After Wullie Gibson’s departure in midweek, Grant Murray took charge of the side for this Friday night league one match. He made one change to the side that started against Kelty Hearts, there was no Gavin Reilly who was replaced by Calvin McGrory. There was to be another change but Connor Murray who was dropped to the bench found himself restored to the starting eleven after Lee Connelly pulled out in the warm-up.

It was pretty much all Falkirk in the opening quarter of the game with the home side on the attack and Queens finding it hard to get out of their own box. Paul McKay, Stephen Hendrie and Ciaran McKenna all making clearances.

They eventually broke through the defence after sixteen minutes when Dave McKay missed a clearance as the ball came in from the right and Juan Alegria was standing unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box to hook the ball past Max Currie to open the scoring.

A minute later Queens had their first real attack, Ruari Paton and Josh Todd linking up, but the captain couldn’t get the final ball into the box. As the hosts broke Alegria played a back-heel pass into the path of Kia Kennedy, as he played the ball across, Hendrie sliced his clearance but managed to get it away for a corner.

The game turned on its head midway through the first half, as Queens scored twice in the space of a minute. The first came as Paton was brought down at the edge of the box by Brad McKay. The striker got up to take free kick himself and hit a sweet right foot effort into the top corner to pull Queens level. From the restart Iain Wilson had them ahead with a powerful low drive into the bottom corner from 30 yards.

Boosted by the goals, Queens were enjoying a good spell and as Paton nicked the ball following a mistake by Stephen McGinn, he played the ball to Todd on his left, but his shot was blocked.

A minute before the break, Paton was inches away from extending the lead, another free kick in caused a scramble in the box and as it dropped to Paton, the frontman’s snapshot flew wide of the upright.

Queens were then hit with a sucker punch right on half time as a mistake just inside their own half, allowed Kennedy to get the ball across for Callum Morrison on the right, he was in behind Hendrie to hit a decent right foot shot across Currie into the net.

HALF TIME: Falkirk 2 Queens 2

In the early stages of the second half, it was the home side who looked dangerous. Currie spilled the ball, but Hendrie cleared for a corner. As the ball came back in it was headed over and Hendrie again had to make a clearance from McKay. Under presser from McKay, Currie again fumbled as he went to catch the ball, this time referee Dan McFarlane blew for foul in his favour.

Falkirk were forcing a string of corners, but Queens were keeping them out and as they made their first real attack after the break, Wilson dipped the ball over the defence for Todd, but his header was saved by PJ Morrison.

As the freezing rain fell, Morrison warmed up the home fans with a good run forward, he picked out Alegria at the far post, but Dave McKay put him under enough pressure to make sure he couldn’t get a proper shot on target, and he fired the ball high and wide.

Morrison continued to cause problems as he was given too much space on the right and it was his ball into the box that got The Bairns back in front. Delivering the ball to the front post for substitute Rumarn Burrell who knocked the ball home from close range.

As Queens tried to rescue it Wilson and Paton both tried to find a way through, but the home defence cleared and as Falkirk made their way up the field, Currie blocked from Burrell but as Kennedy floated in the corner, Liam Henderson rose to head home a fourth.

And with five minutes remaining, Morrison who had been a constant threat waltzed his way into the box to slide the ball under Currie to make it five.

FULL TIME: Falkirk 5 Queens 2