Luca looks set to play a real key role
LUCA CONNELL hopes his dead-ball skills can help keep Queen’s Park on course for title glory.
The on-loan Celtic youngster’s inswinging corner led to the goal that saw Spiders go 10 points clear at the top, in their first game at Falkirk Stadium after moving out of Hampden.
Connell, 19, said: “I am really enjoying being at Queen’s Park and playing first-team football.
“It is good to be playing again after a long break and while the game was not the best match you will see it was competitive.
“It was our first time at Falkirk and we had to adapt our game and work really hard but we got the job done.
“I practise free-kicks and corners a lot as they are a big part of the game. Points can be won or lost when the ball goes into the box and that was the case in this game.”
The goal came on 33 minutes when his wicked inswinging corner was flicked on by Lee Kilday and helped over the line by unfortunate Forthbank man Darryl Meggatt.
Stirling boss Kevin Rutkiewicz said: “I am pleased with how we played. I decided to change our shape on Friday night and had to do 11 Zoom calls to go through the change with the players.
“To their credit they took everything on board and we gave a good side a tough afternoon.”
Queen’s boss Ray McKinnon praised his players for the win and adapting to their new home as they had not even trained at Falkirk’s ground.
He said: “I thought the players adapted really well to being here. That was the first time they had seen the pitch. It was a great three points.”
Elgin City enhanced their play-off bid with a 3-0 win at Annan Athletic.
Tony Dingwall and Brian Cameron scored within four first-half minutes to give Gavin Price’s men a two-goal cushion at the break. Smart Osadolor sealed the win in the last minute when he capitalised on a defensive mistake to help the Borough Briggs side move into third spot.
Albion Rovers jumped above Cowdenbeath and into eighth thanks to Ryan Stevenson’s first-half penalty in a 1-0 win at Central Park.
The Coatbridge side were awarded a spot-kick after 11 minutes when Aron Lynas was fouled inside the area and Stevenson coolly fired home for his first Rovers goal.