When it rains, it pours?
No wins in 318 days for the Doonhamers are quickly forgotten as Queens picked up their second win on the trot at home to Alloa Athletic.
A sublime header from Gregor Buchanan followed by a sensational free-kick by Joe McKee handed Queens their first league win of the campaign while a solid defensive performance meant the backline kept their first clean-sheet in the Championship.
After an 11-day break from Queens` win at Hampden Park, Allan Johnston opted to make just two changes, with the experience of Wullie Gibson and Stephen Dobbie coming in at the expense of Nortei Nortey and Euan East. Queens continued in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Dobbie leading the line ahead of Niyah Joseph who was deployed slightly deeper, while Jack Leighfield retained his place in goals despite the return of Rohan Ferguson to the matchday squad.
The game was slow burner, to say the least. Neither side was able to create much as the game was very much being played in the middle third for the opening 20 minutes.
The first talking point was a painful one, a nasty clash of heads between James Maxwell and Andy Graham as the former looked to head past Neil Parry in the box. A break in play resulted in the Queens man getting what looked like stitches below his right eye, while Alloa stalwart Graham returned to the fray with some sort of headgear on.
Vaseline for Maxwell and bandages for Graham
While Maxwell was off the pitch the Wasps were able to exploit the extra space left behind by the Rangers-loanee, although Robert Thomson was only able to direct his shot straight at Leighfield.
At the other end Buchanan almost got on the end of a delightful Dobbie ball through in the Queens area however Parry narrowly beat the Queens man to the ball.
After 20 minutes of nothing the game sparked to life, with the hosts grabbing the opening goal on 39 minutes.
Dobbie picked up the ball on the edge of the area before playing an exceptional no-look pass through to Gibson. The experienced full-back cut onto his left foot, before delivering a ball into Gregor Buchanan, who headed perfectly into the top corner of Parry`s net.
Buchanan heads home
Buchanan celebrates
Buchanan`s first goal for the club was a brilliant one, although it wasn`t even the best goal of the day.
The visitors grew into the game after the goal but were unable to test Leighfield, despite seeing plenty of possession.
HT: Queens 1-0 Alloa
A first-half that could have really went either way. Neither team played particularly well, while neither were poor either. Nonetheless, it was the hosts who took the lead and it didn`t take long for them to double it.
Queens were awarded a free-kick just two minutes into the second period with Dobbie and McKee both lining it up. It was Joe McKee who struck it, and strike it he did, finding the top corner of the net, leaving Parry absolutely helpless in the Alloa goal. It was the best goal scored by a Queens player at Palmerston in a long time, an effort deserving of the three points in itself.
McKee scores a perfect free kick
Goal celebrations
The hosts continued to assert their dominance on the game and had a series of chance throughout the second-half the add to their lead.
Dobbie tested Parry with an effort from range, before firing a venomous shot whiskers wide of the top corner. At 83 minutes though, after firing an effort from a tight angle wide, the captain hobbled of the pitch with what looked like a groin injury.
Dobbie off with what looked like a toe issue
East replaced Dobbie for the remaining few minutes, although wasn`t able to have an impact on the game.
Maxwell almost bagged a goal in his third consecutive game for the Doonhamers, however his low-driven effort was narrowly wide of the Alloa goal.
A late Aidan Fitzpatrick effort wasn`t enough to trouble Neil Parry, before John Beaton finally blew the final whistle.
FT: Queens 2-0 Alloa
A first win at Palmerston since December last year and a first win against Alloa since November 2016. An excellent showing from the entire side, while the Wasps were admittedly under-par.
It`s another weekend with no football next week as the Betfred Cup takes centre stage, before Inverness Caledonian Thistle visit Palmerston on Friday 4th December, that game being shown live on BBC Scotland.
Finlay Jack