LAST ACTION HERO BOYCE SPARES HEARTS’ BLUSHES
ROBBIE NEILSON can console himself with the knowledge that a setback at Palmerston Park is not fatal to a runaway title success.
His Dundee United team were thrashed 4-0 here last year and still raced home with plenty to spare.
Here, they needed a last-minute spot kick from Liam Boyce to cancel out Ayo Obileye’s first-half penalty to increase their title lead to 13 points.
The futile pursuit of Hearts at the top of the Championship was wiped out for the weekend by Storm Darcy.
Dundee’s trip to Dunfermline and Raith Rovers hosting Ayr United today were postponed even before Neilson’s men set off for Dumfries.
The Hearts boss had claimed last week that his team were regular Friday TV picks because the BBC were after a shock.
They were certainly given one after a well-organised home outfit contained the possession dominance of Hearts in the first period and struck to take the lead before the interval.
It took Hearts half an hour to trouble Palmertson goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson despite having plenty of the ball.
Gary Mackay-Steven played in Jamie Walker but Ferguson got down well at his near post to force a corner.
Rhys Breen and Gregor Buchanan were uncompromising at the heart of defence in keeping the dangerous Boyce at bay.
Queens had been unbeaten in five before losing 2-1 at Alloa and avoiding defeat was clearly the ambition. But they were dreaming of more thanks to a smash and grab.
After Mackay-Steven was bustled off the ball, a superb speedy dash saw Isaiah Jones latch on to sub Calvin McGrory’s ball.
He cleverly stuck out his left foot to connect with Stephen Kingsley and the clip of heels teased a penalty from referee Colin Steven.
Obileye kept his cool to send Craig Gordon the wrong way and net his fifth Championship goal of the season.
The speed of Queens on the counter attack caused real problems for Hearts, with Jones and Dapo Mebude terrorising on the break.
And Allan Johnston’s defence were superbly organised in containing the visitors, restricting them to long-range efforts in the second period.
That was until Steven Naismith arrived on the scene as a sub and exchanged passes with Boyce.
Breen fouled Boyce as the Northern Irishman wriggled himself clear on Ferguson and gave the striker the chance to net his tenth league goal of the campaign.
He didn’t pass that up and scored from the spot for the second week running.