There was a game of football at Palmerston today. A crucial one in fact, for Queens following the midweek loss at Kelty and one we ultimately won by a score of 2-0, but that wasn`t the main thing today. The big message today was the launch of our special new `Blackout` kit to raise awareness of depression and other mental health issues.

It is the first time in recent history that Queen of the South have deliberately taken the field at Palmerston with no blue in the kit. The new kit has been around 9 months in the planning specifically for this week of World Mental Health Day and was cleared with the SPFL six months ago. It`s black. Not just mostly black (we`ve had one like that before), but totally black. The shirt is black, the shorts are black, the socks are black. The sponsors have all been blacked out (they are slightly shaded and can be read if you are close enough). The club badge has been blacked out. The names and numbers on the back were in black, though had a white outline to comply with SPFL regulations that they must be readable for the referee. There`s no other trim. Excepting the Cinch patch on the sleeve, which cannot be blacked out, the only thing instantly visible on the kit is a white QR code that, if scanned, will take the user to an online resource for help if they are struggling.

Queen of the South is a community. We don`t agree on everything. We`re all football fans, it`s likely some of us don`t agree on ANYTHING! But we`re all Queens fans, and we are #InItTogether

It`s ok not to be ok. If you are struggling with life, talk to someone. Ask for help. Join the upcoming `Social South` group. We`re here for you.

All that said, there was a football match. Queens made three changes to the side that lost at Kelty with Lee Connelly and Harry Cochrane dropping to the bench, replaced by connor Murray and Calvin McGrory. The other change was in goal where Scott Fox was ill and was replaced by Max Currie, whilst Charlie Cowie was emergency recalled from loan at Gartcairn for 7 days to cover on the bench.

It was far from the most entertaining of first halves. Queens were on top without generally causing our former loan goalkeeper Tom Ritchie a great deal of worry in the visiting goal but took the lead on 21 minutes when Euan East nodded a corner into the net from close range.

The weather took a turn for the worse in the second half with lashing rain and howling wind in keeping with the depression motif for the day. The Doonhamers though began to carry more of a threat, particularly after the introduction of Cochrane and Michael Ruth on the hour mark. Josh Todd burst into the box in the left side channel and was well picked out by Gavin Reilly`s pass to make it 2-0 soon after the subs. Another double change followed with ten minutes to go when Lewis Gibson and Lee Connelly replaced Reilly and Josh Todd, the latter having pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury just before that. Before the end of the game, Harry Cochrane foiled a late attempt to pull one back from Peterhead by hooking off the line at the back post whilst Max Currie`s sharp reaction to race from his line just about prevented a short Iain Wilson backpass letting them in again.

Three fairly comfortable points in the end though and we`re still 7th, 5 points outside the playoffs. Next week we are off to Clyde to try to narrow that gap.

#InItTogether