DIAMOND GEEZER IN OUR CORNER
Airdrie legend Owen saluted for leading Spiders up
HERO Simon Murray heaped praise on Owen Coyle for bringing the winning mentality and resilience that has led Queen’s Park to the Championship.
The striker struck an extra time penalty to earn the Spiders back-to-back promotions.
First-leg scorer Rhys McCabe put Airdrie ahead on the day and on aggregate with a sublime 20-yard free-kick 13
AIRDRIE ............. 1 QUEEN’S PK ...... 2
(aet, 90 mins 1-1, aggregate 2-3)
PAUL THOMSON AT EXCELSIOR minutes in. But just four minutes later Connor Smith swept home for the Spiders after the home side failed to clear their lines.
Then with eight minutes left in extra-time Murray, who had tormented the Diamonds all day, won and scored a penalty.
That sparked jubilant scenes in the away end as Coyle – who doesn’t officially take charge until June 1 – masterminded victory over a club where he holds legendary status.
Murray insists Coyle’s arrival from the Indian Super League in March has been a game
Easton fouls Murray changer for Queen’s. He said: “I feel we deserve that as a team because we’ve had some sticky patches. People said we were soft, we concede late goals and we’re not winners. But this proves everyone wrong.
“We’ve had a change in manager. I’m not saying it wasn’t like that before but the gaffer’s brought a winning mentality and he’s given us that resilience.
“We’ve kept clean sheets and I’m delighted because there are not many times in your career you get moments like this.
“At 30, you don’t win stuff that often. I’ve played with boys who are better footballers than me and they don’t win anything.”
Murray was the coolest man in Monklands as he sent Max
Currie the wrong way from after Dylan Easton had tripped him.
He added: “I envisioned myself scoring. I scored in the first leg on the keeper’s other side and I thought I’d go the other way. I was confident.”
For Airdrie it was play-off final heartbreak for the second year running following last season’s defeat to Morton.
Gutted gaffer Ian Murray said: “It’s hard to take, it’s raw at the moment. Obviously our boys are down.
“They are on their knees in the dressing room and rightly so because they put a lot into that – and the whole season. It’s very cruel circumstances.
“We’ve lost two poor goals over the two legs and you can’t do that in play-off games.”