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When the dust finally settled on this pulsating, goal-packed, encounter – that lived up to it’s billing as the cinch League One match-of-the-day – we were a bit disappointed to have to be content with a share of the spoils with The Spiders.

It was tough to take because we had actually delivered one of our best performances of the season, especially in the first 40 minutes, against our full-time opponents.

Unfortunately, Queen’s Park, who were reduced 10 men when Simon Murray was sent-off midway through the second period – refused to yield and deserve credit for the battling qualities that ensured they went back down the road with a point.

Manager Paul Hartley stuck with the same starting line-up that did so well against Clyde in the previous game and was rewarded when the players took the game at The Spiders straight from the off.

We were desperately unlucky not to go ahead in just three minutes, after some fine play from Shay Logan, on the right.

When the ball eventually came to Fin Robertson, he slipped past a defender then smacked in powerful shot that beat Queen’s keeper Willie Muir, but the ball was then booted clear by defender Stuart Morrison before it crossed the line.

The opener was only delayed for a minute though, and it was a cracker.

Fraser Fyvie, who was outstanding throughout, fed a perfect pass on to Mitch Megginson, who then shrugged off the attentions of a defender before rolling the ball back into the path of Rory McALLISTER.

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Our top scorer did the rest, picking his spot with a perfect 15-yard strike into the corner of the net.

Queen’s Park’s Michael Doyle was fortunate to escape with only a lecture from referee Graham Grainger for a late ninth minute challenge on Connor Scully, that left him with an injury that would eventually force the left-back to go off in the second half.

Logan’s runs down the right wing were causing havoc and he almost set up our second, in the 14th minute, with a brilliant curling cross that just evaded McAllister, at the edge of the six-yard box.

Scully had recovered enough to play a key part in our next assault on the Queen’s goal, in the 17th minute.

It began when Jamie Masson picked up the ball on the left and spotted Scully making a lung bursting run forward from half-way to accept his pass.

The defender then fed the ball low through to Megginson and his cheeky back-flick only just cleared the Queen’s crossbar.

The one-way traffic continued with Iain Vigurs picking out Morgyn Neill with a free-kick, from wide on the right, and the defender’s header also crept over the crossbar.

Fyvie split open the Queen’s defence with another top-drawer pass in the 26th minute that was picked up by McAllister, but his cut-back towards Megginson was booted clear by a defender.

It was highly impressive stuff, with Logan charging forward again two minutes later to cross for Masson to get in a six-yard header that was held by Muir.

Keeper Muir was the hero for Queen’s Park again in the 28th minute.

He did well to beat away an excellent shot from Masson, although Muir was fortunate to see the rebound strike Neill and speed wide of the target.

It took the visitors until the 30th minute to pose any sort of threat on our goal, from their first corner of the game.

Even that, which was taken by Luca Connell, was expertly dealt with, as McAllister met the ball at the back post and calmly nodded it back to keeper Stuart McKenzie.

Muir saved the visitors again in the 35th minute with a fine double stop.

The first was from McAllister’s header, off the latest of many great crosses by Logan, with the keeper recovering quickly to also stop Robertson scoring from the rebound.

Given how much we had been on top, it came as a bit of a shock when Queen’s Park equalised in the 40th minute, from their first proper attack of the game.

Connell took their second corner and when the ball broke to Robert McGHUGH inside the six-yard box he managed to somehow bundle it over the line, despite having his back to goal.

We were just inches away from regaining the lead within two minutes, when Masson’s curling free-kick – from wide on the left – evaded everyone … but then rebounded to safety off the inside of Muir’s left post.

The woodwork was far kinder to Queen’s Park when they sensationally took the lead in the final minute of the half.

It looked as if Scully had been fouled as the visitors broke forward on the right, but referee Grainger waved play on.

When the ball was eventually played over McHugh battered his shot against the woodwork, but the rebound fell kindly to Louis LONGRIDGE, who scored to ensure we went in at the interval feeling as if we had been mugged by our visitors.

We came back out with all guns blazing again, and went close to equalising in the 49th minute.

Ryan Strachan played a great pass forward to Megginson and he laid the ball off to McAllister, who saw his 16-yard shot creep wide of Muir’s right post.

Scully was finally forced to limp off in the 50th minute and was replaced by Harry Milne, who did his bit to keep the pressure on the visitors.

We went close again two minutes later, thanks to a move straight off the training ground.

The Queen’s Park penalty area was packed with players waiting for Masson to feed a free-kick in from the left, but he instead cleverly played it out to the unmarked Vigurs.

His powerful 18-yard shot was blocked by a defender, with Vigurs also hitting the rebound over the bar.

McKenzie prevented Queen’s Park from increasing their lead with an outstanding save, in the 63rd minute.

Connell fed the ball through to McHugh and his 16-yard shot was going in until McKenzie stretched and used his finger-tips to direct the ball over his crossbar.

Queen’s Park were reduced to 10-men in the 65th minute.

Murray, who was clearly annoyed not to have been awarded a foul seconds before, went in late on Milne and was shown a straight red card by referee Grainger.

We made the extra man count by drawing level in the 69th minute.

The move was started by Logan and led to Robertson’s excellent cross from the right, that was just asking for someone to get on the end of it.

Skipper MEGGINSON obliged by scoring with a brilliant diving header that gave Muir no chance.

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Strachan then strolled forward and tested Muir with a long-range drive as we went in search of a winner.

We looked to have found it in the 77th minute.

Blair Yule, who had only just replaced the injured Logan, sent an excellent cross over from the right that McAllister would have put away at the back post if Queen’s defender MORRISON hadn’t beaten him to the ball first and knocked it into his own net.

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The excitement was far from over however, because 10-man Queen’s Park equalised again with just seven minutes to go.

The ball broke to Lee Kilday at a corner and his shot, from a tight angle on the left, rebounded to safety off the face of our crossbar.

The ball came back into our area almost immediately, and this time DOYLE was able to send a looping header over a posse of players into the net.

We threw everything but the kitchen sink at Queen’s in the remaining minutes, but it was still all square when the final whistle blew on one of the most enthralling games ever seen at Balmoral Stadium.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Scully (Milne 50), Strachan, Megginson, Masson (McIntosh 81), McAllister, Vigurs, Robertson, Fyvie, Logan (Yule 75).

Subs: Ross, Adeyemo, Leitch, Gourlay.

QUEEN’S PARK: Muir, Robson, Kilday, Morrison, Longridge, McHugh (Davidson 88), Brown (Longstaff 81), Thomson, Murray, Doyle, Connell (Gillespie 81).

Subs: Ferrie, Moore, Fox, Smith.

Referee: Graham Grainger.

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