ayr united 1 Kelly (26) qos 0
Ian Mccall hailed match-winner Stephen Kelly as a big star of the future but admitted Ayr were lucky to win.
On-loan Ranger Kelly beat his Ibrox team-mate and fellow loanee, Robbie Mccrorie, with a stunning strike to take United into third place.
But boss Mccall showed he is a true Honest Man when he confessed: “I thought we were fortunate to win and Queens deserved a draw.
“Ross Doohan made a couple of great saves, one in each half were excellent.
“That’s not just why I think he is such a terrific goalie, it’s all the things that people don’t notice that I think he is excellent at.
“That’s four games at Somerset now, and we’ve won three and drawn one so I’m very, very pleased.
“Kelly is a footballer – he and Alan Forrest were terrific.
“Young Kelly has a real chance in the future and the best thing about him is he’s a great boy.”
Queens, sporting a natty commemorative strip to mark their centenary, went close twice in the first five minutes when Connor Murray drove just wide and Gary Oliver had a low shot tipped round the post by Doohan at full stretch.
Jamie Adams then hooked off the line from Lewis Kidd after a perfect cut-back from Scott Mercer.
Ayr stung the visitors by taking the lead against the run of play in 26 minutes.
Forrest did the spadework on the left and when his deflected cross fell to Kelly, the midfielder beat Mccrorie with a first-time volley.
Queens should have levelled when Faissal El Bakhtaoui robbed a dithering Steven Bell but saw his shot blocked by Doohan.
The visitors thought they had levelled after 73 minutes when sub Jack Hamilton’s header looked netbound only for Doohan to pull off a marvellous save.
It was then Mccrorie’s turn for the heroics with a spectacular flying save from Forrest’s shot which was heading for the top corner.
Queens boss Allan Johnston claimed: “In the first-half, we had at least five good chances but it’s the same old story, if you don’t take your chances, it comes back to haunt you.”