Queens welcomed Montrose to Palmerston for their final scheduled home game of the league one campaign. With the play-offs already secured manager Peter Murphy made five changes to the starting eleven some due to illness others to give some players more game time ahead of the final push. Kai Kennedy, Callum Penman, Ben Johnstone, Matty Douglas and Benji Luissint were the players to drop out with Taylor Charters, Liam Smith, Jordan Allan, Niall Rogerson and Zander Mackenzie all coming in.
Reece Lyon got the game underway in the sunshine but it was called to a halt after just nine seconds when Jack Stott picked up a nasty head knock. His game was instantly over and Luissint came on to replace him as he headed off for stitches. As the game resumed it was the visitors who pressed and Brennan Dickenson headed away Lewis Gibsons corner.
Ten minutes later, Jamie Sneddon got down to collect as Taylor Sutherland played the ball across from the left. Queens hadnt yet settled into their rhythm but as they started to create more, the visitors defended well and blocked from Mikey Hewitt as he tried to cross and then from Smith who won his side a corner.
Midway through the half, Hewitts cross from the wing fell nicely for Allan at the edge of the box but his scissor kick volley didnt come off and was cleared.
It hadnt been the best start to the game by the hosts and they found themselves behind after twenty-seven minutes when Andrew Steeves started a move from his own half and played the ball out to Gus Stevenson who made his way forward from the half-way line to play a through ball in for Ewan Loudon who calmly walked the ball round Sneddon into the net.
Ten minutes before the break Nicky Clark hit a low right foot effort through a ruck of players but it took a bauble and bounced away.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 Montrose 1
Unhappy with the first half, changes were made at the interval but it was Montrose who had the first attempt on goal within the opening sixty seconds when Gibson hit a left foot shot, but the former Queens wingers effort was high over the bar.
Queens started to take a grip of the game and two minutes later Charters floated a free-kick into the box but it was just out of reach of Clarks head. As they pushed forward and got Smith more on the ball, he was causing all sorts of problems for the visitors who were struggling to contain him, but he rode out the attempts to stop him and played the ball forward for Clark but he was offside.
It had been better from Queens after the restart but just before the hour mark they fell further behind when a ball from Gibson was in between Douglas and Rogerson and as Sutherland caught the young defender on the wrong side, he managed to get enough on it to beat Sneddon.
Two goals down the home side had to show character and as Charters played in a free-kick both Douglas and Clark got their heads to the ball but it was in the second phase that Dickenson turned to hit a left foot shot low that forced a save from Harrison Sharp.
With the changes made at half-time Dickenson had been moved further up the park and as he shot, Ryan Williamson made a block on the 18-yard line. Two minutes later Charters played in yet another free-kick this time Dickenson got his head on it but could only knock it backwards, however Rogerson who was up in the other box headed it back in and Dickenson got his left foot on it to hook it past the keeper to pull one back with twenty-six minutes to go.
Desperate to get something from the game, Queens maintained the pressure and as Smith crossed, Sharp saved Dickensons header.
Dickenson was again involved minutes later when he did well down the left before squaring the ball across the six-yard box looking for Lyon who had made the run but Keir Bertie got a touch on it to take it away from the midfielder. The danger wasnt over though as Smith picked up the loose ball and laid it back nicely into the path of Luissint who was outside the box and caught it with power to send it into the top corner for goal of the season. From two down Queens were now back on level terms with just under fifteen minutes left.
With both sides wanting a third, Sneddon made a good stop from Loudon who hit a left foot shot from 18-yards and at the other end Sharp came out to collect as Dickenson looked to get his head on the end of a free-kick.
In the closing stages, Smith was again unplayable as he got the ball into the box but Lyon who was at the back-post couldnt connect and for Montrose Terry Masson dragged his shot wide.
The final chance of the game came deep in added on time but Euan Ross needed more power on his effort.
FULL TIME: Queens 2 Montrose 2