With Inverness Caledonian Thistle the visitors to Palmerston it was a vital game in terms of our play-off hopes. Manager, Peter Murphy stuck with the same starting eleven from last weeks visit to Dumbarton.
Queens showed their intention early on when four minutes in Kai Kennedy played the ball into the box for Adam Brooks, the striker tried to back heel it towards the target but the visiting defense cleared. Three minutes later, Liam Smith showed some great footwork out on the wing, he managed to get the ball along the byline but again it was knocked away.
The early chances fell to Queens but the Caley Jags hit back and Ben Brannan hit a low powerful shot across goal. As the game flowed from end to end, Smith caused problems as he burst into the box but he was crowded out before he could cross. And at the other end Alfie Stewarts left foot shot from 30-yards that was just wide of the upright.
The two sides were evenly matched but it was the Highland side who opened the scoring midway through the half when they took a very quick free kick and Stewart knocked the ball past his namesake in the Queens goal.
Queens looked to hit back and as Smith was taken out at the edge of the box by Danny Devine, the wall did its job and blocked Kennedys set-piece. They did pull level five minutes later when some good play involving Smith and Kennedy finished with Reece Lyon crossing into the box where Jack Hannah rose high to head the ball over Musa Dibaga into the net for his first professional goal.
On the half hour mark, Taylor Charters shot from outside the box was rising all the way.
Eight minutes before the break Benji Luissint lost the ball and Billy McKay delivered to the unmarked Keith Bray at the back-post, he forced the ball into the net but the flag was up for offside. Sixty seconds later James Nolan hit a shot from distance but Ross Stewart got down to save. Queens broke up field and Harry Cochranes first shot was blocked with his second one landed just the wrong side of the post.
HALF TIME: Queens 1 Inverness CT 1
As the second half got underway Jordan Allan played the ball to Kennedy as he tried to take it into the box it was cleared for a corner. Kennedy then combined with Taylor Charters and as he played the ball across the box, Cochrane fired towards the target but it curled away at the last minute.
Just before the hour mark, Queens took the lead when Lyons header forward was headed on by Brooks into the path of Allan, he homed in on goal and from just inside the box he fired the ball into the bottom corner for a very composed finish.
With their noses in front, Kennedy played a lovely ball forward to Charters, he connected well with a left foot shot but the keeper blocked.
Midway through the second half, Queens extended their advantage with a goal of beauty. Hannah broke up an Inverness attack and as he cleared, Cochrane took the ball down the wing before picking out Brooks. The forward laid it off to Kennedy on the wing and as he played it back to Brooks, he linked up with Cochrane who knocked it back into Brooks who worked his way into the box to open up space and from a tight angle fired the ball into the top corner.
Queens were bossing the second half and as a free-kick was played to the back post, Luissint missed and Devine almost turned it into his own net. Allan then tried to lift the ball over but captain, Devine cleared.
The home side rounded off the scoring a minute from time when Allan knocked the ball down to substitute Lewis ODonnell who slipped it through to Brooks who in turn swept the ball past Dibaga for his second and Queens fourth of the afternoon.
The win and results elsewhere moved Queens into the top four with five games remaining.
FULL TIME: Queens 4 Inverness CT 1