It’s all to play for

Queen of the South 1-1 Stenhousemuir It was an encouraging start for the Doonhamers at Palmerston with Queens creating their first opening inside a minute when Mikey Hewitt’s cross found Matty Douglas but the defender’s header from 18 yards cleared the target.

The pressure continued as a deep corner found Jack Hannah at the back post. His cushioned header back across goal was hooked over the bar by Douglas.

Queens looked sharp on the break when Liam Smith danced through the pack to set up Kai Kennedy with a stinging effort from the edge of the box spilled behind by Darren Jamieson.

From the resulting corner – one of five early set pieces for the hosts –Brennan Dickenson’s blocked shot fell to Hewitt and his powerful follow-up forced a smart save from the Stenhousemuir keeper.

The major talking point of the first half followed shortly after. A deep Hewitt delivery found Zander Mackenzie, who fired over just as he appeared to be caught by a defender.

Despite loud penalty shouts from the home support, referee Lloyd Wilson waved away the protests.

Kennedy almost forced an opener with a long-range free-kick that Jamieson initially spilled, though the keeper recovered just before Hewitt could pounce.

However, despite Queens’ dominance, it was Stenhousemuir who broke the deadlock on 43 minutes.

Ex-Palmy defender Gregor Buchanan mis-hit a shot which took a massive deflection in a crowded box to wrong-foot Ross Stewart and nestle in the net, leaving the hosts trailing at the break.

Queens’ frustration continued immediately after the interval, with manager Peter Murphy forced into a change as Jack Stott replaced Dickenson, who had suffered a head knock.

And Stott almost made an instant impact, forcing a superb diving save from Jamieson with a fierce strike from the edge of the box, before Hannah headed a Smith cross just over the bar.

As the half progressed, the hosts grew increasingly desperate for an equaliser. Clark saw a shot blocked and later had a close-range header denied by the inspired Jamieson.

At the other end, Queens keeper Stewart had to be alert to palm away a goal-bound Ross Taylor free-kick to keep his side in the hunt.

In a frantic final ten minutes, Kennedy’s delivery found Clark just seven yards out but the striker somehow dragged his shot wide of the target.

The Warriors nearly punished that miss in injury time when Taylor embarked on a gut-busting run, only to fire wide with the goal at his mercy.

Just as it seemed as if Stenny would leave the advantage, Queens finally found the breakthrough at the death.

A pinpoint cross from Smith found Reece Lyon who drilled a clinical finish into the bottom corner to rescue a well-deserved point in the dying seconds.