing the ball across for the unmarked Jack Stott to fire a right foot shot into the net.
Queens were now getting forward more and Robbie Hemfrey had to get down to block from Stott as Taylor Charters cut the ball back for him to shoot. Things quietened down in terms of goal chances for a spell as both sides battled it out between the 18-yard lines. But with just over half an hour gone, Matty Douglas made a great challenge to block from the trialist.
End to end, it was Queens who had the next attempt cleared when Connor McManus put the ball out for a throw as Liam Smith played it into the area. And for the home side, Sam Culbert hit his right foot effort wide of the post.
In the closing stages of the first half, Stewart saved from McKenna and Hannah cleared the loose ball ahead of Trouten before Queens extended their advantage.
A minute before the interval, Charters was brought down inside the box and Kai Kennedy smashed the ball straight down the middle and high into the net from the penalty spot to make it two-nil going into the break.
HALF TIME: East Fife 0 Queens 2
Now with the wind behind them Queens looked to finish the game off and nine minutes after the restart they added a third. Mikey Hewitt found himself on the left wing and as he floated the ball in, Douglas and Mamadou Bah both rose to head the ball and it dropped over the keeper into the net with a defender desperately trying to hook it away. Initially it looked like Matty got his head on it but using VAR, it looks like no one did and it was actually Mikeys delivery that beat Hemfrey.
Three minutes later the defender was back on his own side of the park and hit a right foot effort from distance that the keeper pushed over the bar. He was obviously causing them problems because sixty seconds later, East Fife captain, Trouten took him out with a terrible challenge at the half way line. He was dismissed with a straight red card as Hewitt received treatment.
Queens were well in control and as Hannah broke up play to send Kennedy away, he in turn found Smith who was challenged inside the box to win a corner for his side. Before that could be taken, Mikey who had struggled on after the tackle by Trouten was feeling the effects and had to be replaced by Brennan Dickenson who took on the unfamiliar role on the right.
Within two minutes of coming off the bench the Englishman used his strength inside the box to fire home a fourth.
The hosts did battle on and Stewart had to make a save at the near post from Culbert before their substitute Freddie Rowe was handed the ball on a plate due to a poor clearance and he slotted the ball home to pull one back with fifteen minutes to play.
Both sides made further changes that ate into the remaining time but in the final minutes, Euan Ross played the ball through looking for fellow sub, Jordan Allan, the striker was stretching and couldnt connect. Reece Lyon then fired a right foot strike over the bar. But in the final minute, Queens pressure paid off again, when the ball struck a hand inside the box and referee Sean Murdoch pointed to the spot for a second time in the game. This time it was Allan who placed the ball on the spot and converted from 12-yards to round off the scoring.
FULL TIME: East Fife 1 Queens 5