Inverness Caledonian Thistle were the visitors to Palmerston for what was probably our biggest game of the season so far. The league leaders sat three points ahead of us in the table going into the match with a game in hand. After an impressive victory at East Fife last week and with Mikey Hewitt recovered enough from the challenge that led to him being taken off at Bayview, Manager Peter Murphy went with the same starting eleven.
In the opening five minutes, Queens survived a scare as Hewitt was booked for a push, there was an argument for it being red but fortunately Jamie Wilkie saw yellow as sufficient. Jordan Alonge hit the free-kick off the wall. Four minutes later, a misplaced pass allowed Alonge in but Ross Stewart made a save to punch clear. It found its way to Liam Sole on the right and as he fired the ball into the box, it took a deflection and into the bottom corner to give the Highlanders the lead.
Queens quickly hit back and Liam Smith did well on the left wing before crossing into the box where Kurtis Guthrie was stretching but couldnt get his head on the end of it. The game flowed from end to end and Alonge headed wide.
Midway through the half, Kai Kennedy was busy on the right-hand side of the park and looked to deliver the ball to the back post, it didnt find a team-mate but it did beat the keeper to pull Queens level.
With a lot at stake, the game had a cup-tie feel to it and as Kennedy hit a free-kick into the box, Taylor Charters headed it back across only from the defense to clear. It did fall to Smith who tried to get it back in but this time the visitors managed to block.
With just over half an hour played Reece Lyon used his strength to hold off a challenge and back heeled the ball to Kennedy who hit a right foot shot just too high over the bar.
On the front foot, Guthrie looked to be pushed inside the box but no penalty was given.
As Queens maintained the attack, Lyon collecting a poor ball from Sole and played in Smith but his cross was cut out. On the stroke of half-time as Lyon made his way to the by-line, he slipped with the ball under his foot and landed awkwardly on his arm.
HALF TIME: Queens 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
With his arm in a sling, Lyon was unable to come back out after the break and Brennan Dickenson took his place. Six minutes in as Queens attacked, Jack Hannah clashed heads and was left lying on the turf, the ref failed to halt the game despite it being a head knock and as the visitors made a breakaway and as Sole crossed, Alonge headed into the net to give them a controversial lead.
Hannah left the field with a broken nose but it was his replacement, Niall Rogerson who made a brilliant challenge inside the box to stop Adam Mackinnon. Seconds later, Charters also made a well-timed tackle to clear from Alonge. The goal unsettled Queens and they were getting pushed back but as they regained their composure, Rogerson made a break only to be taken out by Mackinnon.
Queens were back in the game and Dickenson cut inside to open up space to hit a left foot shot from 20-yards, as it headed for the bottom corner, Ross Munro got down to get a hand on it to turn it away.
Ten minutes from time, the hosts did pull level again when Smith did well on the left to play the ball to Dickenson, his perfect delivery into the box was met sweetly by Hewitt who had made the run to fire the ball into the net.
The final chance of the game came three minutes from time and fell to Queens, Charters showed determination to get the ball out to substitute Zander Mackenzie who whipped the ball into the area but it was cleared and both sides had to settle for a share of the points.
FULL TIME: Queens 2 Inverness CT 2