Queens skipper Chris Higgins is desperate to finish the season on a high – and pip Morton to fifth place in the table.
Championhsip rivals Greenock Morton sit one point ahead of the sixth-placed Dumfries side but also face a tough final day away at promotion hopefuls Falkirk.
The Doonhamers travel to Hibernian on Sunday and will need their second win in a row over the Edinburgh side if they’re to have any chance of leapfrogging Jim Duffy’s Cappielow squad.
Queens’ record against Hibs is good since the former Premiership giants were relegated two years ago. They’ve beaten the Hibees 1-0 three times over the past two seasons – including their last match at Palmerston in March.
The 30-year-old defender told Standard Sport: “We want to finish the season on a high and are looking forward to Easter Road.
“We were disappointed to lose the last-minute goal up there [ 1-0 defeat in December].
“It will be a hard game as they’ve good players – two of them up for PFA Scotland player of the year in Jason Cummings and John McGinn.”
Higgins continued: “I imagine there will be a wee bit of fire in the game as we want to finish the season well and so will Hibs.
“The boys will look forward to it – especially after the win against Livingston.
“We’re a point behind Morton and we want to finish fifth.”
Caretaker boss Gavin Skelton made a good start to life in the Palmerston hot-seat with that 3-1 win over Livi last Saturday but hasn’t forgotten the controversy the last time the Doonhamers met Alan Stubbs’ Hibs.
Queens suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in Leith in December after a contentious late Dominique Malonga header.
The goal prompted the fury of then boss James Fowler who claimed referee Brian Colvin favoured Hibs during a drop-ball situation. With Mark Millar stranded and Kyle Hutton stuck on the sideline after receiving treatment for a head injury – the hosts swept up the park to bag the winning goal deep into injury-time.
And interim gaffer Skelton admits that will be on their minds on Sunday. He said: “We owe them one. So we want to go up there, make amends and win.
“If we can do that it gives us an opportunity to finish fifth which would be great, something we can hopefully take into the summer.”
Defenders Andy Dowie and Lewis Kidd are suspended for this one with loanee Alex Harris now likely to have played his final game for Queens.
The 21-year-old winger can’t play against his parent club on Sunday and will return to Easter Road in the summer.