A break from the league this weekend as we faced Partick Thistle in the third round of the SPFL Trust Trophy. It was a much-changed side from the one that started against Montrose last week, with six changes to the team. Alex Ferguson and Oscar MacIntyre are both cup tied while Paul McKay, Josh Todd, Harvey Walker and Kieran McKechnie drop to the bench. Jordan Houston, Harry Cochrane, Lee Connelly, Craig McGuffie, Efe Ambrose and Lewis Gibson take their places.
It was the home side who had the first real chance on goal when Tomi Adeloye played it wide to Steven Lawless on the right, but his shot was saved. However, almost straight away Queens took the lead when Craig McGuffie caught it on the volley well out from goal and fired it past Jamie Sneddon.
The lead was short lived though as Ben Stanway was brought down at the edge of the box and Lawless fired the spot kick past Harry Stone to level just three minutes after Queens had taken the lead.
Thistle stepped it up and as Houston slipped, Adeloye was in, but Stone saved.
Midway through the first half, Connelly tried a shot from 35-yards, but Sneddon got a hand to it to turn it out for a corner. A minute later he had to pick the ball out the net when McGuffie turned provider and crossed from the right to Gavin Reilly who was waiting unmarked at the back post to head home Queens second of the afternoon.
As Queens looked to extend the advantage, Reegan Mimnaughs free kick was headed well over the bar by Ambrose.
Lawless was proving a real danger and as he got the better of Kyle McClelland, he managed to get the ball into the box, but Ambrose was on hand to clear. Lawless took the corner that Scott Robinson got on the end of, but he headed wide.
Cochrane made the break for Queens and as he played it to Connelly, he picked out Reilly in the middle, but the Thistle defender made a timely challenge to end the threat. Queens were then denied what looked a very strong claim for a penalty when Cammy Logan was pushed inside the box, but ref Euan Anderson waved play on.
Jack McMillan was then booked for tripping Gibbo, but Mimnaugh was off target with the free kick. Gibson then found Connelly with a cross ball, but the flag was up for offside.
As the clock ticked down to the interval, Stanway hit a left foot shot towards goal before he hit the post with a curling left foot effort from the edge of the box. As Thistle continued to push for an equaliser, Queens defenders continued to block.
HALF TIME: Partick Thistle 1 Queens 2
Within minutes of the restart, Thistle did pull level. Stanway who had looked a threat the whole game picked up a loose ball to beat Stone. Two minutes later, he was in again but this time his right foot shot was wide of the post.
Queens were good on the break and Gibson tested Sneddon with a right foot effort from 18 yards, the keepers palms would be stinging from the shot, but he kept it out.
The visitors then survived a Thistle onslaught. Harry Milne hit the ball across goal and from the corner Adeloye headed the ball off the inside of the post. It hit Stone on the rebound but some how Queens managed to keep it from crossing the line. Thistle were on top and with Queens defending with all they had, Gibson almost found his own net with a clearance.
On the hour mark, Thistle did have the ball in the net, but Robinson had controlled the ball with his hand before finishing after Stone had blocked the initial shot from Lawless.
Although the home side had the bulk of the play, Queens were far from out of it and Connellys free kick was too far for Houston to catch.
In the final fifteen minutes of normal time, substitute Jake Hutchinson headed the ball into the path of Connelly who in turn found Walker, but his shot was blocked and as Thistle broke Stone made a save to deny Kerr McInroy.
As expected, the home side pushed looking for a winner and former Queens winger Aidan Fitzpatrick who had come off the bench for Thistle won a corner as the visitors struggled to get the ball away from their box. It came to nothing and as Houston cut the ball back for Walker his shot was again blocked.
With minutes remaining, Josh Todd replaced Cochrane and with his first touch of the ball he played it to the back post for Ambrose who headed past Sneddon to restore Queens lead.
Thistle tried to salvage it and looked to at least take the game to penalties, but Stone saved from Fitzpatrick and deep into added on time, it was Queens who looked more likely to score when Kieran McKechnie forced Sneddon to block.
After 8 minutes of additional time, Queens were through to Thursdays fourth round draw.
FULL TIME: Partick Thistle 2 Queens 3