With the play-offs secured there was still something to play for when we travelled to Alloa for our final scheduled match of the league one campaign. The Wasps held a two-point advantage and were favourites to finish third in the table, but we knew that a win would see us leapfrog them in the table.
Jack Stott and Taylor Charters hadnt recovered from the heavy knocks theyd suffered against Montrose and werent available for the game, they were two of three changes made by manager, Peter Murphy. The other player to drop out of the starting line-up was Nicky Clark. With them missing, there were starts for Ben Johnstone, Euan Ross and Benji Luissint.
Queens won an early free-kick that Johnstone delivered into the box but the home side managed to head it clear. And as they created an opening of their own, Calum Gallagher cut inside before hitting a right foot shot from 19-yards that was just wide of the post.
It was two teams going for it and as play moved back to the other end Mikey Hewitt crossed but Jordan Allan just missed the connection as he tried to get his head on it. Eleven minutes in Cameron ODonnell found space but as he took his time to control, Hewitt was back inside his own box to head clear.
Brennan Dickenson then set up Allan at the edge of the box, the striker took a touch but dragged his final shot wide. As the game continued to flow from end to end and as a cross came in from the left, Gallagher headed towards goal but Jamie Sneddon made a good save.
Midway through the first half, Queens had a claim for a penalty when Hewitt looked to be shoved inside the box but ref Duncan Williams was having none of it and played on.
Sneddon was again called into action when Callum Burnsides free-kick was played into the box and Gallagher who was causing problems again managed to get his head on the end of it but the keeper made another save.
Back at the other end Liam Smith set-up Hewitt inside the box but Stefan Scougall made a timely challenge. Queens then won a free-kick on the right-hand side that Johnstone floated into the box and Dickenson beat Liam McFarlane with a powerful header.
With half an hour played Burnside fired a right foot shot low but wide and two minutes later Niall Rogerson tried to turn the ball over the line at the near post but the home side put bodies on the line to block.
In the final fifteen minutes before the break, Zander MacKenzie made a mistake that allowed Gallagher in to have a shot but Sneddon came out to collect. To make amends MacKenzie chipped the ball over McFarlane but although he had the keeper beaten, his shot came back off the top of the crossbar.
Both teams were still going at each other and when ODonnell stayed onside, he was through one on one with Sneddon but the keeper came out to make a great block and steer it out for a corner. The corner was played in by Burnside but Johnstone was at the front post to hook the ball away.
Four minutes before the interval, Johnstone won his side a free-kick that was taken by Dickenson, he kept it low as he tried to curl the ball past McFarlane but the keeper did well to get down to save.
It had been a decent first half and as the home side hit on the break, Sneddon made a good save to keep his side in front. However, he was beaten in the dying embers of the half when a long ball over the top was chased by Kalvin Orsi who held of Dickensons challenge and when he slipped Oris managed to get enough on it to steer it past Sneddon to level.
The final chance before the break fell to Queens when Smith laid the ball into the path of Allan and the striker hit his right foot effort just over.
HALF TIME: Alloa Athletic 1 Queens 1
It was the hosts who made a good start to the second half and Luissint made a strong tackle on the 18-yard line to stop Adamson from having a shot. But as Queens made the break, Reece Lyon hit his effort over the bar.
With the play-offs to come, both sides then made a number of substitutions around the hour mark and that is when Queens introduced Clark and Kai Kennedy. Five minutes later, as Kennedy played in a corner, McFarlane made a save from Rogersons header.
The game had been lively already but in the final twenty minutes Queens really came to life. After Orsi had burst through and fired over the bar, the visitors got themselves back in front. Kennedy was instrumental and delivered from the left to fellow sub, Clark in the box and he calmly headed home.
Three minutes later as the home side hit back, Sneddon again made another great save this time denying Connor Sammon. Alloa were putting Queens under a bit of pressure and as Orsi crossed the ball was cleared ahead of Andy Graham getting on the end of it. Matty Douglas then put the ball out for a corner as Queens protected their lead.
And with five minutes of the game remaining, Kennedy and Clark combined again. Kennedy did the hard work before laying it along the line for Clark who fired a low shot into the bottom corner.
The home side looked tired and two minutes later Smith put the icing on the cake when Seb Mason found him to his right and the winger fired a brilliant left foot shot into the top corner.
The victory moved Queens above Alloa into third place and set-up a play-off semi-final against Stenhousemuir.
FULL TIME: Alloa Athletic 1 Queens 4