QUEEN’S PARK wrote a similar story away from home on the latest trip in the William Hill Championship.

A positive point on the road, a game they feel they could have won – and appreciative fans roaring the team off the pitch after their efforts.

Josh Fowler’s first-half penalty looked to have given Sean Crighton’s side their first league win since March – but a late Jude Bonnar strike, deflected past Callum Ferrie by Matty Shiels, gave Scott Brown’s side a point.

The afternoon was very un-AUgust-like, with torrential rain in the first half and a swirling wind in the second.

Possession was in short supply, on both sides, and shifted regularly in the downpour.

Ayr had the better of the first 15 minutes and the Spiders had Matty Shiels and Callum Ferrie to thank for keeping the Honest Men out early on.

A quick free kick form Roddy Macgregor released Seb Drozd on the left and his stepovers and drive to the front post brought the Spiders’ fiorst corner on 16 minutes, but as Ayr broke up the field Macgregor’s slide tackle on Marco Rus brought the first yellow card of the game too.

The set-piece into the Spiders box saw Oakley smash a low drive that was pushed against the net prop just outside of Callum Ferrie’s post.

Ferrie had been the busier of the goalkeepers and he was down smartly to grab a Curtis Main header on the half-hour.

One minute after it though the Spiders had a spot-kick after some delightful build-up.  It was the longest period of passing the visitors had enjoyed to this point and as they plotted a route around the pitch, they looked dangerous. Not only that, they were dangerous.

Louis Longridge clipped a pass to Seb Drozd and he picked out Josh Fowler who had stolen a yard of space in the box. A delicious touch later he spun and was body-checked by Kyle Ure and John Beaton pointed to the spot.

The Spiders man sent David Mitchell the wrong way to give give his team the lead, and extend his spot as club top scorer.

The home fans were restless as the interval approached but the QPFC support on the opposite end of the main stand were singing in the rain.

At the break Charlie Fox, who had been ill during the week, was replaced by Henry Fieldson while ex-Spiders skipper Dom Thomas was introduced by the home side. The current Spiders skipper, Euan Murray, was also struggling with a virus and played on – making several key interceptions in a busy defensive shift in the latter stages.

However, wing play from Tyrece McDonnell brought the Spiders close three minutes after the restart. He sprinted down the left and fed a pass to Fowler. The scorer didn’t get much on the pass but cushioned the ball into Seb Drozd’s path and he forced a one-handed slap from David Mitchell that was scrambled away before Aidan Connolly could follow in.

The left-wing route was profitable for Sean Crighton’s side and Roddy Macgregor forced another save from Mitchell after McDonnell’s work on the far side of the pitch.

Josh Fowler picked up another yellow card for blocking the goalkeeper’s kick, yet he and his team-mates looked comfortable with their lead as Ayr upped the ante.

With 15 minutes to go a swirling cross from Jude Bonnar threatened to sneak under Ferrie’s crossbar but the keeper palmed it over.

It was the closest Ayr came and, as time ticked down and Carlo Pignatiello shackled Rus and made clearance after clearance on one flank and Dom Thomas was shackled by Henry Fieldson on the other. Aidan Connolly used every ounce of his experience to contribute to the defensive effort too.

Fieldson blocked a backheel from Curtis Main as the home support willed an equaliser by any means possible but the Spiders, with Darryl Carrick added for Tyrece McDonnell to shore up the defence, couldn’t keep it out.

With seven minutes to go Shiels headed a Thomas corner out, but Bonnar returned the ball with aplomb and it deflected off the knee of the same Spiders defender and past Ferrie meaning the Spiders had to settle for a third point on the road from three away trips this season

QUEEN’S PARK: Ferrie, Murray, Fox (Fieldson 46), Longridge, Macgregor, Connolly, Pignatiello, Fowler, McDonnell (Carrick 78), Shiels, Drozd (Sowa 87).
Subs: Wills, Scott, McGinlay, Bradley, McLean, Friel