Inconsistency has been East Fife’s achilles heel this season, and proved so again at the weekend.
Following last Saturday’s terrific 6-1 win over Airdrieonians, the side visited the national stadium to meet a Queen’s side which hadn’t won at home in the league all season and had scored a meagre nine goals.
Despite taking the lead through Chris Duggan, goals either side of the break from Luke Donnelly kept the points at Hampden.
East Fife boss Darren Young said: “We were very poor considering where we’ve come from after last week. We never started, and even then a ball over the top puts us 1-0 up.
“It was a scrappy game and we never passed the ball the same way we did last week. We spoke about getting the ball in and switching our play, but it never happened.
“Near the end we had a few opportunities but, at the same time, they had a couple of chances as well.
“It’s hard to put your finger on how we go from one extreme to the other.
“It’s the same team, same players and same formation but it’s up to the guys to produce.
“We have players in the stand and on the bench good enough to take places, so that’s something we maybe have to look at.”
East Fife raced into the lead just after the quarter-hour mark when Duggan took advantage of a fine Aaron Dunsmore through ball to lob Michael White.
Queen’s soon hit back with Donnelly finishing off a neat counter-attack.
The second half started with the hosts on the front foot, and Donnelly again found the back of the net after the visitors were unable to clear their lines.
East Fife tried to rescue an unlikely point and almost did just that, but White superbly tipped over a Jonathan Page header.