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Rory McAllister was the last-gasp goal hero as we fought back from the brink of defeat to secure a replay with The Doonhamers down in Dumfries a week on Tuesday.

Veteran striker McAllister’s injury-time screamer, to make it 2-2, was the very least we deserved from a Scottish Cup tie that we had dominated throughout.

It was also controversial one – both Queen of the South goals were hotly disputed, and the visitors were even reduced to 10-men in the latter stages when Roberto Nditi was deservedly shown a red card for a shocking tackle on McAllister.

There was even a first-ever goal for Cove Rangers from Iain Vigurs to savour – and what a screamer it was – in an action packed afternoon that did more than enough to take the minds of the 408 fans inside Balmoral Stadium off the chilly conditions.

The tie might have been in danger of not taking place at all were it not for the efforts of manager Paul Hartley and his back room team, who were out two hours before the scheduled 3pm kick-off shuffling a covering of snow off the pitch.

They were rewarded with an excellent team performance, even though the howling gale sweeping down Balmoral Stadium made it harder to play our usual passing football.

Prior to the game, there was a minute’s applause in tribute to former Cove Rangers vice-chairman Gordon Hutcheon, who has sadly passed away.

There was no sign of the wind problem in the 15th minute, when we pinged first time passes about like they were going out of fashion in a swift move that ended with Mitch Megginson seeing his net-bound 10-yard shot deflected behind for a corner by Nditi.

We forced our first corner in the 25th minute, which was taken on the right by Fraser Fyvie.

Jevan Anderson seemed to be impeded as he went to get the midfielder’s cross, but referee Scott Lambie waved away our penalty appeals.

While all of that was going on, the ball broke back to Fyvie and his shot, from just inside the area, was saved by Queen’s keeper Solomon Brynn – who went on to have an astonishing 90 minutes.

We were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position in the 28th minute, when Harry Milne was tripped as he broke down the left.

Fyvie took it, but his powerful shot went over the crossbar.

Queen of the South stunned everyone by taking the lead, just after the half-hour, in extremely controversial fashion.

Ruben SOARES JNR met a cross from the right and his 12-yard header was kept out by an excellent save from Stuart McKenzie, who dived full-length to touch the ball on to the inside of his right post.

McKenzie then recovered quickly and appeared to grab the ball before it crossed the line, but he was left dismayed when far-side ref’s assistant Gordon McCabe signalled it had sneaked it.

Referee Lambie had no choice but to go with his assistant, but it certainly looked as if no goal should have been given.

We responded in the best manner possible – by equalising within a minute.

Another foul on Milne led to us being awarded a free-kick a yard outside the Queen of the South area, wide on the left.

VIGURS took it and claimed his first goal for a club with a free-kick that almost ripped out the net after speeding past the diving Brynn.

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During the Scottish Cup game between Cove Rangers FC and Queen of the South FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday 27th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

Brynn was at his best to stop us going ahead in the 35th minute.

Milne played a clever one-two with Megginson as he broke into the Queen of the South area and keeper Brynn did well to push the left-back’s 15-yard shot over the crossbar.

Morgyn Neill was the hero at the other end in the 41st minute, when he got back just in the nick of time to knock Max Johnston’s dangerous cross from the right behind for a corner.

The half ended with Fyvie sending a corner over from the right to Vigurs.

His shot at goal was blocked and when the rebound fell into the path of Leighton McIntosh, he was unlucky to see his shot creep wide.

Fyvie went close two minutes after the restart, when he collected a pass from Megginson then hit an 18-yard shot just wide of Brynn’s right post.

Within a minute, Fyvie had another go, from a tight angle on the right, but that one went off target as well.

We broke forward again in the 63rd minute and Fyvie was again unfortunate with a clever shot from 12-yards, on the turn, that went wide.

Queen of the South soaked up the pressure and stunned us by going ahead again, in the 71st minute.

Again, it was a goal steeped in controversy.

Queen of the South’s Alex Cooper was waiting to take a corner from the right when they opted to bring Ruari Paton on for Ally Roy.

Cooper’s corner was then cleared, and we were actually breaking up the park until referee Lambie halted play and ordered a retake, because he had spotted nearside assistant Steven Traynor wasn’t back in position after dealing with the substitution.

When Cooper fed the ball over this time substitute PATON was unmarked at the back post to make it 2-1 with his first touch of the ball.

Vigurs was cautioned for complaining about the decision to allow the corner to be retaken before play resumed.

Once again, the sense of injustice seemed to fire-up our lads and as they mounted waves of attacks on the Queen of the South goal from then on.

We had another penalty shout ignored in the 74th minute, when substitute McAllister seemed to be fouled by Nditi as they competed for a Shay Logan cross.

Jamie Masson came on for the tiring Milne in the 77th minute and played a huge part in ensuring we ended the day still in the cup.

As did keeper home keeper McKenzie.

He made a brilliant save from a Connolly shot, after the forward had broken clear in the 81st minute.

Queen’s defender Nditi was given his marching orders a minute later for an outrageous challenge on McAllister just inside our half, as the striker threatened to break clear.

Megginson almost equalised in the 85th minute with a well struck 18-yard shot that beat Brynn but sneaked inches wide of the keeper’s right post.

Brynn also made two top drawer saves inside the final two minutes.

The first came when Masson latched on to a pass from Blair Yule and his shot from the edge of the area was going until Brynn pushed the ball wide.

The keeper’s next save was astonishing.

McAllister laid the ball back into the path of Masson and his curling 16-yard shot was heading for the top corner until Brynn threw himself to his left and clawed the ball wide for a corner.

Our lads refused to give it up though and were rewarded with a second equaliser, a minute into injury-time.

Masson was the creator, with a perfect pass through that McALLISTER blasted into the bottom corner from 16-yards for his 13th goal of the season to ensure we at least live to fight another day in the Scottish Cup.

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Rory McAllister scores his team’s second goal during the Scottish Cup game between Cove Rangers FC and Queen of the South FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday 27th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Milne (Masson 77), Scully, Ross, Yule, Megginson, McIntosh (McAllister 66), Anderson (Logan 66), Vigurs, Fyvie.

Subs: Adeyemo, Gourlay.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH: Brynn, Cooper, McKay, Cochrane, Roy (Paton 70), Connelly (Todd 81), McGrory, Nditi, Johnston, Gibson, Soares Jnr.

Subs: Rae, Joseph, McKechnie.

Referee: Scott Lambie.

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