A first-half strike from Ian McShane was enough to give managerless Queen of the South a 1-0 victory over Hibernian in a tight encounter at Palmerston Park.

Hibs edged the early stages and should have taken the lead when Matthew Kennedy's effort from point-blank range was clawed away by Queens goalkeeper Alex Clark.

The away side's profligacy allowed Queens to gain a foothold in the game and they took the lead on the half-hour when midfielder McShane linked up smartly with Iain Russell before slotting home.

Hibs swarmed forward after the break but the Queens backline stood firm under immense pressure.

They also had Clark to thank, with the keeper denying both Dylan McGeouch and substitute Jason Cummings from grabbing the equaliser.