It was back on the road this weekend and a trip to Dumbarton. With Brennan Dickenson, Pharrell Willis and Kai Kennedy all picking up hamstring injuries in last week?s draw with Alloa, manager Peter Murphy made three changes to the side with Kieran McKechnie, Josh Walker and Kyle Doherty all getting starts.

Queens won a corner in the opening minute of the game, but Harry Cochrane?s delivery landed on the roof of the net. Ten minutes later, Jack Brydon used his long throw to find Mikey Hewitt, he got a head on it to flick it on, but the ball was turned out before McKechnie could attack it from inside the six-yard box.

Goalmouth action was limited at both ends of the park and although Queens had forced a few corners they never troubled the home side.

Former Queens player, Craig McGuffie did make space for himself before hitting a low shot wide of the post. And ten minutes before the break James Hilton played the ball in for another former Queens man, Michael Ruth but under pressure from Brydon he could only fire the ball across the face of goal.

At the other end, Brydon again found Hewitt with a throw-in but this time, another former Palmerston defender, Mark Durnan was on hand to head clear.

As the clock ticked down towards half time, Queens survived a real scare when Reece Lyon?s pass back was hurtling towards an empty net, but Ross Stewart got back just in time to clear the ball off the line.

The home side made a strong end to the first half and Hilton fired one over, before Durnan cleared the cross bar with his header after he got on the end of McGuffie?s corner. And on the stroke of half time, McGuffie himself headed straight into the arms of Stewart.

HALF TIME: Dumbarton 0 Queens 0

Five minutes after the restart, Queens were let off the hook again when Hilton hit a shot from 25-yards that had Stewart beaten but it rattled off the underside of the crossbar and landed back into the arms of the keeper.

After winning a free kick on the left, Queens couldn?t beat Brett Long as Walker instead delivered straight into his hands.

As the home side won a set-piece of their own, Cameron Clark?s ball into the box was spilled by Stewart but the Queens number one collected at the second attempt as Hilton closed in.

The visitors were living dangerously and as Jack Hannah missed the first time, he recovered in time to clear from Hilton. And just after the hour mark, with Dumbarton still putting Queens under pressure, the ball was played over the top, but Ruth was offside.

As Queens got more of a foot hold, Cochrane hit a shot from distance, but McKechnie was in the way and as the home side broke, Cochrane had to charge back to deny a perfect cross into the box that gave Hannah a chance to knock the ball away.

Midway through the half, Lyon fired a low shot from 30-yards towards the target but Long got down to save. Walker then hit a powerful free kick that Brydon got on the end of, but his header was well wide.

And with 72 minutes on the clock, Kalvin Oris? cross wasn?t dealt with properly and as it fell to Ruth, the striker fired the ball into the net past Stewart.

Yet another former Queens player, Joel Mumbongo was introduced off the bench and within three minutes hit a decent effort, but his scissor kick was just wide of the upright.

Dumbarton had a lead that they probably deserved but Queens did get a lifeline when they pulled themselves back level with seven minutes of the game remaining. Winning a free kick, Doherty placed the ball and hit it sweetly past Long.

Back in the game and looking like they?d head down the road with a point, Queens put bodies on the line, Hannah, and Walker both making great blocks.

But they came unstuck deep into added on time when Doherty caught Ruth as he went to clear and referee, Steve Kirkland pointed to the spot. Substitute, Tony Wallace stepped up to take the penalty and duly sent Stewart the wrong way as he secured the points with the last kick of the game.

FULL TIME: Dumbarton 2 Queens 1