An entertaining game was served up by both teams in Dumfries for the live BBC Alba audience. Changes for Montrose meant Dillon, Gardyne and Callaghan replaced Criag, Brown and Machado with Watson unavailable on the day. It was a game Queens were determined to win to keep in the race for the play-offs and this is how it played out.

Referee was Calum Scott and he got it off to a slow start with Queens having possession but Montrose had the first attack although that was foiled with Hester being offside. Queens won a corner which was wasted even though it was a good delivery. Callaghan crossed next but keeper Botterill saved and that was the last we saw of Callaghan as he went off injured after 12 minutes and was replaced by Brown in midfield.

Fifteen minutes gone and the Mo were more in it now having soaked up early Queens pressure. Webster has a cross cut out then a shot blocked which resulted in a corner. That was hit long but returned to the middle and a Gardyne shot only found the keeper. Next corner was to Queens but nothing came of it but it was centred again and looked like a goal before it was hacked off the line and away with Gill beaten.

Not for long however as the first goal came along on 26 minutes when Lee Connelly used pace down the left, cut in and fired a hard shot into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to Queens. Connelly tried to double the lead minutes later but his shot went wide.

Up to the half-hour mark and Montrose had to turn play to advantage as another Queens goal would have made a huge difference. Hester had a run which ended as another corner but nothing else then Queens had another corner which ended in an injury to Dillon who fortunately recovered after treatment. The last few minutes of the half were all Montrose. An offside flag stopped one attack, a 30-yard free kick went wide then in stoppage time Montrose thought they had equalised. A scramble in the Queens box looked to be handled on the goal-line and although it might well have been ‘ball to hand’ rather than the other way around it looked like a certain penalty but all Montrose got was a corner before the half-time whistle went.

Second half and all to play for now by Montrose who made a change. Ali Shrive went off and was replaced in midfield by Matheus Machado which let Webster go into a more attacking role and that as well as the inspiration gained from the unfortunate decision just before half-time looked to have made a huge difference to the game. Montrose looked a much more menacing side now. Two corners came and went, Brown fired over the top as we reached the hour mark then the Mo pressure paid off. A free kick was awarded 20 yards out central and both Webster and Gardyne hovered over it but it was Michael Gardyne who hit a beauty right into the top right-hand corner to make it 1-1 on 60 minutes. 

The first yellow card was issued to Steeves who looked to have slightly pushed the ball away from a Queens free kick which when taken resulted in offside anyway. Changes were made by Queens on 67 minutes with McKechnie on for Logan and Mumbongo on surprisingly for Connelly who thus far was Queens best threat but who had been yellow carded earlier. As Queens tried to re-group it was Montrose who took full advantage as Lyons jinked into the area and was felled – a penalty for Montrose and Graham Webster did what he usually does and scored to make it 2-1 to the Mo on 71 minutes. Same thing again on 75 minutes as Lyons jinked in again and was felled so another clear penalty which Graham Webster scored from to make it 3-1 to the Mo.

Still around 20 minutes to go and Queens now had to get back into it. A change saw Doherty on for Cochrane and a 20 yarder went wide then a 25 yarder went well over the top. Montrose thought they had scored again but it was ruled out for offside. Ten to go and suddenly it was 3-2 as Queens scored a good goal from a wide run down the left which led to a tap in by Joel Mumbongo on 81 minutes.

Harry Craig relaced Lyons on 84 minutes. Gill saved another 30 yarder then a double change for Queens as McGuffie and Walker replaced Reilly and Kilsby on 86 minutes. Montrose took the ball to the other end of the pitch and also brought on Ross Campbell for Hester and Ben Hermiston on for Webster in stoppage time.

The final piece of action had a corner to Queens which was cleared and a 25-yard free kick which was hammered downfield by Montrose as the final whistle sounded for a 3-2 win for the Mo.

First half just about went to Queens but the tactical changes by Montrose certainly swayed the game very much in Montrose’s favour second half in a deserved win.

Report by Steve Doyle