Despite a 2-1 lead in the first half, it was the Tynecastle side who took all three points as Hearts ran out 4-3 winners in a seven goal thriller yesterday at Lochinch.
Friday’s weather took a turn for the better with heavy rain abating just before the kick off, leaving the players to content with a blustery breeze and the occasional shower.
Hearts kicked off and immediately made use of the wind to get their pacy wingers into action. In particular Hearts’ Stevenson and Robb were stretching the Queen’s defence with their fast and direct running.
After some early pressure the young Spiders began to get a foothold in the game. In the fifth minute the ball was played down the right side for Leo Clark to chase onto. Leo raced past a Hearts defender before cutting inside and hitting a low shot across the advancing keeper, into the far corner of the net.
The Tynecastle side had certainly done their homework on the Queen’s side. They pushed up high and closed down any space in an attempt to prevent the Spiders building up from the back. Twice in succession they were successful in overturning the ball only to see their efforts miss the target.
In the 22nd minute Hearts equalised. Stevenson broke down the right wing and delivered a superb ball into the Queen’s six-yard box for Callan Robb to knock into the net from five yards out.
Queen’s responded by attacking the Edinburgh side with Jamie Bradley going close with a shot from the edge of the box in the 29th minute.
Two minutes later Queen’s were caught out from a fast break from a corner with Hearts Burn hitting the post after a 30-yard break with the ball.
Three minutes from the interval Leo Fisher put Queen’s into the lead. A Queen’s corner on the right was delivered deep to the back post. The ball was knocked out to Leo who hit a low shot into the far corner from 16 yards out.
Half-time: Queen’s Park 2 Heart of Midlothian 1
Two minutes into the second half Hearts came close to an equaliser when Dow broke into the box, turned and shot only to see Queen’s keeper Rory Campbell pull off a fine save.
Hearts continued to press, and it paid off six minutes later when Robb scored from just outside the box.
It was 3-2 to Hearts in the 61st minute when a Queen’s defender headed into his own net in an attempt to clear the ball from a Hearts corner.
Both sided continued to battle for possession with the flow of the game being interrupted with multiple fouls for infringements.
Queen’s found it difficult to get going with too many passes going astray. Hearts continued to press and in the 83rd minute Robb was unlucky when a superb strike from 20 yards out came back off the upright.
One minute into injury time Hearts’ Callen Robb made it four for the Tynecastle side and number three for him when he rounded the Queen’s keeper to knock the ball into the net.
Deep into injury time Queen’s pulled a goal back when Alfie Lumsden slid the ball under the keeper from six yards out.
Full-time: Queen’s Park 3 Heart of Midlothian 4
Queen’s Park: Rory Campbell, Leo Clark, Leo Fisher, Trialist, Cole Burke, Daniel Mathieson, Nathan Lees, Sam McLachlan, Connor Falls, Jamie Bradley, Matthew Murray-Smith Subs: Sam Gibson, Trialist, Kyle Murray, Jaden Riddell, Jamie Shields, Alfie Lumsden, Finn Morrow.
Hearts: Tas, Burn, Radcliffe, Glasgow, Mulholland, Banks, S.Wilson, Stevenson, Robb, Dow, Hogarth. Subs: Lyon, Plesiewicz, Selfridge, Kelly , McGoldrick, Dickov