Queen’s Park 1 Ayr United 1

The Queen’s line-up was missing Dom Thomas for the first time this season with the skipper not quite proving his fitness after a thigh strain with Niko Ujdur also missing from the line-up that defeated Greenock Morton last weekend.

Josh Hinds was handed his first start in pace of Thomas, with Will Tizzard slotted in at the back for Ujdur, and goalkeeper Calum Ferrie wore the captain’s armband against The Honest Men who had former QP player Liam Russell between the sticks.

The visitors kicked off with some early pressing from Roddy MacGregor almost creating an opening as he looked to take possession off Russell.

After MacGregor had just failed to pick out Zak Rudden with a wicked whipped in cross, Hinds, who started on the left, had an early shot that was deflected past for a corner

On three minutes Ayr threatened however Jack Turner tracked back for forty yards and mopped things up with a perfectly timed tackle.

Nine minutes later Tizzard remained calm as he cleared a cross from the on-loan Alfie Bavidge who had nipped ahead of his Aberdeen team-mate Ryan Duncan on the left.

Tizzard popped up in an advanced position with 16 minutes played after swapping passes with Duncan with the defender’s through ball to Rudden scooped up by the outrushing Russell.

Turner was penalised at the edge of the home box five minutes later with Ferrie glad to see Jay Henderson’s delivery go well wide of his goal.

Queen’s carved out an opening midway through the half when Duncan slipped Kerr down the right and his first time cross was just an inch to high for Hinds with Sean Welsh picking up the loose ball on the left and sending a shot over the bar.

With half an hour played Rudden picked up a loose ball and passed to MacGregor who returned the favour with Rudden then sending Duncan clear with a diagonal ball however he could not get the ball under control and the danger was over.

Ayr threatened from a corner with a header from Nick McAllister taking a couple of deflections before going behind for a corner that was headed away for a throw-in.

Eleven minutes from the break Russell was forced into a save when MacGregor side-footed an effort from 18 yards after clever build-up play from Hinds.

MacGregor took the resultant corner from the left and his back post delivery was perfect for KERR to nip and head home from close range.

Duncan was felled 30 yards out on 42 minutes and Tizzard got on the end of MacGregor’s free-kick however his header bounced wide and the defender’s wait for a first Queen’s goal remained in place.

Ayr took the ball up the park and Ben Dempsey brought out a fine stop from Ferrie who finger-tipped the 20-yard low effort wide with the shot-stopper also blocking George Stanger’s shot from the corner.

Half time – Queen’s Park 1 Ayr United 0

Ayr made two changes before the game restarted with Oakley winning a corner on 47 minutes when his shot took a nick off Tizzard as it went past.

Duncan showed finesse twice in the opening stages of the second half with a delightful pass to Hinds, that looked to have released the winger before he was pulled up for offside, and a flick that was destined to reach MacGregor until an Ayr man intervened.

On 56 minutes Tizzard did well to block a Dempsey effort at the edge of the box however the Ayr man was all smiles a minute later as Dylan Watret cut the ball back into his path and after taking a touch he blasted high into the net.
Queen’s looked to respond quickly, and Turner hit the side-netting with a low drive from 18 yards.

Ferrie raced from his goal to kick clear on 65 minutes and as Ayr kept pressure on the shot-stoppers’ goal substitute Roy Syla sent a shot against the underside of the bar with Ferrie getting the slightest of touches.

Six minutes later Rudden picked up a headed clearance 25 yards out from the Ayr goal and he let fly with a low right foot shot that just flashed past a post.

Kerr made a fine diving block at the expense of a corner shortly afterwards as the Somerset Park side looked to the ones to grab the next goal.

Dane Murray showed his worth as he won three challenges in a row to keep Ayr at bay whilst Queen’s looked to replace Tizzard who looked to have picked up a knock.

As the clock struck 90 minutes a scramble in the Queen’s box ended when Bavidge thumped an effort goalward with a touch from Henry Fieldson keeping it away from Ferrie’s goal.

Queen’s Park – Calum Ferrie, Cameron Kerr, Dane Murray, Will Tizzard (Henry Fieldson 87), Josh Scott (Magnus Mackenzie 75), Ryan Duncan (Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia 67), Sean Welsh, Jack Turner (Liam McLeish 87), Roddy MacGregor, Josh Hinds (Louis Longridge 67), Zak Rudden.
Unused substitutes – Jack Wills (G/k), Tyrece McDonnell, Michael Collie,

Ayr United – Liam Russell, Nicholas McAllister, Patrick Reading, Ben Dempsey, George Oakley (Mark McKenzie 75), George Stanger, Jake Hastie, (Roy Syla 46), Jay Henderson, Ryan Howley (Ethan Walker 46), Dylan Watret (Frankie Musonda 83), Alfie Bavidge (Jamie Hislop 90+2).
Unused substitutes – Jack McIntrye (G/k).

Referee – Iain Sneddon