Queens Team:
1 L Robinson, 2 R McCann, 3 R Harris, 4 S Robertson, 5 A Aitken, 6 M Lancaster, 7 B Wilson, 8 S Tosh, 9 S Kean, 10 S Dobbie, 11 P Burns
Subs: 12 B Halliwell, 14 J McQuilken, 15 N Macfarlane, 16 J Thomson, 17 D Weatherston

Airdrie United Team:
1 S Robertson, 2 W McLachlan, 3 D Nixon, 4 M Smyth, 5 R Donnelly, 6 S McLaughlin, 7 D Smith, 8 S McKenna, 9 P Di Giacomo, 10 J Baird, 11 S McDougall
Subs: 12 K McDonald, 14 S Lynch, 15 S Maguire, 16 K Watt, 17 L Hollis (GK)

Referee - Craig Thomson

Despite the glorious win at Dundee on Tuesday Gordon Chisholm made three changes to his side for the trip to bottom placed Airdrie. Deprived of the services of Sean O'Connor through injury, Stewart Kean took his spot in the starting line up. Scott Robertson, who had himself missed the midweek trip through injury, returned and replaced McQuilken in the midfield with Burns moving back out wide. Finally Ryan McCann started in place of skipper Jim Thomson who dropped to the bench alongside McQuilken. For what had to be seen as a must win game for the home side, Kenny Black perhaps surprisingly omitted Simon Lynch from his starting line up, opting for former St Mirren and Montrose striker John Baird as Di Giacomo's partner instead. The home defence included one time Queens loanee David Nixon.

Airdrie's Scott McLaughlin tested Lee Robinson with an early 25 yard free kick but the keeper was equal to it. Five minutes later Bob Harris tried his luck from similar distance but his effort was even easier for Robertson to deal with. Apart from those early free kicks though there was little to trouble the keepers as the wind was the main winner. On 19 minutes though came bad news for the home side when Paul Di Giacomo was stretchered off and replaced by Simon Lynch.

Just beyond the half hour mark there was some controversy when Mr Thomson decreed Dobbie had controlled the ball with his arm in bringing down a Burns cross inside the six yard box. Up the other end though a strike was deflected away from Robinson's goal. On 38 minutes Burns should probably have done better after collecting Kean's nod on but sliced his shot wide from close in. On the stroke of half time came the best chance of the half when Dobbie's clever turn got him away from the back line and in towards goal. His early shot from the edge of the penalty area forced a fine reaction save out of Robertson. That was the last action of a half very much dominated by the strong wind rather than either team.

Airdrie almost broke the deadlock in the opening minute of the second half when McLaughlin headed Smith's knock down narrowly wide with Robinson rooted to the spot. The home side continued to push and Simon Lynch twice had shots deflected wide for corners in the next two minutes and the second of them saw the deadlock broken when McDougall's kick was turned home from close range by Marc Smyth.

Just before the hour mark Tosh picked up a booking for a somewhat cynical challenge on Baird. And just on the hour Airdrie made it two as Scott McLaughlin curled a shot into the net from McLachlan's pass inside. Gordon Chisholm had seen enough and prepared a double change. Before he could make it though another corner caused chaos and a low ball fired across goal was deflected wide and from the resulting corner Smyth again went close. David Weatherston and Jamie McQuilken then replaced Kean and Wilson. On 67 minutes Neil Macfarlane replaced Scott Robertson to complete Queens changes.

Darren Smith was booked for a foul on David Weatherston with quarter of an hour to go and soon after Dobbie set Burns up for a shot on goal from the edge of the box but it flew over the crossbar. In the 83rd minute the home side replaced Steven McDougall with Kevin McDonald, sent off on his recent trip to Palmerston. It was Bob Harris next in Mr Thomson's notebook though for a late trip on Smyth. With three minutes the substitutions were completed when Kenny Black replaced John Baird with Kevin Watt. There was no further goalmouth action though as Airdrie ran out all too comfortable winners in the end. Queens were really disappointing today and will need to pick themselves up for the meeting with Livingston next weekend.