Queen's Park 0-0 Dunfermline: Tensions show in play-off first leg stalemate

A tense evening at Firhill was reflected in the quality of performance as the first leg of the cinch Championship play-off semi-final between Queen’s Park and Dunfermline ended in a drab stalemate.

Neither team will feel that they did enough to win the game with the return leg offering some intrigue at East End Park on Saturday afternoon.

Queen’s Park started with aggression and purpose but could not deliver a tangible return from their early endeavours.

By contrast, Dunfermline looked tentative and nervous as Queen’s Park looked to establish an immediate foothold in the game.

Dunfermline's Kevin O'Hara has a chance during the Championship play-off semi-final first leg against Queens Park at Firhill Stadium. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Louis Longridge had kicked off the hosts’ early pressure with an inviting ball that swirled towards the back post but Dunfermline were able to clear before it could do any significant damage.

Efe Ambrose sliced a clearance in his own box under pressure which Josh Edwards was forced to boot out to safety.

Dunfermline found their composure as the minutes went by and at the interval they might have felt that they had created the better of the chances in the game.

There were efforts that dragged wide from Steven Lawless and Kevin O’Hara while the latter had brought out a save from Queen’s Park keeper Calum Ferrie with a fairly tame header that was straight into the waiting arms of the stopper.

The teams remained tied at the interval before Queen’s Park remerged with a similar zip and purpose that had characterised their opening performance.

A series of corners almost immediately after the restart reinvigorated their purpose as they sought to break the deadlock in what was a fairly turgid game with the ball spending as much time in the air as it did on the deck.

Edwards had a header that Ferrie was equal to but in truth genuine chances at either end were few and far between.

O’Hara had a decent chance that was palmed away by Ferrie as Dunfermline slowly began to look like the more likely of the two to find a way through. The goal, however, did not transpire with all eyes now on Saturday’s return leg.

In the other play-off semi-final played on Tuesday evening, Montrose claimed a 1-0 home win over Airdrie ahead of the second leg at the Pennycars Stadium.