After being unavailable to play against his parent club Hamilton last week, Joel Mumbongo returned up front with Kyle Doherty dropping to the bench. Kyle McClelland who was stretchered off at New Douglas Park wasnt as bad as first feared and recovered to keep his place at the back.
It was Queens who had the first attempt on goal when Alex Ferguson on the left-hand side of the six-yard box crashed a shot off the post after three minutes.
Six minutes later as Kieran McKechnie made his way forward, he was pushed but the free kick was strangely given the other way. Referee Alistair Grieve then appeared to miss a hand ball in front of him and allowed Craig Johnston to go on and have the shot but the striker fired wide.
The visitors did take the lead after fourteen minutes when Lewis Moore was allowed the space to curl a right foot shot into the top corner past Harry Stone.
As Queens looked to hit back, Alex Ferguson and Josh Todd linked up to set up Mumbongo. He got in behind the defence but couldnt connect properly.
Midway through the first half, Johnston won a soft free kick just outside the box, Moore took it and just cleared the crossbar with his effort.
In windy conditions it wasnt easy and players found it difficult to control the ball at times. The only other real chance of the opening forty-five came two minutes before the break when the ball fell to Moore at the edge of the eighteen-yard area but with a decent opportunity to find the bottom corner, he dragged it wide.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 Kelty Hearts 1
In a bid to use the wind to their advantage in the second half, Doherty replaced Ferguson at the interval to give more options upfront.
And two minutes after the restart Harry Cochrane shot from distance, as Kyle Gourlay parried the shot, Lee Connelly pounced to fire the rebound into the bottom corner but the assistant on the far side raised his flag for offside.
Moore looked lively for the visitors and just before the hour mark, Stone made a timely block with his feet to deny him a second.
Five minutes later Queens were back level. McKechnie hit a swerving shot that was well saved by the keeper and turned out for a corner. As the ball was floated in, it dropped to Todd just outside the box, as he caught it on the volley it flew through a ruck of players, took a bounce and possibly even a deflection before crossing the line.
However, the joy didnt last long as not for the first time this season, the hosts conceded within two minutes of getting themselves back in the game. Moore cut inside from the left beating Cammy Logan and Lewis Gibson before the ball hits off Todd. Moore manages to get a hold of it again and took it past Cochrane, before forcing a corner when Stone made a strong save. As the ball came back into the danger area, Stone appears to be fouled and drops the ball, but his defenders fail to clear, and Johnston manages to poke it low under the keepers body.
Queens went on to have a claim for handball inside the box turned down and Craig McGuffie hit one from distance off target.
In the final minutes of normal time, substitutes McGuffie and Gavin Reilly were both close to securing a point, but the formers effort was pushed onto the underside of the bar and back out with the later not able to get on the end of the ball with a diving header.
And deep into added on time, Gibsons corner was cleared as McGuffie tried to turn it in at the near post.
FULL TIME: Queens 1 Kelty Hearts 2