Our latest league fixture brought a bit of history to Palmerston as we faced Annan Athletic for the first time in a competitive league game. Although the two sides have played each other in friendlies and cup competition, this was the first time we have been in the same division, and it didnt disappoint.
With Kyle McLelland suspended Paul McKay returned to defence in one of two changes to the starting eleven, the other saw captain Josh Todd replace Reegan Mimnaugh in the midfield.
It was the visitors who started quickly, and Gordon Botterill got his first touch of the ball after four minutes when Dominic Docherty fired a free kick straight into his arms. However, he along with his defenders will want to forget what happened a minute later when they lost a terrible goal. They failed to deal with Finlay Cross-Adairs shot and in slow motion, the keeper watched as Efe Ambrose attempted clearance trickled over the line to give Annan the lead.
Queens stepped it up then and took control of the game but like last week against Edinburgh City they were finding it hard to make the pressure count. Good play from Cammy Logan and Daniel Church opened up a chance for Todd but instead of having the shot himself he played it in to Gavin Reilly only for the striker to fire wide.
Lee Connelly then won a free kick at the edge of the box, but he hit the set piece against the wall. Before Harvey Walker burst into the box and looked to be brought down but the referee Graham Grainger booked him for diving instead.
Midway through the half Kieran McKechnie fired well over and then he controlled it well inside the box to lay it back for Connelly in the centre of the area, but his right foot shot was too high.
Next Walker did well at the edge of the box to win a corner and as Connelly played it in Todd did well to get on it at the front post, but his header was well blocked.
Queens were creating the chances and as Logan crossed first time, Reilly was waiting but Wullie Gibson got their ahead of him to clear.
It was all the home side and as Reilly and Connelly played some good passing football the ball found its way to McKechnie at the edge of the box and as he fired towards goal, the ref awarded a penalty for handball. Reilly stepped up but failed to level as he fired the spot kick well over the bar.
It was another missed opportunity for Queens, but they kept going and Logan found Connelly with a well-placed ball down the right channel, he played an equally brilliant delivery across the face of goal, but their play wasnt matched, and no one got on the end of it.
In the final chance of the first half, Walkers left foot shot from 20-yards was low but just wide of the upright.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 Annan 1
In front of a healthy crowd of nearly 1900, Queens again continued to boss the game and early in the second half Connelly played the ball out to Walker and as he crossed, McKechnie slipped just at the wrong moment.
Reilly was then bundled over at the by-line, but the ref gave a corner when he could easily have given another penalty and as Connelly played it in, Ambrose headed towards goal, but Greg Fleming pulled off a great one handed save to stop it from finding the net before Paul McKays rebound effort came off the bar.
It was looking like it was going to be one of those days for Queens and they were almost punished when Aidan Smith won the ball and raced through, Botterill did well to come out to block from him but it is what happened next that kept Queens in the game. The number one somehow managed to get up from the initial block to throw himself across to stop it finding the net when the clearance spun to Josh Galloway who looked to have an easy finish before Botterills effort forced a corner.
On the hour mark, things eventually fell for Queens. Connelly played the ball over the top for Reilly who stayed onside but couldnt find the net as he shot against the keeper. However, as the ball was cleared Connelly let loose from at least 35-yards and as it thundered off the underside of the bar, it hit off Fleming and Wullie Gibson as they tried to keep it from crossing the line.
Being back level was the least that the home side deserved and within two minutes they were ahead. Another ball over, again found Reilly and this time he controlled it well before lifting it over the advancing Fleming into the net for a quality finish.
Queens continued to push and substitute Mimnaugh played in a free kick looking for Ambrose, but the flag was up against the defender for offside.
Their persistent pressure did pay off with nineteen minutes of normal time left when, McKechnie won the ball and keep it in down the right before crossing into the box, where Reilly controlled and held off the challenge to lay it into the path of Walker who swept it into the net for his first goal for the club.
McKechnie was just the wrong side of the post with a shot after Kyle Doherty set him up but in the closing stages, Queens were sitting deeper and getting pushed back more which allowed Annan to finish strong. Smith fired a left foot shot over the bar and Queens saw out a comfortable win in the first ever Queens v Annan league derby.
FULL TIME: Queens 3 Annan 1