Another home game, and another game without victory but this time at least Queens managed to salvage something from the occasion when a last gasp goal gave them a share of the points in a match that had just about everything. However, the result will carry mixed emotions for both teams as Queens went two goals ahead, then saw their lead cancelled out before falling behind, and then drawing level deep into stoppage time to just about keep their end of season play-off aspirations intact.
Following the excellent win at Tannadice in midweek, Queens were forced into making at least one change to the team that started that game as Darren Brownlie missed out through suspension, his place went to Callum Fordyce, and the fit again Stephen Dobbie returned to the line-up with John Rankin making way. A return to the more traditional 4-4-2 formation was also used with on-loan St.Mirren signing, Josh Todd making his first home appearance for the club.
Todd back in a Queens top
There was an early scare for Queens when Livingston broke almost from the kick off and Longridge found himself with time and space inside penalty area, but he scuffed his shot and the ball trundled gently through to Leighfield. Queens recovered well from that early chance for the visitors and came within inches of going ahead when Stephen Dobbie smashed a shot against the post with the `keeper well beaten, and although the rebound came back to Dobbie, he couldn`t keep his next attempt on target. At the other end a quick break from Livi almost saw them prosper, but Robinson headed Lithgow`s inviting cross well wide.
With much at stake, the game became very bitty and fragmented, and for a period both teams were happy to just get the ball as far from goal as was possible. A lung bursting and determined run from Shaun Rooney opened up the visiting defence, and he was only stopped by a late challenge that provided Queens with the chance to push bodies forward for the free-kick, but sadly the delivery was not great and Livi defended the set-piece well.
The game was woken from it`s temporary slumber when Queens went very close to taking the lead following good play on the left by Todd who after beating his man, delivered a cross that looked just right for Dobbie to touch in at the far post, however defender Lithgow recovered well to block the shot away. The opening goal however arrived just minutes later when Queens made the breakthrough. Dobbie held the ball up superbly well and rolled it back into the path of Joe Thomson, and the midfielder carried his good form of Tuesday night into this game when he drove an unstoppable drive into the bottom corner. The celebrations had hardly stopped when just 90 seconds later Queens extended their advantage when a fine flowing move involving Todd, Dobbie, and Thomas saw the ball guided home by Lyndon Dykes who found the net for the first time since he scored against Falkirk back in October.
Thomas blasts home the opener
First goal celebrations
Dykes puts the ball past Alexander
Dykes celebrates his strike
Within 2 minutes Queens had seized control of the game, and from almost nowhere had placed themselves in a very decent position, but a 2 goal, advantage can be a difficult lead to deal with, and the visitors almost grabbed a goal back instantly, but a close range header from Longridge was superbly saved by Jack Leighfield who twisted in mid-air to palm the ball over the bar.
The warnings were there for Queens who inexplicably stopped playing, and the visitors needed no extra encouragement as they slowly started to work their way back into the game, and De Vita rattled the bar on 37 minutes although the flag was raised for offside. The same player was soon involved in the action again, and this time his effort counted. Livingston were awarded a free-kick just outside the box following a clumsy challenge from behind by Rooney, and although the defensive wall looked to have been well set, De Vita was able to curl the ball around the wall past Leighfield and into the far corner to bring his team right back into contention.
HALF-TIME QUEENS 2-1 LIVINGSTON
The boost of a goal just before the interval certainly sparked more positive intentions into the away side and they began the second period on the front foot pushing Queens back. They won a couple of early corners both of which saw Queens struggling to really deal with either situation effectively, and it came as no real surprise to see them draw level just 8 minutes into the half. The only real surprise was just how easy it was for Livingston to score. A long throw into the box from Lithgow picked out the head of Halkett who jumped unopposed to head the ball powerfully past Leighfield. It wasn`t as if this ploy was new to Queens, as it had been used with effect many times during the previous 50 or so minutes, but on this occasion - best known to themselves - the Queens defence stood back and watched as Livingston carried out a set-piece routine with relative ease.
For the second game running, Queens had thrown away the cushion of a two goal lead, and although they huffed and puffed, and tried to work their way back into the game nothing was going their way as promising attacks very often ended before they had started, as the away side looked the more likely team to win the game at that stage. An ambitious attempt from a free-kick from wide on the left saw Dobbie go close for Queens, but that apart, Alexander in the visiting goal wasn`t really ever called into the action in a second half during which most of the attacking play was taking place in the Queens defensive third of the pitch.
The visitors made a significant change when Hardie replaced Robinson on 56 minutes and less than 4 minutes later, Halkett`s run from defence saw him spray the ball out to Miller whose cross picked out the substitute who headed home past Leighfield. The comeback was complete as for the first time in the game, Livi were in front and for the second time at Palmerston this season, they had scored three times. Queens set about chasing an equaliser and a decent chance presented itself when a foul on Dobbie produced a free-kick, but from a central position Dobbie`s strike crashed against the wall. Before the free-kick was taken Shaun Rooney was yellow carded following some sort of off the ball incident in the area, which was I have to say,somewhat over reacted upon by Halkett. Hardie again went close after being put through by Keaghan Jacobs, but Leighfield had his angles correct and got down well to save.
The game momentarily threatened to boil over after Lyndon Dykes appeared to aim an elbow in the direction of defender Gallagher, the Queens player may have been fortunate that the card produced by referee McLean was only yellow, Gallagher and a few of his Livi team-mates were more than convinced that the card should have been red. That was however to be Dykes` last involvement in the game as both he and Josh Todd were replaced by Derek Lyle, and Danny Carmichael with just over 18 minutes to play.
With 10 minutes to go Livi thought that they had sealed the win but DeVita`s fierce drive only found the side netting, and then moments later Queens made their third and final change which would also prove to be a significant one. On-loan Hearts man, Nikolay Todorov replaced Dom Thomas as Queens moved to three up front for the closing minutes.
Play switched to the other end and it seemed as though this time Livi had finished the game off when Longridge slipped the ball across to Hardie who had a simple task of placing the ball into an open goal, but the flag had been raised for offside, and Queens had been reprieved. That let-off for Queens proved to be invaluable as in a twist of fate, reserved only for football,Nikoly Todorov who had spent some time on loan at Livingston, was in the right place at the right time to smash the ball home from close range following a fine reaction save by Alexander. Even then the drama wasn`t over as almost with the last kick of the game, a long free-kick was pumped into the Livi box and when it was cleared and fell to Dobbie, the striker did well to get a shot away despite being quickly charged down, but he couldn`t find the desired accuracy and his shot flew past the outside of the near post.
Todorov sends the ball goalward in the last minute
Goal for Todorov
Todorov celebrates his late, late equaliser
So the game ended level and both teams will feel as though they could, and should have won the game, but with games running out, from a Queens perspective it will feel like 2 points dropped as another home game failed to yield maximum points.