Loan star Kudus Oyenuga grabbed his first league goal since moving to Scotland and intends it to be the first of many for Cowdenbeath.
The 21-year-old Londoner has 18 months of his contract still to run with Dundee United and he is hoping his performances with Cowden can persuade United boss Jackie McNamara that he can make the grade at Tannadice.
The striker banged home the opening goal for the Blue Brazil in a game they simply had to win to avoid being marooned at the foot of the Championship table, and he admitted that he should have made more.
His goal in 27 minutes was followed up by a strike from Callum Gallagher 12 minutes later, and while Derek Lyle’s header gave Queen of the South hope of a recovery, the home defence shut them out to give the Fifers their first league win of the campaign.
“We have played some good stuff since I arrived here at the start of the season but been badly punished for errors which certainly cost us a result against Hibs,” said the front man.
“This has been a great move for me, as getting a game every week in a very competitive league is helping me develop but I know I should not have had to wait until today for my first league goal in Scotland.
“I missed a few good chances against Hibs and Hearts and today I should have scored before I did.
“It was a very important result for us and we have the players here with the skills to build on it in the coming weeks and I intend to get as many goals as I can to help Cowden climb the table.”
Cowden boss Jimmy Nicholl agreed:“This was a massive result for Cowdenbeath and gets us back in touch with the sides just above us.
“Indeed, if we can win at Dumbarton this weekend, it could move us off the bottom and that has to be our target.”
Nicholl had to take this game on without regulars John Armstrong, Kenny Adamson, Nat Wedderburn, Lewis Milne and Dean Brett, and he was delighted with the performances of the replacements.
“The lads who came in such as Thomas O’Brien, Darren Brownlie, and Kyle Miller did all that we could have asked of them and if they keep producing that sort of form the players who will be coming back may have to wait to get a game,” he added.
“The speed of Kudus and Callum Gallagher proved a real problem for the Queen of the South defence and it is an aspect of our game we will want to develop.”
Queen’s caretaker player-boss James Fowler felt his side’s first-half performance was unacceptable.
“In our previous games we set standards and in the first 45 minutes here we fell way below that and Cowden could have been more than two up at halftime.
“We improved greatly after the interval and could have sneaked a draw out of it but the first half display gave us too much to do.”