Five Star Display By Ten Men Queens

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Ten-man Queen of the South leapfrogged Raith Rovers into third place in the Championship thanks to a deflected stoppage-time shot from Iain Russell.

John Baird fired the visitors ahead early on and Gavin Reilly added a second after the interval.

Rovers' substitute Mark Stewart scored with his first touch and Christian Nade levelled before Kevin Holt's dismissal.

Queens regained the lead with a Derek Lyle header only for Stewart to strike again but Russell had the last say.

The depleted Dumfries side were holding on at the end, with keeper Zander Clark making a fantastic save to keep out a close-range shot from Paul Watson.

But the Doonhamers remained a threat on the break and, with home custodian Ross Laidlaw in less than convincing form, were always in with a chance.

And so it proved when Lyle laid the ball off for Russell on the edge of the penalty area and the midfielder's shot skidded low into the far corner of the net via a slight touch off a defender.

It capped a breathless night of entertainment in Kirkcaldy, with the visitors perhaps rewarded for their first-half dominance.

Baird, making just his second start of the season, had already flashed a header wide and hit the bar with a lobbed shot before he rammed the ball in against his former club on seven minutes.

Clark made a good flying save to keep out back post header from Martin Scott but Laidlaw was by far the busier keeper as Ian McShane, Reilly and the lively Danny Carmichael all threatened.

A Carmichael header hit the base of post shortly before Queens extended their lead, with the same player coolly picking out Reilly for a close-range finish.

Rovers, who had only lost twice in the league prior to kick-off, were given a new lease of life when Stewart volleyed in a headed flick from Scott.

And the game was suddenly all square after a shot from Ryan Conroy was parried by Clark only to cannon in off the chunky thighs of the advancing Nade.

The burly Rovers striker then went close with two headers and a home win looked the likelier result when Holt was shown a red card for a lunging challenge on Jason Thomson.

But it was Queens who went back in front as Lyle steered a clever header from a Mark Kerr centre beyond Laidlaw.

The Stark's Park crowd were treated to yet more thrills as Stewart converted a drilled cross from Scott before the injured Nade was carried off on a stretcher.

With play still raging from end to end at a rapid rate of knots beyond the 90-minute mark, Clark somehow denied Watson in a congested penalty box and that allowed Queens to summon the energy for the decisive strike by Russell.