With Charlie Fox missing out through suspension Stephen Eze was handed a starting slot with a further change seeing Aaron Healy come in for Josh McPake who was one of the nine substitutes.

Queen’s kicked off and within the first 30 seconds Marcel Oakley sent a dangerous ball fizzing across the home side’s six-yard line however there were no takers. The visitors kept on pushing and it looked like Jack Thomson had played Grant Savoury through until referee Willie Collum blew for a foul by the attacker.

The Black and White supporters were making themselves heard and they cheered loudly as a sliding challenge from Oakley ended Scott Tiffoney’s progress on the left with the defender ensuring that only a bye-kick was awarded.

The ball was switched to the other end on seven minutes and Aaron Muirhead conceded a flag-kick that saw Thomas pick out Thomson with his glancing header failing to trouble David Mitchell in the home goal.

On 10 minutes Thistle threatened when Steven Lawless sent over a teasing cross with Eze doing well to nod away as Brian Graham waited to pounce.

Healy and Savoury combined on the left wing four minutes later with Queen’s progress halted by a foul that was whipped in by Thomas and nodded away for a corner that was dealt with by the home defence.

The visitors forced another corner on 18 minutes which was fed back out to Thomas with no danger threatening from his low delivery.

Callum Ferrie showed that he was wide awake midway through the opening half as he raced 30 yards out to clear from Tiffoney’s toes after a long ball had dropped in behind the Spiders defence.

Shot-stopper Ferrie had to be alert again to clear on 26 minutes after Thistle mounted a lightning raid after a breakaway move led by Eze had broken down.

Healy showed three Thistle defenders a clean pair of heels as he dribbled his way towards Mitchell’s goal from the left wing with the Jags’ goalkeeper ending his progress with a clearance that only found Thomas with his returning shot easily held.

Kilday found Healy on the left 10 minutes from the break and the wide-man’s cross was turned behind for a corner that found Eze only for whistler Collum to award a foul to the home side.

The hosts created danger on 40 minutes when Turner found Lawless in space on the left with his outside of the foot cross reaching the in-rushing Tiffoney who fired wide.

Savoury had a shot scooped up by Mitchell as Queen’s looked to take the lead before the break with Kilday standing strong in his box to cut out and clear a late Thistle charge.

The hosts restarted the match and a clever flick from Graham looked to find Tiffoney in the opening seconds however Oakley did well to recover the situation and clear.

The Jags had better luck on 50 minutes when they took the lead despite Queen’s appeals for offside as Holt turned the ball home from six yards after another subtle flick from Graham released Tiffoney on the right this time and he squared the ball to the defender.

The dancing feet of Thomas on 54 minutes almost led to an equaliser as he created space before sending over a low cross that Connor Shields was an inch away from turning in.

As Head Coach Owen Coyle waited to make a double substitution just before the hour mark Turner sent a dangerous ball across the face of the Queen’s goal and on 62 minutes Ferrie had to make a close range stop to deny Turner after the ball had been squeezed through the visiting defence.

Midway through the second half the hosts doubled their advantage with a goal similar to their first goal with Graham deftly finding Lawless who sent a pass along the six-yard line with Turner netting from close range.

A foul on substitute Euan Henderson gave Thomas the chance to whip over a free-kick on 78 minutes that reached Eze with the defender unable to force it towards Mitchell’s goal.

With five minutes left Henderson had a shot charged down six yards out and as play raced to the other end a Thistle effort was blocked and the ball fell kindly for Danny Mullen to slot past Ferrie.

On 89 minutes Thomson created space for a shot and his curling effort tested Mitchell who had to use both hands to push the ball away with even the consolation of a penalty denied to Queen’s as Oakley tumbled in the box.

To rub salt into Queen’s wounds Holt stabbed in a fourth following a scramble after Ferrie had done well to save a miscued clearance.

Queen’s Park: Calum Ferrie, Marcel Oakley, Stephen Eze, Lee Kilday, Thomas Robson, Jack Thomson, Malachi Boateng (Jake Davidson 62’), Dom Thomas, Grant Savoury (Euan Henderson 59’), Aaron Healy (Josh McPake 59’), Connor Shields Scott Williamson 84’)

Subs not used: Jacques Heraghty (G/k), Louis Longridge, Cameron Bruce, Alex Bannon. Patrick Jarrett

Partick Thistle: David Mitchell, Jack McMillan, Kevin Holt, Darren Brownlie, Kyle Turner (Cammy Smith 84), Scott Tiffoney (Aidan Fitzpatrick 79’), Stuart Bannigan, Brian Graham (Danny Mullen 74’), Steven Lawless, Aaron Muirhead, Ross Docherty.

Subs not used: Jamie Sneddon (G/k), Anton Dowds, Cole McKinnon, Billy Owens, James Lyon, Ji Stevenson.

Referee: Willie Collum.