If Dundee United go on to win the Championship title this match will go down as a key milestone.
With neither of Robbie Neilson’s new centre-backs, Mark Connolly and Mark Reynolds, starting, the travelling Arabs would have feared the damage that Stephen Dobbie and his Queen of the South team-mates would do to their promotion hopes.
But United emerged from this character test withthree points to take back up the road with them.
They had the better of the first half opportunities before Nicky Clark’s 40th minute opener from the penalty spot.
The sending off of Barry Maguire, who had fouled Peter Pawlett, was an added bonus.
There was a second half scare when a deflected Kyle Jacobs hit the woodwork for the hosts and 10-man Queens threw everything at United to get an equaliser.
The Tangerines held firm, though, and their promotion campaign is still on track.
