A hugely impressive second half performance from Queen of the South saw the league leaders come back from a goal down and a red card to hammer Arbroath 5-1 at Palmerston Park.

The match started poorly for Queens as Steven Doris opened the scoring after 17 minutes and Mark Durnan saw red for a professional foul just three minutes later.  The home side came out firing in the second half though and equalised through Derek Lyle before blowing Arbroath away with goals from Nicky Clark (2), Dan Carmichael and Stephen McKenna.

It was a truly inspired second half display and manager Allan Johnston was full of praise for his side`s performance as his tactical gamble paid off to send his team 14 points clear at the top of the league table.

“They are a big, physical side and they caused us problems first half but I think that was a lot to do with the wind and whatever.  Second half, down to ten men and to produce a performance like that, all credit to the boys.

“We just changed it a wee bit, went man for man at the back.  It’s a big chance to take putting three up front but it paid off and for the majority of the second half we played the better football.”

Stephen McKenna held the midfield with Derek Young superbly and capped his display with the fifth and final goal.

“To be fair the first half was probably the poorest we`ve played all season.  Obviously losing an early goal, losing a man as well but nobody panicked and at half time we just said to ourselves we have to play the way we’ve been playing all season and just impose ourselves on the game because in the first half we were losing possession and not doing what we’ve been good at all season.

“[At half-time] There was no panic, there was no shouting.  Obviously we were a man down so we changed the formation a wee bit.  Me and Derek Young just sat and we went three up front to get back in the game, thankfully we done that and after that there was only going to be one winner.”