Stirling Albion were the visitors to Palmerston for our league one fixture, the first time the two sides have faced each other in competitive action in over a decade. Manager, Marvin Bartley made three changes to the team that started against Kelty Hearts last weekend, goalkeeper Harry Stone dropped to the bench along with Jordan Houston and Lewis Gibson. Gordon Botterill was recalled in goals with starts for Daniel Church and Harvey Walker.
It was the visitors who made a positive start and with less than a minute played they had the ball in the net, Robert Thomson beat Botterill, but he was in an offside position. Minutes later, the keeper got down well to save from Josh Cooper as he shot from the edge of the box.
Aaron Dunsmore picked up an early booking as he body checked Kieran McKechnie on his way to goal. From the resulting freekick, 20 yards out McKechnie fired just over the bar. Jake Hutchinson beat his marker but as he tried to slip the ball through for Walker the ball was cleared for a corner. McKechnie delivered into the box, but it eluded everyone.
Midway through the first half Ewan Wilson hit a shot through a ruck of players but Botterill got down low to touch it round the post.
On the half hour mark, Queens were denied what looked a stone wall penalty when Hutchinson was being dragged round by his shirt, but referee Peter Stuart played on and Walkers shot was blocked by Blair Currie.
The Binos were enjoying a lot of space and Wilson hit one over the bar before they attacked in numbers and Botterill had to save Lewis Milnes header.
In the closing stages of the first half, Walker hit a right foot shot from distance straight down the middle, making it easy for Currie to save. Darren Youngs side did have the ball in the net again through Greig Spence but again the flag was up for offside. And right on the stroke of half time, Walker, and Hutchinson both had shots cleared before Church won a corner.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 Stirling Albion 0
It was a fairly scrapy first half and things werent much different as the second half got underway. Efe Ambrose who came off the bench to replace the injured Kyle McClelland did have to clear from Spence before Alex Ferguson got on the end of McKechnies cross, but he skied the ball over the bar.
As Stirling broke up field Botterill came out to kick clear at the edge of the box. Wilson was way off target with an effort before Ambrose cleared from Dale Carrick as he got on the end of a ball in from Dunsmore.
Kyle Banner did well on the by-line when under pressure from Ferguson he managed to get a cross in for Carrick but the strikers header was off target.
Currie saved from Ambrose as he headed a McKechnie corner goalward. Before Jack Brydon made a great challenge inside the box to stop Spence.
Into the final quarter of the game, McKechnie aimed for the bottom corner with a low left foot shot but Currie saved and with 12 minutes remaining, Stirling took the lead. As a corner came in Jordan McGregors low shot took a deflection off Ambrose into the bottom corner.
With the advantage they looked for a second and Botterill made a great one handed save to push away a shot from Wilson.
Oscar MacIntyre who had just came on did well on the left to get the ball in to the six-yard box but neither Kyle Doherty nor Ferguson could connect.
It was better from Queens and as Gibson played in a corner, Currie saved from Josh Todd before Gibsons second corner was headed over by Doherty.
As they looked to grab a point, Doherty played in McKechnie he was stretching and fired over and in the final minutes Gibson played in another corner, McKechnie shot but it was blocked as was Todds rebounded effort.
FULL TIME: Queens 0 Stirling Albion 1