After a long journey to Inverness last week, it was back on the road again with a trip to face league one leaders, Stenhousemuir. Following his red card at the Caledonian Stadium, Jack Brydon was suspended and with Jack Hannah ill, Brennan Dickenson moved back into defence for the trip to Ochilview. Josh Walker dropped to the bench as Taylor Charters and Liam Smith started for the first time in Queens colours in a midfield five.
The home fans thought their side had opened the scoring after five minutes when Kelsey Ewen crossed the ball in from the right and Blair Alston hit the side netting with his header. But from there it was Queens who pushed and as they won a corner, Charters played it into the area, but it was too close to Darren Jamieson, and he collected easily.
Against the run of play, the hosts did take the lead when Queens made a mistake that Alston took advantage of to lob the ball over the top of Ross Stewart into the net with twelve minutes on the clock.
Two minutes later, Queens were handed a chance to get back on level terms when Jordan Allan was bundled in the box, but the striker got up to take the penalty himself and slipped as he hit it and skied the ball.
Queens picked themselves up to go again and as Gregor Buchanan was booked for taking out Adam Brooks from behind, Charters delivered the free kick into the box for Reece Lyon to nod back across to Brooks, but he couldnt connect at the back post.
It was all attack from the visitors and Dickenson tried a shot from 35-yards, but the keeper got down to save his left foot effort. Minutes later, Brooks tried from distance, this time ten yards closer and stung the hands of Jamieson.
Midway through the half, another free kick by Charters opened up a chance for Lyon but he headed over.
And despite having most of the play, Queens found themselves further behind when Scott McGill s shot was parried by Stewart into the path of Corey ODonnell, who headed the ball into the net.
With half an hour gone, Smith played the ball to Harry Cochrane just inside the 18-yard line, he managed to shoot but Jamieson stopped with his feet. It was one of those days for Queens and that was highlighted when Matty Douglas got on the end of a corner but could only watch as his header crashed back off the underside of the bar and out to safety.
As they looked to get back into the game, Oscar MacIntyre did well before playing the ball across goal, but Kinlay Bilham cleared.
In a rare attack from Stenny, ODonnell up against MacIntyre got the ball across but the danger was cleared as Dickenson hooked the ball away.
And with the final chance of the first half, a minute before the break, Bilham was against on hand to get enough on Brooks effort from six yards to steer it out for a corner.
HALF TIME: Stenhousemuir 2 Queens 0
Queens had dominated the first half but trailed by two goals, Manager Peter Murphy brought on Benjamin Luissint for Allan at the interval and made positional changes in an attempt to get something on the road.
Three minutes in, Queens won another corner, but Charters delivery was into the arms of Jamieson. Gary Naysmiths side were more in it this half but werent causing too many problems and it was Queens who looked like scoring when Mikey Hewitts throw in found Brooks inside the box, but the keeper pulled off yet another save.
With twenty minutes remaining, it was hearts in the mouth time for Queens fans when ODonnell broke, and Stewart charged out of his box to almost the halfway line to make a challenge. It couldve gone horribly wrong, but the keeper came out on top.
Queens desperately looked for a goal and Smith did well on the wing to play the ball in to Dickenson at the edge of the box, where he controlled it and turned but fired well over.
Smith had been outstanding all afternoon and had a chance when he was through the middle, but his shot ended up over the bar.
The goal did come when Jamieson made an uncharacteristic error and gave away an indirect free kick that Dickenson curled into the net via the post to pull one back, but it was in the 90th minute and all too late.
FULL TIME: Stenhousemuir 2 Queens 1