Peter Murphy named an unchanged starting xi with captain Matty Douglas named on the bench.
It was difficult blustery conditions throughout at Palmerston but that didn’t stop the frantic tempo of the game.
Despite initial Queens pressure it was the visitors who were creating the better chances.
Ben Brannan hit a low powerful shot from 25 yards which glanced past Ross Stewart’s post. Brannan’s teammate Alfie Stewart then tried his luck from the same distance but he couldn’t direct his attempt on goal.
But Stewart would get his goal in somewhat controversial circumstances on 24 minutes.
It all stemmed from a poor throw-in by Taylor Charters which resulted in Reece Lyon fouling Keith Bray.
Inverness quickly took the free-kick which caught the Queens defence out and Stewart struck low into the bottom corner.
This was the rocket up the backside the Doonhamers needed and levelled five minutes later.
Lyon floated a dangerous ball into the box which saw defender Jack Hannah rise the highest and his header looped over Muse Dibaga and into the net.
The visitors thought they had regained the lead moments later when Bray poked home from close range but the assistant referee had his flag up for offside.
Midfielder Harry Cochrane could’ve gave Queens the lead just before the break but at his second bite at the cherry saw his curling effort land just the wrong side of the post.
Cochrane would have the first chance for Murphy’s men in the second half. After some brilliant play by Kai Kennedy, he released Charters on the left. The Carlisle loanee found the advancing Cochrane but again he curled inches wide.
The Doonhamers continued to take charge and were rewarded on the hour mark when Adam Brooks headed on a Lyon ball into the path of Jordan Allan and he coolly slotted past Dibaga.
Queens had their tails up and extended their advantage in style when Brooks played a nice one-two with Cochrane and then unleashed an unstoppable curler from an acute angle.
And Brooks put the icing on the cake in the dying stages with a fierce effort from 12 yards leaving Dibaga no chance.
Queens leapfrogged Alloa – who lost 3-2 thanks to a last minute Mark Durnan strike for Dumbarton – into the final play-off spot with five games to play.
QoS: Stewart, MacIntyre, Lyon, Hannah, Charters, Cochrane, Smith (Walker 89), Luissint, Kennedy (O’Donnell 88), Brooks, Allan (Bryden 89). Subs not used: Douglas, Harkness, Thomson, Johnson.
Inverness: Dibaga, Nolan (Strachan 59), Devine, Brannan, Ewan, Gilmour, Mackinnon (Gardiner 75), Bray, Stewart, Allan (MacLeod 74), Mckay (Thompson 74). Subs not used: Rebillas, Reid.
Ref: Duncan Williams. Crowd: 1006.
