It was a trip to Montrose for us as we looked to pick up our first points in the league campaign.  After a one-nil win over Hibs on Tuesday in the KDM, manager Nicky Clark made four chances to the starting line-up, Caleb Goldie, Zander Mackenzie, Cole Coughlin and the Gaffer himself all came back in for the injured Niall Rogerson and Benji Luissint along with Rocco McColm and Brodie Dair who dropped to the bench.

A poor start to the game saw us go one down after just three minutes when some shocking defending allowed Gary Oliver the chance to fire the hosts ahead.  It started when Blair Lyons held of Chris McQueen to force himself into the box. He cut it back for Jake Sutherland who fell but whilst on the ground surrounded by four defenders and the keeper, he still managed to get the ball to Oliver who beat Deniz Mehmet from inside the six-yard box.

Up against it Queens found it hard to get out of their own half but although the home side had a lot of possession they never really threatened. 

As Queens started to find their feet, they came close to scoring midway through the half when Liam Smith played the ball down the right-hand side for Ben Johnstone to play the ball into the box where Clark hit an overhead kick only for it to rattle off the post.

It was better from Queens and a minute later, Aaron Davis hit a right-foot shot from 20-yards that just cleared the crossbar. As they continued their grip on the game, Coughlin did well on the byline and kept the move going as he laid it back to Smith but it petered out as it lacked that final delivery. 

On the half hour mark, Smith slipped the ball in for Coughlin who beat the keeper with a good finish but the forward had gone just too early and the offside flag went up.

Johnstone then won a free-kick 25-yards out, it was Clark who took the set-piece but as he tried to curl a right foot shot past the keeper, he didn’t get enough on it and it went wide instead.

After a spell of better chances for the visitors it was the home side who had the next one when Lyons forced a block from Mehmet.  Four minutes before the break, Harry Craig hit the ball low only for Ruari Ellis to clear. 

The final chance for the first half came from a Goldie cross that was parried out by Cammy Gill but the loose ball was behind Coughlin and Johnstone was too hesitant to pounce.

HALF TIME: Montrose 1 Queens 0

After a poor start to the first half, Queens started the second with more purpose and within three minutes of the restart they were back level.  A brilliant ball into the box by Goldie was caught sweetly by Coughlin but the keeper made a terrific point blank save to push it over for a corner.  As Smith delivered, Taylor Charters headed it back into the six-yard box where Clark got his right boot on it to steer it into the net.

But Queens soon shot themselves in the foot again when just six minutes later Montrose played a long ball forward and as Sutherland chased, Ellis put a hand on his back and he tumbled inside the area and ref, Lewis Hogarth pointed to the spot.  Oliver kept it low as he sent the ball to the keeper’s right with Mehmet diving to his left.

On the hour mark, Sean McGinty had his back to goal but hooked the ball just over and then Mehmet made a save from Sutherland as the corner was played in. The keeper was busy as sixty seconds later he got down to stop Oliver’s right foot strike. 

Midway through the half, as Queens attacked Smith played the ball in from the right for Clark his shot was heading for the top corner but it curled away at the last minute.

The home side pushed forward again and a long ball forward was knocked across the box for Craig who fired the ball towards an empty net but Ellis was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

In between bookings and substitutions, Goldie’s shot was wide and in the final stages Smith played the ball into the box for Jack Stott but the keeper got down to collect. 

FULL TIME: Montrose 2 Queens 1

Teams:

Montrose: Gill, Duffy, Quinn, McGinty, Barjonas (Byrne 84), Lyons (Webster 84), Freeman, Sutherland (Loudon 80), Oliver, Bertie (Oosenbrugh 80) & Craig.  Subs not used: Millar, Williamson, Dillon & Clark.

Queens: Mehmet, Goldie, Charters, McQueen, Smith, Mackenzie, Clark, Johnstone (Stott 79), Coughlin (Dair 79), Ellis & Davis (Gray 86).  Subs not used: Petry, Morton, Kelly, Thomson & McColm.

Ref: Lewis Hogarth

Crowd: 564