Thistle Team:
1 J Tuffey, 2 P Paton, 3 A Archibald, 4 S McKeown, 5 J Robertson, 6 J Adams, 7 P Cairney, 8 D Rowson, 9 S Lovell, 10 S Donnelly, 11 M Corcoran
Subs: 12 C Hinchcliffe, 14 I Maxwell, 15 C Erskine, 16 B Hodge, 17 L Buchanan
Referee: Steven McLean
Attendance: 2,766
Thanks to the postponement of last week's game against Raith Rovers, captain David Lilley remained suspended for this game so Marvin Andrews and Craig Reid continued at centre half. Stephen McKenna was also now beginning a two match ban so Neil Scally stepped back into the side after a long absence. Dennis Wyness was on the bench for the final match of his loan spell whilst Marc McAusland returned there after missing out at Morton. Anthony McParland continued as a Trialist on the bench also. Ian McCall welcomed Liam Buchanan back into the fold after injury but he had to make do with a spot on the Thistle bench as Steve Lovell continued up front alongside Simon Donnelly. It was nice to see Jamie Adams back playing football again in the centre of the Thistle defence.
Queens made a bright start but when Thistle broke following the break-down of a Queens attack it was Bob Harris who did well to track back and make a vital tackle in his own box and then Scally who cleared from the follow up shot. Shortly after, from Paton's deflected cross, Hutton was very sharp to get to the ball in front of Steve Lovell who took a knock for his troubles. Queens first really good opening came in 18 minutes when McLaren broke up the left and interchanged passes with Weatherston. His cross was partly cleared but came out as far as the speedy striker again and his shot looked goalbound until David Rowson threw himself in front of it. It was a crucial block because Thistle broke straight up the park and earned a slightly controversial free kick when Reid was harshly adjudged to have blocked a shot with his hand deliberately. Donnelly's low free kick struck the wall but ran loose for a Thistle player to hammer a shot off the post. However, the rebound fell perfectly for Paul Paton to absolutely rifle into the net from a tight angle.
The home side went close again a few minutes later when Mark Corcoran headed narrowly over from a Cairney cross. On the half hour Cairney struck a shot from distance that forced a flying save from Hutton as Thistle looked to add a second goal. Shortly after Jordan McMillan picked up the game's first caution for persistent offending.
A break up the left from McLaren after a defensive error saw Thistle give away a corner and when it was delivered Marvin Andrews got in a powerful header that Tuffey did well to tip over. On a breakaway soon after though Rocco Quinn joined McMillan in the book for taking out Corcoran as he broke towards goal. The half ended with some controversy as McLaren was denied a free kick as the referee obviously thought he took a tumble (though he didn't book him).
The second period was four minutes old when Hutton had to look lively to save at the feet of Donnelly as he ran on to a Lovell pass. There was a huge let off for Queens shortly after when Cairney got a shot in from around 10 yards out wide right which fired across the face of goal, struck the base of the far post and ran back along the line to where Hutton gratefully fell on it. And that let off was doubly important in 56 minutes because Queens levelled. Andrews long cross was knocked down by Holmes and lifted on to a completely unmarked Rocco Quinn just outside the six yard box and he fired home past Tuffey.
Quinn hammers home - photo from David Gow
On 62 minutes though disaster struck as Queens lost possession in their own half and Donnelly helped the ball towards Corcoran. Craig Reid slid in to make a tackle in his own box and appeared to take ball first but Mr McLean pointed straight to the penalty spot. Given that he awarded a penalty it was a bit of a surprise that Reid only saw yellow. Willie McLaren was also booked for the arguments that followed. Stevie Lovell took the penalty and struck it low to the bottom right where David Hutton plunged to make a fine save. It was to no avail though. Of all people to be following up the first there was Jamie Adams who fairly hammered the ball high into the net. Jamie obviously hasn't been following the recent trend of not celebrating goals against your old side!
Gordon Chisholm's response was to make a couple of changes with Kean replacing Weatherston and McParland replacing McLaren. McMillan's block denied Rowson a goal shortly after and Ian McCall made his first change, taking off McKeown and sending on Bryan Hodge. Thistle had their tails up now and another flying Hutton save denied Donnelly before, from the resulting corner, Quinn headed off the line. At the other end though chaos ensued when Tuffey needlessly came 40 yards to head a ball his defence appeared to have covered and Derek Holmes lifted the loose ball goalward from miles out. However John Robertson got back to clear off the line. Queens made their final change with 14 minutes to go when Marc McAusland came on for Quinn. He went to centre back, Reid to right back and McMillan moved into central midfield.
Hutton makes a super stop - photo from David Gow
Simon Donnelly became the first home player in Mr McLean's book when he took out Paul Burns late. He paid for it a second time from the resulting set piece. Queens earned a corner which was only awarded after some controversy and when it came over to the back post Bob Harris hammered the ball in, beating Tuffey at his near post.
Bob Harris strokes home the equaliser late on - photo from David Gow
Ian McCall responded by sending on Buchanan and Erskine for Donnelly and Corcoran. Lovell was next in the book for a late foul on Harris. From the resulting free kick that time Andrews shot was touched wide by Tuffey and, from that corner, Robertson again headed off the line, this time from Andrews looping header. A few minutes later, from a Harris free kick, Holmes header at goal was easily saved by Tuffey. There was lots more huffing and puffing but neither side could add again to the scoring. In the end an entertaining 2-2 draw but one that does neither side much good in the pursuit of Dundee.