Following last week`s disastrous second half against Livingston James Fowler rang the changes with no less than six changes to the starting line up. One of those was forced with utility player Kyle Jacobs out through suspension but Scott Hooper, Jake Pickard, Ryan Conroy, Alex Harris and Aidan Smith all dropped to the bench. Into the starting line up came Lewis Kidd, Darren Brownlie, Mark Millar, Iain Russell, Paul Heffernan and Gary Oliver in an adventurous 4-4-2 / 4-2-4 formation with four forwards.

The manager must have been hoping that making so many changes would have a positive effect on the side but it couldn`t have seen a worse start as we were behind after only 30 seconds! Russell gave away a cheap and needless free kick just inside his own half. Doyle floated the ball long into the box and it was headed clear but only as far as Graeme Holmes loitering about 25 yards out and he fairly rifled the ball back into the top left corner of Thomson`s goal on the volley. The header might have had better distance on it but it was a wonderful strike from Holmes and completely unstoppable by Thomson.

Reintam celebrates the strike by Holmes to open the scoring

The bad start out of the way though Queens quickly settled into the game and soon took control of the bulk of the possession even if not threatening the goal much. Iain Russell was giving Alloa`s right back Michael Doyle a torrid time down the left and the full back was booked on 22 minutes after a succession of niggling fouls and committed another soon after. He was on borrowed time and Danny Lennon knew it.  Rather than finish the half with ten men his hand was forced and Doyle left the field just after the half hour to be replaced by Mark Williams. Before then Heffernan`s header from Millar`s dangerous cross had failed to significantly trouble Andy McNeil. Alloa did have the ball in the net again before half time from a similar long free kick but the offside flag had been up nice and early. It was a frustrated Queens side who went in at half time one down though. They`d had the bulk of the play but created little. Improvement needed.

If we thought Alloa had scored early in the first half it was nothing to the start Queens produced in the second! Straight from kick off Iain Russell played Derek Lyle in down the left side and the striker produced a fantastic cross for his partner Paul Heffernan to get in front of his marker and head towards goal. McNeil was there to save but could only parry the ball back into the middle of the goal and first to react was Gary Oliver who prodded the ball over the stranded keeper and into the empty net for an equaliser. The second half was just ten seconds old!

Oliver finishes with style

The home side had ben caught sleeping by the lightning start and were immediately back on the front foot trying to regain the lead. Five minutes later Eddie Ferns broke forward and cut inside from the left before steering a shot beyond Robbie Thomson but, fortunately for us, against the base of the post and hooked to safety. It was end to end at this stage but it was Queens who took the lead in a very similar manner to the first goal. Again it started with Russell feeding Lyle down the left side and again the veteran striker turned provider with a peach of a cross into the danger area. It was missed by everyone in the middle but met by that man Gary Oliver again coming in from his wide right position at the back post and he drove the ball powerfully this time beyond the reach of McNeil into the bottom left corner of the net.

Oliver seals the win with his second strike

Russell and Lyle celebrate the strike from Oliver who celebrates in the background (pink boots)

With half an hour to go Alloa sent on Michael Duffy for Burton O`Brien and Queens followed by replacing Heffernan with Ryan Conroy who went to the left side with Russell moving up front. Conroy almost had an immediate impact with a decent direct free kick from 30 yards out which McNeil moved smartly to tip over. Mark Williams was booked for a foul on Jordan Marshall before Derek Lyle should really have clinched the game, lifting a shot over from close range from Millar`s cross when perhaps a header would have been the better option. Jake Pickard replaced Millar and then Kyle McAusland replaced Connor McManus for the home side and Pickard was the next who should possibly have put the result beyond doubt when he seemed set to nod into the net unmarked at a corner only to mistime his jump and miss the ball completely. With a few minutes left Queens then found themselves in a three against one situation with Russell breaking forward with the ball and Conroy and Lyle left and right of him only for a lack of communication to see Russell pass the ball to where he thought Conroy would have gone and watch ruefully as it rolled out of play for a goal kick!

In injury time Derek Lyle was replaced by Scott Hooper and then Lewis Kidd fouled Chopra from behind midway inside the half, earning himself our only yellow card of the day in the process. It was one last chance for the home side but the ball in was dealt with and lashed clear of the penalty area. Craig Thomson blew his final whistle before Alloa could play the ball forward again and three important points were heading back down the road to Dumfries. Next up it`s a visit from Dumbarton to Palmerston on Saturday.