As we returned to league action we welcomed East Fife to Palmerston. Having made six changes to the side for the cup game at Edinburgh City, manager, Nicky Clark made five for this one. Liam Smith, Zander Mackenzie, Connor Young, Shaun Want and Niall Rogerson all made a return to the line-up while Brodie Dair, Chris McQueen, Ruari Ellis, Billy Gray and Rocco McColm dropped to the bench.
Looking to keep building the momentum from recent performances, Queens had the first real chance in the opening five minutes when Mackenzie played in a corner and Taylor Charters was at the centre of the six-yard line but couldn’t get enough on it to have a decent shot and Mamadou Bah cleared.
Five minutes later, new club captain, Want made a well-timed tackle at the edge of the area to bring Nathan Austin’s attack to an end. It was a good period for the visitors and sixty-seconds later, Austin got away and went to play the ball around Deniz Mehmet but the keeper made himself big and blocked.
Austin was a threat and Want showed some strong defending to usher him away from goal to win a goal-kick.
Back at the other end, Young played a good ball across but it was just too high for Cole Coughlin to get his head to. Charters tried to play it back in from the other side only for Andy Munro to get his body behind it to clear.
After quarter of an hour, Smith floated in a corner that Rogerson got on the end of but his header was just off target. Three minutes later, some terrific play by Smith saw him cut the ball back from the byline for Ben Johnstone who had a great chance to open the scoring but he hit it straight to the keeper.
With half an hour played, Smith and Young combined well and the latter played a back-heel pass back to the former but the final cross into the area was cleared.
Nine minutes before the break Smith was in a good position at the edge of the area but he delayed his shot and Bah managed to clear. Two minutes later, Coughlin hit a low drive from the edge of the box as he aimed for the far corner but Derek Gaston got down to collect
On the stroke of half-time, Charters won a corner, Mackenzie played it short to Smith who retuned the pass and as Mackenzie crossed, Coughlin got his head on it but Gaston again got down to save. From the resulting corner played in by Smith, Gaston blocked with his foot to keep it goal-less at the break.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 East Fife 0
Seven minutes after the restart, Coughlin and Young linked up well but the attack was halted by the visitors. A minute later as the two combined again, they brought Smith into the mix and as they played their way into the box, Coughlin’s low shot was stopped by Gaston at the near post.
Queens had been a threat and the pressure paid off nine minutes after the restart, when Smith played the ball into the path of Young and he took a touch to control before firing a right foot shot low past Gaston to open the scoring.
However, the lead didn’t last long as East Fife levelled almost straight away. Queens gave away a needless free-kick out on the wing that they cleared for a corner, as Reis Peggie played that to the back-post, Munro rose highest to head home the equaliser.
Back in it the visitors had the next opportunity when Queens gave away the ball and Austin worked to open up the chance for Brian Easton who hit a powerful right foot shot towards goal but Mehmet blocked with his foot to clear. As the home side broke, Young cut the ball across but it was cleared as Charters went to pull the trigger. Young was then inside the box and kept the ball well but as he tried to create an opening, Bah hooked it away.
Queens were pushing for a second and Smith played the ball in from the left for Coughlin who did well to break but Ewan McLeod got the ball away. Johnstone tried to get in back in to the danger zone but it was again knocked out.
Charters then had his shot smash off the back of Hamid Seisay. Charters took the corner himself and Johnstone played it across but it bounced about and Young couldn’t get the shot away.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Johnstone hit a right foot shot from 25-yards that flew just the wrong side of Gaston’s left-hand post. Nine minutes later, Mehmet made a terrific save when he used his right hand to punch the ball clear after Connor Dow was in space. As the corner was played in Easton hit it from close range and protested as the ball was cleared.
Into the dying embers and substitute Dair was being held but kept control and played the ball to Young, he kept his shot low but it was wide of the upright.
The final chance came with minutes remaining when Olu Joseph floated in a corner but it was an easy take for Mehmet.
FULL TIME: Queens 1 East Fife 1
Teams:
Queens: Mehmet, Goldie, Charters, Smith, Mackenzie, Young, Want, Johnstone, Rogerson, Coughlin (Dair 84) & Davis (Ellis 83). Subs not used: Petry, McQueen, Gary, Morton, Kelly & McColm.
East Fife: Gaston, Millar, Easton, Peggie (Newton 76), Austin (Gaffney 76), Ross (Dow 76), Milne (Seisay 62), Munro, Bah, McLeod (Joseph 72) & Ballantyne. Subs not used: Rollo, Healy, Hamilton & Fairley.
Ref: Iain Sneddon
Crowd: 792