Queens continued their league one campaign with a trip to take on Cove Rangers at a very wet Balmoral Stadium. There was one change to the starting eleven from last weekend, Niall Rogerson took the place of Jack Hannah who hadnt recovered from his broken nose and head knock against Inverness.
From kick-off, Queens won an early corner and as they kept up the pressure it proved to be the perfect start when Taylor Charters hit a strike from the edge of the box that Robbie Mutch saved but he could only parry it out and it was Kai Kennedy who reacted quickest to fire home the rebound to give Queens the lead after two minutes.
Two minutes later, Reece Lyon hit a shot but it landed just the wrong side of the post and as Queens continued to press Kennedy played a free-kick into the box, Matty Douglas got his head on it but Mutch saved to push it out for another corner.
The opening ten minutes had been all Queens but as the hosts started to get forward, Benji Luissint made a great tackle inside the box to clear the danger from Fraser Fyvie. Lewis ODonnells corner was cleared before Ross Stewart made a save from Cooper Masson at close range.
As the visitors hit back, Kennedy floated the ball in from the right to Mikey Hewitt in the middle of the box but his header was too high. Back at the other end, Douglas gave away a free-kick 20-yards from goal, but Fyvie hit it off the wall.
Midway through the first half, Rogerson put the ball behind for a corner that Stewart collected when it was delivered into the area. As Queens looked to add to their tally, Kennedy hit a free-kick from distance but it cleared the bar.
The game was now fairly even but as Kennedy and Liam Smith combined, they set-up a chance for Lyon but his shot was blocked and the resulting corner was cleared. Sixty seconds later, Hewitts throw-in was nodded on and both Lyon and Kurtis Guthrie claimed for handball but it wasnt given.
Eight minutes before the break, Cove had their best chance of the game so far when Blair Yule headed just wide as he connected with a cross from the left wing. But the final chance before the break fell to Queens when the home defense was forced to clear Hewitts cross for Guthrie who was waiting inside the six-yard box.
HALF TIME: Cove Rangers 0 Queens 1
As the second half got underway, Jack Stott played Kennedy in but he was bundled off the ball. Rogerson then cleared with a powerful header before the ball was played back up field and Smith crossed for Guthrie who got his head on the end of it but it was hooked away.
Six minutes after the break, Liam Parker was lucky to escape with only a yellow card when he wiped out Smith on the wing. The winger tried to continue but could only last another six minutes before he was replaced by Brennan Dickenson. In between times, Luissint blocked from Fyvie and a corner was cleared by Douglas.
It was a better performance from the home side after the restart and Masson hit a right foot effort from outside the box that was well taken by Stewart. But Queens werent done and on the hour mark Lyon made a brilliant run and skipped the challenges before he laid it off for Guthrie but the strikers touch was too heavy and the chance was gone.
Two minutes later, Fyvie fired a free-kick from the edge of the 18-yard line well over.
Queens had already lost Smith through injury and had to make a further change midway through the second half when Stott had to leave the field after taking a knock. He was replaced by Menzi Mazwi who made his debut after joining on loan from Birmingham at the end of the transfer window.
The youngster looked lively and quickly got involve when he played a brilliant pass for Dickenson, in on goal he dragged his left foot effort wide. It was a chance missed and just four minutes later Cove were back on level terms. Mitch Megginson was left unmarked at the edge of the box and he had space to drill the ball low past Stewart into the bottom corner.
With their tails up Paul Hartleys side went for the jugular and Stewart made a terrific save to deny Parker who had time inside the box to take a left foot shot. Queens were under pressure and Chris Maguire turned to hit a right foot effort off the base of the post.
As the fog covered the park and the rain came down, Queens weathered the Cove attack and as they made a move of their own, Kennedys cross was headed away. As the corner was played in Mutch collected and quickly launched it forward for Megginson to chase, Rogerson and Luissint both cleared but not cleanly and the home side forced a corner. Maguire took the set-piece but hit it out the other side of the park.
The game was on a knife edge and it all kicked off when Dickenson and Carrol clashed, referee Peter Stuart could well have shown a red card but opted to book both players instead.
With just a minute of normal time remaining Queens were dealt a further blow when debutant Mazwi was left in agony on the turf with what looked like a bad knee injury and he had to be taken from the field on a stretcher.
After a lengthy delay the game resumed and Mutch did well to block from Lyon as he made his way into the box and hit a right foot shot from close range. Kennedy played in the corner but as it was cleared Cove made a break, Maguire played it to his left to Adam Emslie who opted to take the shot himself instead of playing the return pass and could only find the side netting.
In the nineth minute of added on time, Stewart used his feet to clear from Joe Teasdale to ensure Queens left the north east with a point.
FULL TIME: Cove Rangers 1 Queens 1