Cliched it may be, but if Queen's were to maintain their title hopes, they had to focus on each game as it came along, and treat every opponent with the utmost respect. In recent weeks, we had done this to perfection, producing some quite scintillating performances along the way. On paper, we now faced opponents we should put away. But this game ain't played on paper, and Queen's have a habit of clearing the equivalent of Aintree's Canal Fence, only to fall on the flat of the home straight. We had been quite superb against Berwick last week - despite what you might have been led to believe if you were unlucky enough to read some press reports on the game. However, as far as this correspondent was concerned, today's test was one we were more likely to flop. The boss didn't have any injury worries, in fact his only decisions were who to leave out. And few were surprised when the Berwick raiders got the nod again. One other thing was much the same as last week - the conditions. But if Berwick was breezy, this was gale force. Add in a bumpy pitch and the ingredients were there for a very long afternoon. A measure of Gulliver's confidence was evident before a ball was kicked. After the toss, Queen's lined up with the elements at our backs. Most teams' supporters would have been happy that this might give their side the chance for an early goal. All Gulliver could think about was the last 10 minutes of the second half with Montrose peppering our goal from all angles. Despite the conditions, we started reasonably competently. A couple of early forays down the right gave us hope, and that hope was rewarded after 13 minutes with the one genuine piece of football we produced in the entire first half. Mark Ferry was very alert to take a quick throw to Stuart Kettlewell. He released David Weatherston down the left and he skinned his man, looked up, and dinked out a back post chip to the unmarked Alan Trouten. The wee man couldn't believe his luck and only had to get his head in the way of the ball to put us ahead. His old man said later that he couldn't remember Alan scoring a header since he left primary school. That should have settled the nerves and seen us get the ball down and try to play. Instead of that happening, however, Montrose were the team who mastered the elements far better and they were the ones doing all the pressing - even if it wasn't very threatening. Most of the first period saw their keeper trying hard to kick the ball out of his own half, while David Crawford had to try to find a way to stop his clearances going straight back to Bell in the Montrose goal. It wasn't the most inspiring, and it got worse when Mick Dunlop picked up a yellow card for a foul on the lively Rodgers. Despite the bulk of possession, Montrose seldom looked like scoring, and when they did threaten, they found DC in no mood to give up the clean-sheet record his defence were targeting before kick-off. The big keeper did well to keep out a header from Cumming after 38 minutes, but he was helpless when the same player spurned a golden chance from a Stirling cross just before the break. The hope was that we would play better into the wind. The fear was we would get pulverised. We should have had more faith; few teams are capable of pulverising what has become a very resilient Queen's Park side. Yes the home side launched balls into our goalmouth, but every one was sent back with interest. Dunlop ignored the card hanging over his head and went for every ball as if his life depended on it. And Damiano Agostini was quite simply immense. Gulliver has a lot of time for the honest defender, and nobody exemplifies that spirit more than Big D. However, don't get the impression that Queen's were under the cosh. The truth is we were far better in the second period as passes held up and gave our speed merchants something to chase. And with Paul Ronald dropping back a shade to bolster the midfield, we looked far more accomplished than we had in the opening period. We carved out a couple of chances through Trouten and Weatherston, but couldn't find the final ball on either occasion. Montrose switched things around and tried hard to find a way through, but with the exception of Rodgers who was willing to try his luck from any range, we never really looked too troubled. A second goal would let us all breathe a bit easier and it duly arrived after 71 minutes from the penalty spot. Bell barged into Trouten as the midfielder chased a through ball and as everybody waited to see if wee could net the loose ball, we suddenly saw referee Tumilty pointing to the spot. Quite what Paul Cairney thought after getting nothing for a spectacularly worse challenge last week is beyond this correspondent's ken, but we had the chance to put the game to bed - and took it. Trouten's penalty wasn't the firmest of all time, but it was reasonably well placed and finished in the back of the net. So who cares about anything else? The points were now reasonably secure, and became virtually certain when Davidson saw red for a stupid challenge on Trouten. All eyes now were on the clock as Billy Stark's youngsters sought their place in the record books of the oldest senior team in Scotland. We had never gone more than five games without conceding a goal in our league history - until today. When DC safely grabbed a bobbling effort from sub Michie and hoofed the ball upfield, Referee Tumilty blew his whistle and we'd achieved the record. It's now 561 minutes since we last suffered the indignity of picking the ball out of our net. But even more important, since that 1-1 draw with East Fife, we've picked up 18 points. Being realistic, we are still outsiders for the title. But no praise is too high for what this team has done this season. We've played football in a way that gladdens the heart, but when we've had to battle, we've never been found wanting. Today was the classic example of an ugly victory, but it gives us a great chance of the play-offs at least. And the dream of the title is still alive. See you all after Scotland put us through 180 minutes of agony ... if the heart can stand it!
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