Cammy Kerr (right) headed Queen's Park ahead with his first goal for the club
Ayr United moved back to the top of the Scottish Championship on goal difference as they continued their unbeaten start to the season with a draw at Queen's Park.
Cammy Kerr headed Callum Davidson's hosts into a first-half lead, arguably against the run of play, when he rose high and unmarked to meet Roddy MacGregor's corner.
Ayr's deserved equaliser came through captain Ben Dempsey, the midfielder scooping a sensational shot into the top corner after 17-year-old Dylan Watert's cute cutback.
Substitute Roy Syla smashed a sensational effort of the crossbar, but it failed to bounce over the line as Ayr's relentless search for a winner didn't bear fruit.
Scott Brown's side have played two games more than second-place Falkirk, while Queen's Park drop to fifth following Partick Thistle's late winner against Dunfermline.
Queen's Park manager Callum Davidson: "The last 20 minutes of the game were frustrating, we're struggling with some injuries - so are Ayr - but the strength in depth just wasn't quite there.
"It was a big lesson for some of the younger ones, just not good enough. How to win football games, how to see games out, we just didn't do it. Once we conceded, we weren't very good, simple as that."
Ayr United manager Scott Brown: "The first half, we weren't great, the second half we were much livelier. The first half we were soft, we looked like a team who just wanted to play nice football, and I was bored watching us.
"The lads that came on in the second half done really, really well. It was a game of two halves."
