Queens put in a fighting performance at Gayfield but could only come away with a point courtesy of Innes Cameron?s first goal for the club.

 

A minute of respect from the players and fans

 

Allan Johnston named an unchanged side to the one that drew with Raith Rovers, continuing in the 4-1-4-1 shape that should have got Queens three points.

 

 

The hosts were also unchanged from their last gasp draw at Hamilton last Saturday, with the dangerous Joel Nouble leading the line, while the leagues top scorer Michael McKenna was playing off the Livingston loanee.

 

The game ebbed and flowed in the opening stages with the home side seeing more of the ball and chances.

 

The Queens defence was more than a match though, limiting the Red Lichties to speculative efforts from range that didn?t trouble Sol Brynn.

 

Brynn makes an important stop

 

It really took until 27 minutes for Arbroath to manufacture a clear cut chance. Anton Dowds got his head on the ball from a cross by Scott Stewart, but from just a few yards out, looped his header over the bar.

 

Stewart then lashed an effort across goal from just inside the area, before Cameron passed up Queens? best chance of the half, putting his left footed effort wide of Derek Gaston?s goal.

 

Harrison Clark became the referee?s first caution of the game on 36 minutes for a high challenge on Cameron.

 

 

A quiet first half as the short report suggests, although either side did create one or two chances, Brynn and Gaston were left as nothing more than spectators.

 

The second period burst into life on 54 minutes though when Lee Connelly got on the end of a Max Johnston cross but could only send his volley wide of the goal.

 

From there on in the game resembled more of a basketball game than a football one, such was the end-to-end nature of it.

 

A minute after Connelly put his effort wide, Queens took the lead through the ?Big Yin?, Innes Cameron.

 

Cameron heads the goal

Cameron turns to celebrate his headed goal

 

Johnston delivered quite simply the perfect cross into the area, evading the salmon-like leap of Ricky Little, allowing the Kilmarnock loanee to head home from eight or so yards.

 

It was a goal that Queens probably deserved on the balance of play in the second half after Arbroath simply could not get themselves going. The goals did act as a wake up call though and the hosts began playing straight after.

 

Luke Donnelly picked up the ball on the edge of the area, curling an effort that was destined towards to bottom corner, but Brynn was on hand to deny the big striker with a simply sensational save.

 

The ?keeper was there seconds later to deny Anton Dowds this time, after the Falkirk-loanee couldn?t find the net with a close range header.

 

The pressure began to mount on Queens though with Nouble curing an effort whiskers wide of the post, before the hosts got the equaliser that their play probably deserved.

 

It was a scrappy goal to concede from a Queens point of view as Nouble bullied the Queens defence and didn?t allow them to clear their lines, before the ball fell nicely to Michael McKenna to net his 11^th league goal of the season, firing powerfully past the helpless Brynn.

 

Arbroath equalise

 

The vocal support from either ends were treated to an absolute spectacle of two teams going head-to-head in search of an equaliser after this.

 

The hosts were certainly seeing more of the ball and territory but it was Queens who were looking more dangerous on the break with the pace of Ally Roy and Josh Todd introduced from the bench.

 

Both sides created a myriad of half-chances, before each passing up glorious opportunities to grab what would have been the winning goal.

 

Firstly it was Queens who fluffed their lines after Roy put in Cameron on the edge of the area, with only Gaston to beat. However, Cameron couldn?t direct his effort on target from just inside the area.

 

Arbroath?s chance was arguably a bigger miss though after Donnelly found space in the box, cut inside Paul McKay, and fires over the bar from only six yards out.

 

Both teams continued to give it their all in search for a winner, but it wasn?t to be.

 

 

It could well have been 4-4 had the finishing been better but a point apiece is probably a fair result on a whole, edging Queens closer to sixth placed Ayr United.

 

Next up it?s Friday night football at Palmerston as we welcome Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Dumfries in search of our first win of the month.