With the celebrations of Saturday's dramatic cup win barely died down and thoughts around Dumfries already straying to a Hampden date in April Queens travelled for their furthest remaining away trip with a few selection issues. Already shorn of the services of Jim Thomson and Stevie Tosh due to suspension Gordon Chisholm was further without Paul Burns due to illness and had to re-shuffle accordingly. Back came Craig Reid as partner for Andy Aitken and to no great surprise John O'Neill stepped into midfield for Tosh. More surprising perhaps was the appearance of Scott Robertson in from the cold in relief of Burns for his first appearance since the defeat at Hamilton on January 2nd. Neil MacFarlane captained the side. St Johnstone were also forced into a couple of changes with Liam Craig suspended and Goran Stanic also out. In came Paul Sheerin and Rocco Quinn.
It was a low key opening period in a quiet stadium but St Johnstone should have opened the scoring in eight minutes as Milne sent MacDonald clear on goal but the striker delayed his shot too long and namesake Jamie in the Queens goal made the block. Andy Jackson should really have finished the rebound off but sent it wide from 12 yards. Five minutes later Craig Reid tripped Jackson 25 yards out and, from the resulting free kick, Rocco Quinn forced a diving save out of MacDonald.
It took 22 minutes for Queens to get a shot on goal which arrived when Dobbie collected a loose ball and jinked inside Anderson before forcing a block out of Main from 15 yards out. Five minutes later McCann broke up the right side and almost repeated his goalscoring act of Saturday but Main pulled off a decent save and, more importantly, smothered the loose ball before O'Connor could get to it. Seconds later Robertson sent big Sean away again but the striker's shot from the edge of the area was deflected wide.
On the half hour Craig Reid was the hero blocking a goalbound effort from Jackson by throwing himself at the ball in front of the line after the striker had latched onto Peter MacDonald's cutback. The rest of the half though was by and large eventless and seen out comfortably.
Derek McInnes made a change at the interval with Barry Wilson replacing Steven Anderson. Eight minutes into the half John Stewart replaced the toiling Sean O'Connor. Three minutes later a Paul Sheerin drive from about 30 yards out proved the first point of note of the half though MacDonald was always behind it. The opening goal however appeared out of absolutely nothing on 57 minutes. Stephen Dobbie picked up a loose ball 25 yards out and wide on the left, spotted Alan Main standing on his six yard line and curled the ball perfectly into the top right corner.
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