Scorers: Stranraer – Turay (61); Queen of the South – Smith (89)
A late Liam Smith goal salvaged a point for Queen of the South at the Eco Gen Stadium.
Stranraer were 1-0 winners over their Dumfries and Galloway rivals earlier this season and looked on course for a second win after Sallu Turay’s second half goal.
Both sides made five changes for the KDM Evolution Trophy tie as Jordan Stuart, Finn Ecrepont, Aaron Quigg, Ryan Edgar and Turay came into the home team in place of Sean Docherty, Mark Russell, Lewis Hunter, Beejay Coll and Deryn Lang.
It was an action-packed start to the game as both teams came close to breaking the deadlock in the opening 10 minutes.
The visitors were first to threaten as Freddie O’Donoghue’s shot looked like it could be heading for the bottom corner before Scot Rough stuck out a leg to make the block.
Barely three minutes later and it was the home fans who were on their feet.
Quigg rose highest to get on the end of James Dolan’s cross and his header had the beating of Ross Stewart but not the crossbar.
After such a frantic start, which also saw Josh Lane hold Kian Leslie’s free-kick on the line under heavy pressure, the game settled into a midfield battle for a spell.
Stranraer found themselves with a real chance just after the half hour mark when Edgar was played through.
The frontman managed to squeeze the ball through Stewart’s legs but the offside flag had already gone up.
Dolan then fired a shot over the bar before Stuart came closer.
Turay did well down the wing and crossed the ball in.
Danny McManus collected the ball and it was worked to Dolan and then onto Stuart, who saw his powerful drive tipped over the bar.
Niall Rogerson was shown a yellow card for bringing down Turay but the visitors could have been toasting a half time lead.
Taylor Charters seized on a slack defensive header from Lewis Reid but then lobbed both Lane and the goal.
Two minutes after the restart and it was the Dumfries side who were left cursing the woodwork.
Rogerson’s looping header left Lane with no chance but it came back off the crossbar and Stranraer held on.
Ecrepont and Stuart both saw powerful shots blocked at the other end before Stranraer found a way through.
Goalkeeper Stewart and Matty Douglas exchanged passes in the box and Turay charged down the keeper’s attempted clearance and it spun into the net.
Over the remaining half an hour, Stranraer looked the more likely to find the game’s second goal.
Substitute Lang saw one effort go just over the bar and another turned round the post before Hunter’s header flew just the wrong side of the upright.
However, there would be time for the visitors to rescue a point.
Substitute Cole Burke managed to get a cross in with Lane keeping out Smith’s effort from close range.
The Queens man was quickest to react and managed to turn the ball in from a tight angle, despite Lane’s best efforts to keep it out.
A point against a full-time team from the league above will always be welcomed but given the timing of the equaliser it was a sore one to take for the home fans.
Stranraer: Lane, Ecrepont, Reid, Rough, McKnight (Sharp 82), Stuart, Quigg (Russell 73), McManus, Dolan, Turay (Hunter 82), Edgar (Lang 68).
Not used: Coll, O’Donnell and Henderson.
Queen of the South: Stewart, Hewitt, Charters, Douglas, Johnstone (Burke 83), Lyon, Rogerson, Stott, Kennedy, Leslie (Smith 62), O’Donoghue (Gray 46).
Not used: Mackenzie, Thomson and Green.
Referee: Cameron Stirling
Attendance: 565
HT: 0-0
Photos: Bill McCandlish
