Jamie Masson scored one goal and set up another as Cove Rangers extended their lead at the top of League 2 to eight points.
A freak goal direct from a corner put Cove in front inside four minutes and Masson’s cross was turned into his own net by Jake Davidson before the break.
With Edinburgh City drawing with bottom-side Brechin City, the gap at the top is now eight points ahead of Cove’s trip to Stirling Albion tomorrow night.
Mitch Megginson, absent for the last two games with a calf issue, was recalled, while Ryan Strachan overcame a muscle spasm to be passed fit. Daniel Higgins was also in for the absent Blair Yule.
Cove have talked plenty about how the Balmoral Stadium pitch suits the way they want to play. Conditions suit them perfectly in the Granite City. Well, the conditions certainly played their part in the perfect start for the home side, with Masson’s left-wing corner carried by the wind untouched into the far corner, beyond keeper Willie Muir.
The wind was doing few favours for either side and damaging the game as a spectacle, with neither side making good use of possession. Cove were desperate to get January signing Broque Watson involved in the game, peeling away on the left-hand side against Josh Doig and encouraged to run at Queen’s back three.
However, Masson on the opposite side was providing more of a threat, linking well with left-back Harry Milne and Cove’s other forward players. One such instance, in a rare chance at goal, saw him bounce the ball off Rory McAllister before hitting a first-time effort, which drifted wide of goal.
Masson was central to the second goal before half-time, collecting Scott Ross’ pass, lifting the ball over a Queen’s defender and squaring across goal, where Davidson inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Megginson was handed a deeper role playing off McAllister and shone, with deft touches to keep moves flowing forward and playing with the goal in front of him rather than with his back to it. With wide players like Watson and Masson, who are happy to tuck in to more threatening positions, Cove still retained a goal threat even without Megginson charging on to crosses.
It took an hour for the visitors to seriously test Stuart McKenzie in the Cove goal, with Salim Kouider-Aissa trying his luck from 25 yards and McKenzie beating away.
Masson was to hit the bar again, while Ray McKinnon’s side had two half-hearted penalty appeals waved away, one for McKenzie on Joffrey Lidouren and another for Milne tangling with Kieran Moore.
Ultimately, Queen’s were unable to breach the Cove rearguard, as they extended their home winning run to 13 games.