It was back to a 4-4-2 formation this week but with Martyn Lancaster moved to the right back position and Craig Barr given the right side of the central pairing alongside club captain Jim Thomson it was another completely new formula in an attempt to find a solid back line from Gordon Chisholm.

Straightaway it looked doomed to failure as Ross County took the early initiative with a combination of grey matter and quick feet from Craig Brewster and Sean Higgins respectively. It took only ten minutes for the Staggies to pierce the unfamiliar Queens rear guard as Brewster sent a ball through the middle of the home back line into the path of Higgins with Craig Barr more intent on what his man was doing rather than where the ball was. Higgins strode forward and placed the ball under Robinson to open the scoring and keep the home side support quiet.

The game was only twenty four minutes old when Craig Brewster scored an excellent goal, he wandered across the width of the penalty box twenty five yards out with the Queens midfield in his wake, looked up and struck an unstoppable shot goalward that Lee Robinson could only admire as it passed him and bulged the Portland Road end net.

This was serious, two goals down in one of the more winnable games of the run-in and not even looking as though the side could compete with the guile of Brewster and the pace of Higgins.

The half hour mark witnessed Stewart Kean on the end of a decent chance, however the out of form striker could only blast over the bar from eighteen yards much to the annoyance of the frustrated crowd.

With Ross well worth their 2-0 lead it looked as though the home side would end the half two goals adrift, however it was almost 2-1 as a neat breakaway involving Wilson, Burns and Dobbie saw the latter cut inside and strike just over the bar on the stroke of half-time.

Despite much discontent from the terracing there was no change at half time, the best hope was for an early goal and a 'game of two halves' performance. It all started so well with our one man strike force in the shape of Stephen Dobbie created a goal for himself once again. Jim Thomson, acting as a right winger, won a throw in near to the corner flag, the ball eventually fell to Dobbs and he produced a goal that only he, in the Queens team, is capable of as he drove the ball low past Malin in the Staggies goal. It was 'game on' surely!

Well actually no, the game then reverted to the same pattern as the first with the ball finding no outlet from the shaky Queens defence. Lee Robinson was quickly out of his box to smother a Michael Gardyne effort. Barry Wilson raised an 'ooh' from the Portland Road end as he struck an effort that Malin had to parry and Bob Harris combined well with Stephen Dobbie to get himself through the visitors defence. The ball fell to his wrong foot so his effort ended up at the toes of Stewart Kean and the mis-firing front man managed to slice an effort that almost hit the corner flag.

Gordon Chisholm then went for what was effectively a triple substitution as Weatherson replaced McQuilken, McCann replaced Barr, and three minutes later MacFarlane replaced Tosh.

The last five minutes of the game saw Queens pressing forward and Paul Burns was adamant that the Staggies 'keeper handled outside his box when nipping the ball away from him. Shots from Wilson that were wide and then were saved came either side of a Lancaster effort that saw the nervous Joe Malin punch the ball away. An equaliser was never going to come and the final whistle signaled the end of a clash that Ross County were worthy victors of.

A more settled side may well have been more comfortable but Queens did look as though they were a completely new formulation. With results elsewhere the gap between Queens and second bottom has reduced and who would have thought that after last season we would be in this position this year.

Colin Johnstone

For all of the photos from the game today click on the link http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/queenofthesouthfc