Champions-(Elect)! Queen's close in after thrilling day in Edinburgh

Pandemic football has been a strange and surreal experience. With fans locked out of grounds up and down the country, we have had to make do with remote viewing from home. In many cases, this has stifled the passion and emotion of the game we all love - with fixtures (particularly in the top leagues) played at a noticeably lower tempo and your everyday supporter as far removed from the action as they have ever been. 

It would be a lie to suggest this hasn't had an effect on what should have been Queen's Park's greatest season in a generation. At times, weeks and matches have passed without any great deal of emotional response, and the nerves and excitement you would usually associate with a title charge haven't always been present for supporters who would usually be chomping at the bit to tour the grounds (and pubs) of Scotland watching their heroes wreak unadulterated havoc on helpless League Two opposition. 

All this being said, even in this unprecedented campaign, football retains the ability to thrill, disappoint and delight like no other sport or past time imaginable. Perhaps, with our only interaction with our team being felt through the screen of a laptop, it takes a little bit more to evoke these emotions within a fanbase - and with our status as champions all but on the line, the Queen's support were certainly put through the wringer this past Saturday lunchtime.

Your humble editor has no shame in admitting that this past Friday was the first time in a long time where a good night's sleep was an impossible prospect due to the Queen's Park fixture the following day. A victory at Ainslie Park wouldn't be enough to officially wrap up the championship, but it would leave us in a position where only one point would be required from our final five games - the champagne was well and truly on ice before kick off on a beautiful spring afternoon in the Capital.

Victory however, would be no mean feat. Edinburgh City are one of only two sides to take anything from Ray McKinnon's men in the league this season, and their performance in an exciting 3-3 draw at Hampden in November was the best produced by an opposition outfit in League Two competition. In truth, City should have won that day. Queen's were miles off it and despite a stirring second half comeback to somehow lead going into the final minutes, it would have been daylight robbery had we taken all three points at The National Stadium. Everyone knew that Queen's would have to produce their very best to have any chance of taking three points home along the M8, and in turn all but securing their status as champions. 

Despite the gravity of the task ahead there was no reason for Queen's to be anything but confident prior to kick off. The players had shown great character to win 3-1 at Stenhousemuir the previous Saturday (Peter Grant's second half red card not enough to halt our momentum) and had eked out a 1-0 victory over Annan at the Falkirk Stadium despite never approaching our best in terms of performance level.

It had a big game feel, even without supporters in the ground, and it was hard not to wish you were there as the sun shone down on the players for an unusual noon start (the funeral of a public figure in London deemed important enough for the powers that be within the SPFL to shift from a traditional 3pm kick off). 

The match itself certainly didn't disappoint. Queen's roared out the traps in the first half and Louis Longridge and Bingo Bob McHugh both passed up decent chances to give us the lead. Our profligacy in recent weeks has been an area of concern for supporters - despite our great run (and largely impressive performances) we had been passing up lots of chances - and everyone knew this couldn't once again be the case if we wanted to see off Gary Naysmith's charges (themselves on a fine run of form). 

The goal our play deserved did however come on 26 minutes, and it was worth waiting for. Luca Connell delivered one of his trademark raking crosses from a set piece, and skipper Peter Grant looped a  header up and over Callum Antell in the City goal. Grant wheeled away to celebrate as the ball landed beautifully in the bottom corner of the net - sparking big celebrations within the QP squad and in living rooms and back gardens all over Glasgow's southside.

Queen's didn't take the foot off the pedal for the remainder of the first 45 minutes - stroking the ball about beautifully. Edinburgh City were in truth, nowhere to be seen for the majority of the opening half and the previously mentioned profligacy in front of goal once again reared its head as we passed up a number of chances. This theme continued into the beginning of the second half as The Ginger Prince Simon Murray passed up a glorious opening after rounding Antell in the City goal - it was hard not to think we might regret such a glaring miss and it almost came to pass as the home side hit us with a quick one-two. 

One of our greatest strengths this season has been a rock solid defence (with only six league goals conceded prior to kick off) but for eleven second half minutes they were all at sea, City turning the game on its head from two set pieces. The first, a corner from the far side, was initially blocked - but it wasn't cleared and defender Liam Henderson was on hand to smash a low shot past a helpless Willie Muir.

The home side were energised from this moment on and it was no surprise to anyone with experience of following Queen's Park to see them score again not long after. A soft free kick awarded by the referee was swung in with venom, and Josh Campbell made no mistake with a precise header past Muir.

While we have been excellent front runners for the entirety of the campaign, it is no stretch to suggest that this is the first time this set of players have been tested in such a manner. While far from catastrophic, a defeat would have certainly led to the formation of some seeds of doubt about whether or not this team would get over the line - and some supporters no doubt considered putting the bubbly away for another day. In truth, they needn't have worried.

This team is made of stern stuff and they proved it in a swashbuckling last fifteen minutes. The introduction of Buffalo Bill and Ross McLean in place of McHugh and Darren Lyon seemed to change the momentum and Simon Murray made up for his earlier missed chance in style, his two goals securing one of the most important Queen's Park victories of the modern era.

His first, on 78 minutes, was a fine close range header from a Michael Doyle delivery (Doyle, who had a quiet first half - really came to life in the final stages, and I would personally be stunned if he isn't voted Player of the Year by supporters when the time comes). Murray's second, a left foot finish from around six yards, was a thing of real beauty. 

Fans favourite Baynham had made a real impact in his brief spell on the pitch and he played a huge part in the winner. He received possession from Doyle just over the half way line, headed the bouncing ball beyond a despairing Edinburgh defender before showing a surprising turn of pace to gain a yard on his man. His dinked right foot cross was exquisite, and top scorer Murray showed great composure to stab the ball past Antell. 

Cue delirium within the squad who knew exactly what the goal meant. Murray was booked for his celebrations but he certainly won't be losing sleep over that fact. After fifteen months out with a serious knee injury, Murray must have thought days like this were behind him before he joined Queen's last summer. He has taken time to shine in a Spiders jersey but his performances in recent weeks have shown just how good a player he can be - and if anyone deserved a moment of glory like that it was him. 

When referee Grainger blew his final whistle the emotion on the faces of the Queen's players was a sight to see. Peter Grant, another player who has went through injury hell throughout his professional career, dropped to his knees in tears. A scorer in a Scottish Cup final for Falkirk, Grant is no stranger to the big occasion, but it was clear to see how much this victory meant to him on a personal level. He is another who should be in the reckoning for individual honours come May. 

Players and staff were careful not to use the 'C Word' in post match interviews, but this was the three points that sealed the title. The cheap fizz was successfully popped at The Web HQ and another bottle might just need to be bought in time for Tuesday's home fixture against Elgin, where a point would officially seal the championship for Ray McKinnon's men. 

A strange and unusual season it may have been, but in the annals of history it will go down as a great one, and the supporters cannot wait to celebrate together with this squad of players when the time comes.