How close was that?

Josh Mullin sends a fantastic ball right onto the dome of Dipo Akinyemi, who bullets a header towards goal, denied only by the strong hands of Calum Ferrie, who somehow keeps that one out.

The Ayr fans behind the goal think it was in, Akinyemi thinks it was in, but a superb piece of goalkeeping has kept out an equaliser.

Queen's smell blood.

They're piling bodies forward, while the Ayr bodies put themselves on the line to prevent a quick fire double.

Multiple shots blocked, one perhaps crucially from Thomson's stinging strike, and Ayr keep themselves in it for now.

Josh McPake has his penalty now, again brought down by McAllister...

These Queen's boys know how to turn the burners on, eh?

Josh McPake flies down the left hand side, but the Rangers loanee is tracked well by Nicholas McAllister, who's sent flying into a pretty sturdy looking brick wall for his troubles.

The Queen's winger is looking at the referee. Was there a tug in there?

Ouch!published at 53 mins

53 mins

Queen's Park 0-0 Ayr United

Ball, meet Michael Hewitt's face.

Dom Thomas is looking for one of his signature crosses, but instead drives one right into the Ayr man's mush. My eyes are tearing up just watching that.

Oft, that could have gone anywhere.

It seems as though Ayr's best opportunities will come from Josh Mullin set pieces, and it proves so again as the winger sends in a marvellous ball. It's met by Alex Kirk, and after a few bounces in the box, eventually goes behind for a goal kick.

We're back at it, and Ayr are almost immediately in front!

Dipo Akinyemi lays it off to Michael Hewitt, who stabs the ball goalward from the edge of the six-yard box. It's head in hands as he watches his effort rise high over the bar.

Queen's Park chief executive Leanne Dempster has been chatting to BBC Scotland after the club were kicked out of the Scottish Cup earlier today.

She said: "We're really disappointed, for the supporters, the players, the management team. It's not been the best end of the week, it's a blow.

"We've very sorry about it. It's something that shouldn't have happened, but we just have to look forward now.

"We should have known about it. There's no excuse, we need to own it. There's no point hiding, we've made a mistake and we're out the cup."

Asked about the progress of Lesser Hampden, she said: "We're excited about getting to Lesser Hampden, we'll be playing there next year. The plan is to play there this season."

Amy Canavan
BBC Scotland at Ochilview Park

A wee note, Owen Coyle has very promptly returned to the dug-out. Less than 10 minutes with his players.

Maybe he doesn’t have the voice to chat to them, mind, he’s been giving them quite the rollicking through the opening half. I can hear him from here…

Leanne Crichton
Ex-Scotland international on BBC Scotland

It was a mixed performance from both sides. You can understand why they're the two teams at the top off the division. They've probably evened each other out.

That can all change in the second half. We know what these Championship games can be like!

I hope we discover in the second half that Lee Bullen isn't a psychic too, Amy.

On the off the chance that he is though, think you could ask him the lottery numbers at full-time?

Cheers.

Amy Canavan
BBC Scotland at Ochilview Park

Well, Lee Bullen joked with me pre-match that this may be a 0-0 given all the chat of the goal-scoring quality of both teams.

I don’t know if Lee is physic, but I hope he’s wrong on this one…

After a cagey start, we started to approach the type of enthralling encounter we had all hoped for, and perhaps expected, ahead of this top of the table meeting.

Grant Savoury had the best chance of the games, and really, should have at least asked the question of Charlie Albinson.

Goalless at the break.

Image source, SNS

Paddy Reading goes for the spectacular as he swings his boot at a bouncing ball at the edge of the box, watching his effort fizz inches over the top of Calum Ferrie's crossbar.

This is more like the game I promised you!

The pace is quickening and things are getting lively in Stenhousemuir.

In a matter of moments, we've had a Boateng yellow, another gorgeous Mullin delivery, and two Queen's flashes across the box, the latter of which resulted in McPake dragging Oakley's cutback wide.

Josh Mullin gets the opportunity to float in a couple of set piece deliveries.

The first is a delightful floating ball that forces Charlie Fox to leap up and header behind.

The following corner boasts less quality, failing to beat the first man, and the winger eventually sees a follow-up cross go straight into the arms of Calum Ferrie.

James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Scotland

I think both managers will be looking for more quality and more control.

Ayr will be happy they're still in the game as they haven't posed any problems going forward as of yet.

No question now who's in the ascendancy at Ochilview.

The hosts have really settled into the game, with Dom Thomas and Connor Shields showing flashes of the quality that'll be necessary to win an encounter like this.

Ayr, meanwhile, look a bit ragged. No opportunities as of yet to see their attacking outlets make their mark.

Well, that certainly would have been something.

Dom Thomas skips down the near-side and sends a low drive into the box, which is pushed away into the middle by Charlie Albinson. Frantic attempts to clear follow, with the eventual punt ricocheting off Grant Savoury.

Much to Ayr relief, it drops into the grateful grasp of their goalie.