Returning boss Allan Johnston will be more than delighted with today`s performance as his first home game since taking over from Gary Naysmith saw Queens overturn their midweek loss at Links Park to set up a two legged play-off final against
Raith Rovers with the winners claiming a place in the Championship.
They completely overwhelmed their visitors in a dominant first half, and the game was all but over with more than half of the tie left as Queens led by Stephen Dobbie, scored 5 times without reply to leave Montrose and their band of travelling fans stunned.
The day was enjoyed even more by the Queens fans as they were able to witness Stephen Dobbie breaking the clubs record for scoring the most goals in a season, claiming his 6th hat-trick of the campaign so far, and moving past 150 goals for the club, all of which is a truly remarkable achievement .
With the threat of relegation hanging over them following a poor end to the season, and defeat in the 1st leg in midweek, Queens were boosted by the news that Stephen Dobbie would be in from the start, and along with the inclusion of goalscorer at Montrose, Connor Murray, they were the only two changes made by Allan Johnston with both Fraser Aird, and Callum Fordyce dropping to the bench.
With nothing other than a win required it was an attacking line-up from the manager, and after a nervy opening few minutes, Queens were quickly into their stride and after just 11 minutes the tie was all square. The initial move that led to the goal began when Stephen Dobbie swept the ball into the path of Lyndon Dykes, breaking clear on the right, continued with his run, and after getting on the end of Dykes` well weighted return pass, showed excellent composure to firstly control the ball and then prod it past the Montrose `keeper.
Dobbie opens the scoring
After recent performances the early goal was just what Queens required and the confidence began to flow through the team, and Dobbie tried his luck from wide on the right after latching onto a loose ball, and although his effort across goal beat Montrose `keeper Fleming, it also beat the target and bounced wide of the far post.
The visitors response came from a set-piece opportunity, but Rennie`s shot was comfortably parried to safety by the dive of Alan Martin, and as Montrose continued to have a good spell of possession during which time they knocked the ball around too good effect, the Queens shot stopper had to be alert and came quickly off his line to narrow the angle, and block and then gather a close range shot from Masson.
Those two chances in quick succession might have given the away side something of a boost, but that was to be shattered moments later as, for the first time in the tie, Queens took the lead. A quickly taken free-kick inside their own half allowed Queens to catch the visitors out and when the ball broke nicely for Lyndon Dykes, he used the bounce of the ball to good effect and simply lobbed the ball over the stranded Montrose `keeper.
Dykes lobs the keeper
Queens were well on top at this point and every attack they made looked likely to end with a goal, and just 4 minutes later they increased their lead.
There have been so many disappointing displays from Queens this year, but today it really did seem as though a sprinkling of `magic dust ` had been scattered on the Palmerston pitch and goal number 3 was real quality, and it also turned out to be a record breaker. Stephen Dobbie took possession of the ball and with defenders all around him he drove forward and after feigning to shoot, turned past three defenders and drilled his shot past Fleming to break the all time Queens record for most goals in a season, and also moving on to a career total of 150 goals whilst wearing Queens colours.
Record breaker Stephen Dobbie
With three-quarters of the ground up on their feet in celebration, and chants of `one Stephen Dobbie ` ringing around Palmerston, the feel good factor had returned, and the situation got even better for Queens when on 32 minutes they scored again. Montrose struggled to get the ball clear from a corner and after a clearance hit Darren Brownlie, beat the `keeper and then bounced back off the bar,Mikey Doyle was on hand to sweep the loose ball home.
Doyle celebrates his superb strike
Five minutes before the break, and Queens made it five when Murray picked out Stephen Dobbie who then lifted the ball over the head of Dillon before smashing a stunning strike past a bewildered Fleming, who to be honest had nothing else to do in the half except pick the ball out of his net on 5 occasions!!!
Dobbie nets his third
Dobbie celebrates
This performance was like `night and day ` compared to last weekend, and quite rightly, Queens, and particularly Dobbie, received a well deserved standing ovation at the break.
HALF-TIME QUEENS 5-0 MONTROSE
It would be hard to imagine that the second period could in anyway match the events of the opening forty-five minutes, and with Queens comfortable, Montrose tiring and the result settled, the second period was barely watchable.
Queens continued to dominate and went close on several occasions through Dobbie, and on two occasions - both from free-kicks - from Murray, but they were unable to add to their lead.
The biggest cheer of the half was given to Stephen Dobbie when he was replaced by Ian McGrath after 54minutes, and with two very important games looming fast, he was wrapped up in vast amounts of cotton wool and sent straight to bed to rest !!
Barry Maguire and Andy Stirling came on for both Kyle Jacobs and Lyndon Dykes - who produced a really impressive all round display and was heavily involved in much of Queens attacking play - as a professional second half performance from Queens saw them comfortably move into the two-legged final.
It was a fine effort from Montrose to reach the end of season play-offs, and after arriving in Dumfries with a lead they might have fancied their chances of progressing, but today Queens got their act together and quite simply blew them away and in reality, the tie was over once Queens had scored, but they deserve huge credit for their efforts this season, efforts that were acknowledged by generous applause from many of the Queens support at the end of the game.
So at long last, Queens have finally kept a clean sheet and will go into Wednesday`s first leg in Kirkcaldy in good spirits and hopefully they can do enough over the two games to maintain their Championship status for another season.