Spiders sink Pars to reach play-off final
DUNFERMLINE ................................ 0 (0) QUEEN’S PARK ................................ 1 (1) Queen’s Park star Simon Murray knows how big this week’s Championship promotion play-off final matches are but there’s no pressure on the League One side.
The Spiders face Airdrie over two legs this week to determine whether or not they play second tier football next season after a 1-0 aggregate win over Dunfermline.
They drew 0-0 at Firhill before an excellent away victory in the second leg dumped the Pars into League One.
Efe Ambrose was sent off for the home side and the game turned in favour of Owen Coyle’s men.
Striker Murray grabbed a 89th minute goal that now sets up two huge matches for the club against the Diamonds. First leg proceedings are on Thursday before New Broomhill legend Coyle takes his side to North Lanarkshire for the second leg on Sunday.
Former Dundee United man Murray says the victory at East End Park on Saturday is huge for last year’s League Two champions but they aren’t burdening themselves with the expectation of showpiece success.
He said: “This is massive. I know it was massive for Dunfermline as well but we had a lot riding on it.
“We’ve put everything into trying to get promoted. As players you try to do the best you can and sometimes you don’t get the rewards.
“But Saturday was a nice reward to take us to the next step in the final. It’s a great opportunity. Airdrie are a good team as well and it will be a good game.
“But we’re in it - and if you’re in the final you’ve got a good chance. All the form from the season goes out the window and it will just come down to who wants it the most.
“As soon as you get out on that pitch, the pressure’s not there. The club aren’t pressurising us to go up or anything like that. You have pressure on yourself to win, no matter what sort of situation it is.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play at great clubs and score some nice goals but this goal is a special. I’m buzzing.”
First-team coach John Potter believes Spiders need to stick to what got them through to this fixture for a potential Championship crack. They finished fourth in League One this season.
He said: “There will be difficult games coming up but ones we can go and do well in. We’ll play our style in the way we have been playing.
“Hopefully then we can progress.”