Queens completed their pre-season friendly programme with a closed door game at St Johnstone at lunchtime today. The hosts ran out 5-1 winners in the end, mainly thanks to Chris Kane scoring a hat trick in the final five minutes just after coming on as a sub.

The hosts grabbed an early lead when a cross from the left was deflected into the air and fell perfectly for John Sutton to climb at the back post and head across goal, leaving a tap in open goal for one of his colleagues. Queens came close to an equaliser when Dale Hilson's header from 12 yards struck a post and stayed out but just before the break the home side made it 2-0 when Sutton seized on a long punt forward to run in behind the back line, round Robbie Thomson and place his shot beyond Hooper and Higgins who had both got back to the goal line.

Queens started the second half brightly and pulled a goal back just before the hour mark when Iain Russell was fouled in the penalty area and picked himself up to fire past Alan Mannus in the home goal from the penalty spot. There then followed a flurry of changes for both sides with James Fowler taking the chance to look at a number of trialists as well as 2 or 3 members of the u20 squad. We had made 10 changes to the starting side by the time Chris Kane made his headline grabbing late contribution.

A worthwhile exercise though which was closely competitive for the majority of the game and gave the manager a chance to look at one or two more options before the real stuff starts next weekend. A reminder that we start competitive action with a 1st round Petrofac Training Cup tie at home to Stranraer next Saturday.