With a good win over Edinburgh last week Manager Wullie Gibson stuck with a similar line-up for the trip to Alloa with only one change, Dave McKay coming in for Ciaran McKenna. The team made a positive start and within 80 seconds Ruari Paton tested Wille Muir. The striker collected a good pass from Rico Quitongo and as he drove forward the keeper did well to save Paton`s shot. Queens didn`t let Alloa settle and within seconds of the first attempt, the keeper had to pick the ball out of the net. As they attacked again, the ball was well delivered into the box from the right by Lewis Gibson and Gavin Reilly was at the near post to head the ball into the net for the opener with just two minutes on the clock.
Two minutes later they could have extended the lead with an almost identical move. Gibson made the same cross into the box, but this time Reilly headed wide. And with just five minutes played Queens had a penalty claim when Gibson went down at the corner of the box after linking up well with Paul McKay, but referee Greg Aitken waved play on. In control of the game, Queens looked good going forward, they did have to defend when Luke Donnelly`s shot was deflected for a corner by Quitongo, but Paul McKay was on the line at the post to clear as Conor Sammon poached.
Midway through the first half Reilly made his way towards the box but was easily challenged by Kevin Cawley who put the ball out for a corner. Queens continued to push forward, and, in another move, Gibson played a great ball along the by-line but there wasn?t a team-mate on hand to finish the move. Connor Murray was next to test Muir, as he made a run from just inside the halfway line, he skipped the challenge and made his way to a central position to hit a left foot shot towards goal only for the keeper to save. It was all Queens and with three minutes of the first half to play, Murray played the ball out wide to Reilly, his first-time delivery into the box was met by Paton but his header was turned wide for another corner.
Queens had been playing some good passing football and were by far the better side but only had a single goal to show for their efforts and ended up going in at the break level as the home side equalised almost on the stroke of half time. A corner was floated into the box and as a poor clearance fell straight to Ross MacIver, he lifted the ball right footed into the net.
HALF TIME: Alloa 1 Queens 1
Into the second half and Queens were still on top, Murray worked himself into space, but his shot was again deflected. Stephen Hendrie then played the ball into the box, Dave McKay had a shot, it wasn`t the best effort and was easily cleared.
Then on the hour mark, the game took a turn with the home side scoring three goals in the space of five minutes to put the game out of sight. The first came as a simple free kick was played into the box and after failure to clear at two attempts, Hendrie did block but the ball spun to Daniel Church who drilled the ball low for it to nestle in the bottom corner to give Alloa the lead. Four minutes later George Stanger made it three, another set-piece into the box was played diagonally across and with a free header Stanger headed past Currie. And just a minute later, substitute Kieran Offord had plenty of space and time to run onto the ball to smash a right foot shot low past Queens number one.
After dominating for much of the game, Queens were punished for poor defending and a miserable half hour was rounded off six minutes from time as Adam King`s diving header made it five for the home side and Queens were reduced to ten men with defender Hendrie shown a straight red card in the aftermath of the goal.
FULL TIME: Alloa 5 Queens 1