With thoughts of the European campaign uppermost in the minds of most Queens fans, and probably players, this was a fixture that just needed negotiated and in the end, despite it looking for a long spell like we might get something from the game, that's all we did. After the slightly disappointing home draw with Airdrie Gordon Chisholm made a pair of changes. One was enforced with the suspended Jim Thomson replaced by Andy Aitken alongside Craig Reid whilst Gary Arbuckle started ahead of Stephen Dobbie with Stewart Kean retaining his spot up front beside O'Connor. Unfortunately there was no place for Bob Harris in the sixteen with no risks being taken on the full back but Jamie Adams was fit enough to get a place on the bench. In the absence of JT Stevie Tosh was made captain for the short trip from his Kirkcaldy home. Jim McIntyre was able to field his first choice front pair of Graham Bayne and Andy Kirk with former Queens favourite Alex Burke supplying the ammunition for them. In Paul Gallacher and Stephen Glass there was also international experience in the side.

 

Both teams started brightly, moving the ball about well, with Kean firing a low shot wide in the first minute and Harper's deflected effort saved by Halliwell, a former Par himself, in five minutes. In 13 minutes Queens broke upfield with a lovely passing move between Arbuckle and Kean primarily which ended with Arbuckle's bursting run into the box and cross that was cleared away from the line as O'Connor waited for a tap in. Dunfermline were having the bulk of the possession at this point but Queens continued to look dangerous on the break and it was from one of those that Kean went close with a 25 yard shot on 20 minutes, a deflection taking the ball wide of goal.

Gordon Chisholm's response was to bring on the talismanic Dobbie, although perhaps surprisingly it was O'Connor who departed, and then Jamie Adams in place of MacFarlane. Halliwell though was forced to bring off a fine block to deny Kirk his hat-trick on 81 minutes before controversy erupted at the other end when Arbuckle went over an out-stretched leg and was booked for his trouble rather than seeing the penalty he expected. There was more controversy around the corner though. With a minute to go Andy Aitken's control let him down on halfway and as he stretched for the loose ball Graham Bayne got there just in front. Both players slid in on the ground but Aitken made contact with Bayne rather than the ball. There clearly wasn't any malice in the challenge but referee Stevie O'Reilly decided it was worth a red card so for the second straight game Queens finished a centre half short.

There was still time for Muirhead to replace Burke and Williamson to collect a yellow for a cynical foul on Arbuckle before the latter missed an absolute sitter in the last second from right in front of goal. It was a costly miss as Barr's header fell into his path, unmarked in the six yard box and denied Queens a point they possibly deserved.
The second period was six minutes old when Queens came within a whisker of doubling their lead. McQuilken's right sided corner caused chaos in the home defence and both O'Connor and seemed destined to nod home. It was Barr who got there but somehow is header was scrambled off the line and away. And Queens paid the penalty seconds later as Andy Kirk was given far too much space on the edge of the box to rifle home a 20 yard shot from out of nothing. It was a cheap goal to lose, though a very good finish into the bottom corner.

Queens were soon back on the offensive though and Arbuckle burst clear up the left and curled a shot round Gallacher but unfortunately also beyond the far post. Craig Barr collected a booking for upending Alex Burke on the hour mark, though it looked as if Aitken had been fouled earlier to be honest. Kirk curled the resulting free kick high over the bar though. Burke was starting to become a real influence on the game and his flashing drive from 25 yards went narrowly past shortly after. The Pars were forced to make their second enforced change though when Kevin Harper appeared to pull a hamstring. Iain Williamson was his replacement. It didn't appear to affect their chances though as the ball fell for Andy Kirk again on the edge of the Queens box and he held off Aitken before again firing the ball into the corner of the net, giving Halliwell no chance.

Queens grabbed the lead they had started to look like getting in 27 minutes when O'Connor nodded down, Arbuckle played the ball forward and Stewart Kean hared after it. Scott Thomson appeared to have things covered but seemed to go over on his ankle, falling to the ground. Kean was quick to seize his chance, taking the loose ball and knocking it behind Gallacher from six yards out. The hapless Scott Thomson had to be replaced by Calum Woods though. The Pars were rattled, Wilson somewhat cynically hauled down O'Connor to prevent one breakaway and, when he did the same a minute later to Gary Arbuckle, he collected the booking he probably should have got for the first one.

Queens took charge for the remainder of the first half but had a let off two minutes from the break when a long range shot took a deflection off Aitken but Halliwell was well positioned to save. On the stroke of the interval O'Connor was denied an opening by Woods' last ditch challenge and, from the resulting corner, Barr's header drifted narrowly wide.