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Queen of the South's Dale Hilson (left) with Lewis Stevenson

Queen of the South clung on to their leadership of the Championship with a goalless draw against pursuers Hibs in the wind and rain of Dumfries.

In truth it was a game which promised so much but delivered only in fits and starts.

Neil Lennon's side had to survive most of the second half with 10 men after the ordering off of Lewis Stevenson for a second yellow card.

That lifted Hibs, but they could not find a crucial winner.

Palmerston, a ground caught in a time-warp but nevertheless a precious memory of different days of Scottish football, was packed with 1,500 Hibs fans squeezing into a crowd of 3,703.

Hibs, with Marvin Bartley playing after last week's red card had been downgraded to yellow, appreciated the rain which added a zip to the synthetic surface.

And they did move the ball with pace throughout the first half. The trouble was that they couldn't really pressure Lee Robinson in the Queens goal although much the same could be said of the home team and their efforts to get near Ofir Marciano at the other end.

The lack of goalmouth thrills belied the fact that the league leadership was at stake and only John McGinn of the key players on show threatened to light up an afternoon on which the rain continued to whip down pitch, powered by a wind in favour of the home team.

Hibernian's Lewis Stevenson (right) is shown a red card

It was no 45 minutes to file under "classic". Both set of fans could have united in a chorus of "all we are saying is give us a goal."

It was actually hard, at times, to believe that the league leadership was as stake, but at last the game came alive early in the second half - if for all the wrong reasons.

Stevenson received a second yellow for a tug on Dale Hilson in a foot race down the touchline.

Then as the game erupted and Jason Cummings was replaced by Jordon Foster, he too was booked for a verbal assault on referee Steve McLean.

But the reduction to 10 men did seem to lift Hibs and McGinn - the outstanding player on the park - forced Robinson into a spectacular save with a dipping, swerving effort from 25 yards. Goalmouth action at long last.

But that, out-with a minor scare for both goalies, was more or less that.

And Queens remain proudly at the top of the division.