I WON’T GET 2 INK A ROW
TATT’S ALL FOLKS Queen’s ace Kurt will paws before any more tattoos TEAMSHEET
LEAGUE TWO KURTIS ROBERTS already has one animal tattoo on his backside in tribute to a team he’s played for.
However, the Queen’s Park midfielder admits even giving league rivals the bum’s rush would struggle to persuade him to dedicate the other cheek to the Spiders.
The 24-year-old has a lifelong reminder of his three and a half years in the States after getting a paw and his number at the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers inked on his behind.
Roberts – who crossed the pond for a football scholarship – and two team-mates had it done after one too many drinks on his last day and even tweeted it before the most uncomfortable flight home.
While the States has left a truly lasting impression, the former Hamilton kid admits the education he’s getting at Hampden under Mark Roberts is much more valuable.
He said: “Me and my friend from Northern Ireland, Gaz, we’d had our ups and downs over there and being foreigners we always said on our last day we’ll get a tattoo.
“My college’s nickname was the Panthers so we said let’s get panther paws tattooed on our cheeks and our number.
“Before it was one of those ones, ‘Aye say it and no do it’ and then when it came to my last day we were out celebrating, went to the bars, then one of the boys was like, ‘Mon we’ll go and get it done’. It was one of my cringey moments.
“One hundred per cent it was the most uncomfortable flight I’ve been on. I regretted it as soon as I woke up in the morning. I wish I had got it a week earlier.”
Asked what it will take to get a spider on the other cheek, he said: “Ooof, I don’t think I’m getting any more. I’ll need to be heavily persuaded.”
Roberts bagged the SPFL goal of the month for January for his wonder strike – one of two in fact – in a 7-1 rout of Berwick.
That was Paul Willis’s last game for Rangers having been subbed by boss Johnny Harvey at half-time then leaving for Peterhead five days later.
The 27-year-old, hoping to TITLE-CHASING Clyde face
minus David Goodwillie, still out after an arm fracture. The Coatbridge men miss the injured Mark Russell and Gary Fisher.
host fellow promotion chasers with the Blue Brazil denied the services of left-back Jason Talbot who has a knee injury with boss Gary Bollan hopeful of completing a loan signing before kick-off.
Annan are without the crocked Ryan Sinnamon, Ayrton Sonkur, Jack Brannan and Tommy Muir with Scott Hooper a doubt.
miss the injured Matthew Cooper for the visit of a side who sit directly above them in the table. The Forthbank side have a major doubt over Peter MacDonald with Lee Hamilton and Kevin Moon already ruled out.
Second-top host with the Blue Toon adding a fully-fit Simon Ferry to give manager Jim McInally a full squad to choose from.
The Spiders are without only the long-term injured Cammy Foy and Euan MacPherson.
JIM BLACK AT GLOBAL ENERGY STADIUM
make his first start today, said: “I think he’d made his decision after the Queen’s Park game that it wasn’t going to work.
“I’d just come back from injury really, I’d only played three games then I was back in the team trying to help but he made a decision that he didn’t feel I was doing enough for the team.
“If that’s what he thinks, that’s just sometimes the way it goes.” DANIEL ARMSTRONG scored straight from a corner as Ross County last night quashed East Fife hopes of a first national cup final since 1953.
Declan McManus added the Championship leaders’ second before Anton Dowds’s header close to half-time promised a sweat for the home fans.
County now face either Welsh outfit Connah’s Quay Nomads or Edinburgh City in the showpiece.
Staggies co-boss Steven Ferguson said: “We made seven changes and had to do a lot more defending than I would have liked. But some of the young lads stepped up to the plate.
“It was good for Daniel and Declan to get goals and it gives us a bit of momentum. We are really pleased to be in the Final – it’s good for our supporters and our club. We have some big games in between that so the cup final will take care of itself.”
East Fife hopes of upsetting the Staggies, into their fifth final in this tournament, were hit in 17 minutes. Armstrong swung in a corner from the right with his left peg and the ball deceived everyone to creep in at the far post.
East Fife did not wilt and it required Kenny van der Weg’s goalline clearance to deny Aaron Dunsmore as he hunted a Dowds cross.
It looked like curtains for Darren Young’s side when McManus buried a 37th-minute rebound after Brett Long blocked Ross Stewart’s initial effort.
But Dowds threw the Methil men a lifeline two minutes later, heading a Craig Watson cross home.
Josh Mullin had a chance to kill the tie with eight minutes left but shot wide.
Boss Young said: “We had a gameplan and spells when we did very well and had chances. But we never seemed to get that wee bit of luck when you need the ball to drop and there were also maybe one or two penalty claims.
“While I’m disappointed it’s great for the guys. That’s two Championship sides – Partick Thistle last Saturday and Ross County – and it says something about the players that they are gutted at coming away without a result.”