JUST CALL HIM JOHN McGRINN
McGinn’s third goal of a season interrupted by an ankle operation was off the training ground as he arrived late at the back post to volley the 53rd-minute clincher from James Keatings’ corner. As Dundee United slipped up at Dunfermline, Lennon knew the significance of that goal and he said: “McGinn was outstanding. “It’s just great to have him back, we have missed him and Fraser Fyvie who is his partner in crime. It was the same as the Dumbarton game two weeks ago, we know the significance of the result.” On a bitter winter afternoon on the astroturf Lennon knew this was about setting the tone from the start. In McGinn he has the perfect player to dictate the tempo. He was at it from the off, zipping passes into feet, always positive. His arrowed pass to right-back David Gray created the game’s first chance and veteran hitman Grant Holt should have done better from the header back than volley over. With Stephen Dobbie the lone striker, Queens were soaking it up but they almost fell behind in the 19th minute when Fyvie’s clipped Iain King
McGinn delivered another killer delivery that was flush on to Holt’s forehead only for Cummings to divert it away with an outrageous scorpion effort.
Eight minutes after the interval McGinn made the breakthrough.
Keatings’ far-flung corner found the Scotland midfielder stealing into the back post and his left-foot volley flew home with the aid of a slight deflection.
Queens almost hit back within seconds as Dobbie, who had been feeding off scraps, cleverly set up on-loan Celtic midfielder Joe Thomson and Ross Laidlaw had to plunge to his right to claw the ball past.