The festive season came a month early at Palmerston Park this afternoon in the shape of two gift wrapped goals delivered to the Jags. One in each half from the normally reliable pairing of Aitken and Rowe. First up was co-boss Rowe who, in the twelfth minute sold keeper Hillcoat well short with a pass back which Isaac English gleefully accepted and despatched into the net. The an almost identical move in the seventieth minute from Andy Aitken saw Derek Lyle accept the pass and again shoot past the helpless Hillcoat in goals.
Were it not for these lapses Queens would have taken the points through an Andy Aitken header from a corner in twenty eight minutes following concerted Queens pressure. However a fairer result would probably have been a draw as both sides belied their lowly league positions and put on a show of attractive attacking football.
Queens team today saw the inclusion of new signing Alastair McMillan at right back who had an excellent game and contributed very well in his first competitive match for Queens. His control and distribution were excellent and his tackling incisive and fair.
| Queens also had loan signing Scott McLean replacing the suspended Stevie Mallan and the Inverness Caley front man battled all afternoon linking well with Adams and showing some good touches. | 
| Queens started well and from the outset caused problems for Partick, particularly down the right where McMillan and Dickson were combining to good effect and giving Queens old boy Des McKeown a tough time. The team looked solid and well balanced, as did Partick, until that is the first of the Christmas presents arrived. Shortly after that goal Partick could have scored again when Albert Craig broke through the defence and was one on one with Hillcoat but the Queens keeper narrowed the angle and blocked with his legs to good effect.
Queens rallied and were soon back matching their opponents and making good use of the abilities of McLean to make clear openings and the creativity of Dickson down the right. Queens were causing problems in the Partick defence and as the Jags attempted to clear, the ball fell to Sandy Hodge who sent in a dipping shot which was well saved onto the woodwork and behind by the Partick keeper. The resulting corner was flicked on by Charlie Adams and netted by Andy Aitken as he rose cleanly above the Jags defence and placed the ball across the keeper and into the top right hand corner, a more than deserved equaliser.
Queens found the going a bit tougher after that but managed to hold on until half time.
The second half saw Queens pinned back for long periods and John Hillcoat, despite carrying an injury, making some good saves. Finally however Partick's second present arrived and that basically killed the match. Thistle could have added to their tally a couple of times before the end and Queens too had a couple of chances, but time ran out and the meagre home crowd were left shaking their heads once again, but this time with a bit more hope as the performance today was at least a lot more robust than previous weekends and both McLean and McMillan were definite improvements.
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