Match Report
Thistle's pre-match preparation for this game was disrupted by the late withdrawal of Bryan Hodge with suspected conjunctivitis. David Rowson, expected to be rested for this fixture, was drafted in his place. Elsewhere there were starts for Patrick Boyle, Stephen McKeown, Liam Buchanan and Simon Donnelly as Ian McCall shuffled his personnel if not the system.
They was an early scare for Thistle inside the first minute of the game when Jonny Tuffey was unable to gather a cross but when the ball broke loose play was halted for a free kick.
Whether Thistle late change to the team unsettled things is not clear but there was a degree of defensive uncertainty in the opening exchanges of this game. In the 5th minute a poor Alan Archibald clearance gave Derek Holmes an opportunity although Jonny Tuffey was well placed to save. A minute Thistle Queens again nearly profited from some poor Thistle defending but this time Paul Burns could only hit the side netting.
Tuffey was called into action again in the 10th minute when Holmes tested him with a low shot from the edge of the box but Tuffey was again able to save with a degree of comfort.
Thistle gradually began to get into their stride although Liam Buchanan rather wasted a promising position when he put too much pace on a cross from the right hand side.
It was the signal for Thistle's best passage of play in the game up to this stage but despite winning a series of corners in fairly quick succession they weren't able to force Roy into making a save.
Indeed in the 25th minute Queen of the South were close to opening the scoring. Thistle's defensive uncertainty was again exposed when Paul Burns was able to steal in between two Thistle defenders but his header went the wrong side of the goal and the game remained ties at 0-0.
Thistle though took the lead on the half hour mark. Thistle won a free kick a few yards outside the Queens box. Paul Cairney and Simon Donnelly stood over the ball with the latter taking the free kick and beating Ludovic Roy all ends up to score his third goal of the season.
Queens were first to threaten at the start of the second half and Barry Wilson saw his shot take a touch off a Thistle defender on its way past with Tuffey doing well to punch the corner clear under pressure at his near post.
Thistle though began to put the Queens defence under some sustained pressure. Liam Buchanan did well to push a Boyle cross into the path of Simon Donnelly who saw his shot blocked by a Queens defender and in the 54th minute a great Corcoran cross just needed a touch from a friendly foot to produce a second Thistle goal.
In the 62nd minute Thistle made their first change with Jim Hamilton coming on for Liam Buchanan.
Before Hamilton had a chance to make an impact Queens were level. Scorer of the winning goal on Saturday was able to latch onto a cross from the right and from six yards lifted the ball into the net.
In the 65th minute Thistle were close to re-establishing their lead. A fierce David Rowson shot from fully 30 yards out looked to be touched over the bar by Roy but there was no Thistle corner.
With 15 minutes of the game remaining Thistle made a second change with Chris Erskine coming on in place of Mark Corcoran.
With extra-time seven minutes away Thistle made a further change with Martyn Corrigan coming on for Stephen McKeown.
A goal at this point would surely be a winner and Thistle twice got into good positions in the Queens box. Roy did well to grab hold of a Rowson cross at his near post before a Chris Erskine cut back found no Thistle player moving towards the near post.
The four official has just signalled two minutes of injury time when Queens scored a contentious winning goal. There was no flag for offside when the ball was played through to Weatherston who when left with just Tuffey to beat made no m istake.
