Manager Wullie Gibson made three changes to the side that started the cup tie against Morton last weekend. Rico Quitongo was suspended for the trip to the league leaders while Calvin McGrory dropped to the bench and Euan East missed out through injury. With them missing, Stephen Hendrie returned from suspension and there were starts for Dave McKay and Lee Connelly.

The hosts had the better of the opening ten minutes. Their first attempt at goal came when Christopher Mochrie did well on the wing and as the ball was knocked on for Craig Wighton he headed wide.

Kane Ritchie-Hosler then played a neat one -two with Mochrie but as he got the ball back inside the box, Queens defenders crowded him out and he couldn’t get the shot away.

As Queens settled into the game, they started to play some decent passing football, but just lacked the finishing touch in the final third. Iain Wilson did win a free kick forty yards from goal, that Lewis Gibson floated over the top for Paul McKay, but the centre back couldn’t connect.

With quarter of an hour gone, Gibson delivered from the right, Gavin Reilly got on the end of it, but his header was wide of the target. Then mid-way through the first half, Josh Todd tried twice from distance but was wide of the upright on both occasions.

Queens were on top, but The Pars always looked a threat with Wighton up front and as he made his way through the middle, Max Currie rushed out of his box to clear. It as the home side who had the next chance too, this time Aaron Comrie played it in from the right for Mochrie, but he headed past the post.

The table toppers started to come back into it as half time approached and ten minutes before the break, Joe Chalmers used his strength to race through the middle, Wighton couldn’t quiet latch on to his pass as Hendrie stuck to him, he did manage to have an attempt at goal, but Currie did well to block at the near post.

Chalmers then found Josh Edwards out on the left and as the defender crossed first time into the box, Comrie was off with his header.

In the closing stages, they forced a string of corners, but Queens defended well. And as Reilly broke, Paton and Connelly also made the run, but they couldn’t make it count.

They did however, with 20 seconds of the 45 left, as Connelly slipped the perfect placed ball across to Paton who had time and space to stay calm, hold his composure to turn a right foot show low past Deniz Mehmet to give Queens the lead to round off an excellent first half performance.

HALF TIME: Dunfermline 0 Queens 1

Five minutes into the second half, the goal-scorer set up a chance for Hendrie but his low strike from the edge of the box was just wide.

AS Queens won a corner, Gibson played the ball in and at as the ball scrambled around the penalty spot, several players had shots blocked as the home side desperately defended.

As they pushed forward, Wighton got the better of Dave McKay for pace as they both chased the ball, but Currie came out well to clear at the corner of the box. Then as Wilson gave away a free kick 20 yards from goal, the keeper got down well at his right-hand post to push away Chalmers set piece.

The keeper was in fine form and made a double save from Breen. However, as the home side piled on the pressure, Currie could do nothing as substitute Nikolay Todorov rose to head home a cross from the right to pull Dunfermline level.

Queens weren’t done and Harry Cochrane who had just come on to replace Connelly caused a problem for the home defenders, but they managed to keep it out and then four minutes later, Mehmet tipped Wilson’s shot over the bar.

The keeper saved his side again as he did enough to get a touch on Connor Murray’s effort before Paton turned to shoot, only for his shot to take a deflection out for a corner. At the other end Wighton again header over.

Queens were determined and moved forward well, Murray and Paton linked up well before Cochrane went close with his effort. On the ninety minutes, Mehmet came out to clear from Todd before Todorov had a chance to win it for the home side in added on time but fired wide. But deep in stoppage time Queens had a chance of their own to take the three points, when Ciaran McKenna did well to win the ball out wide, Paton got on the end of his cross, but Mehmet saved his header.

Dunfermline remain unbeaten at home this season in the league, but they were made to work hard for it as Queens turned in an excellent spirited performance.

FULL TIME: Dunfermline 1 Queens 1