Montrose made a number of changes to the starting eleven with a much younger side. In fact, there were only two senior ones in Steeves and Webster. Aidan Quinn had a slight injury so was rested so the Mo played with a back three with Williamson, Steeves and Bertie. Up top were Loudon and Sutherland with Webster, Stevenson, Brown, Gibson and Clark tidying up various positions in midfield. On the bench were Gill, Masson, Sandilands, Lyons, Freeman, Dillon and Glasgow, so a much changed side with a view to next season in mind.

Crowd was 1,413 with not many Mo fans but referee Abbie Hendry got the game started on a warm, sunny day with not a lot of wind. In the very first minute Queens had to make a substitution as Stott was injured and replaced by Luissint. That was unfortunate as Queens needed players for the play-off games and Montrose were in a comfortable mid-table position. The Mo in fact more or less dominated the first half with their younger players playing well and they had two corners which came to nothing then Williamson had a shot blocked on 10 minutes. It was fully 14 minutes before Queens had a significant attack but were caught offside anyway. On 15 minutes a cross from the left almost found Loudon but keeper Sneddon pushed it to safety. A corner to Queens came to nothing and from the breakaway the Mo were caught offside.

The first goal came on 27 minutes as a through ball from Gus Stevenson saw Ewan Loudon run clear down the centre and he rounded keeper Sneddon before walking it into the net to make it 1-0. All to play for now for Queens but it was further Montrose pressure which almost paid off as a Gibson cross saw Webster head just wide at the far post. Leading up to the break Gibson was yellow carded for a foul.

Second half saw two changes for Queens as Rogerson and Allan were replaced by Douglas and Ross. It was more Montrose pressure as Sutherland hit a shot over the top when in a good position. Play then changed as Queens started to exert pressure, but Montrose were up for it as both sides had shots blocked until the Mo made their first change on 55 minutes when Sandilands came on for Clark.

On 58 minutes the Mo created the second goal as Gibson found Taylor Sutherland who shot high into the net from 20 yards to make it 2-0. Queens were now exerting more pressure, but keeper Sharp dealt with what came his way until on 65 minutes Queens made it 2-1. A free-kick wide right bobbled around in the 6-yard box until Brennan Dickenson got the last touch to it. Another change for Montrose had Lyons coming on to replace Gibson on 65 minutes then another change on 72 minutes had Masson, Freeman and Glasgow on to replace Stevenson, Brown and Sutherland. Those changes saw Queens exert more pressure and the made it 2-2 on 76 minutes as a left-wing cross saw Benji Luissint hit a superb shot high into the net from 25 yards out.

Two more yellow cards, one for each side then on 84 minutes Masson almost scored with a shot past keeper Sneddon, but it ended just wide of the post. Queens subbed Charters for Mason. The last few minutes plus stoppage time saw not a lot happen as both teams settled for a draw and indeed that was the result.

A very decent performance by a young Montrose side and it will give management some hope to re-arrange the squad for next week and indeed next season.

Report by Steve Doyle