Spiders shock high-flying Livi
Single goal is enough for Queen’s Park
Queen’s Park hero Aiden Malone admits he’ll have to fight it out with team-mate Adam Cummins to claim the goal that knocked Livingston off top spot.
Part-time Spiders scored the only goal of the game in 25 minutes when Darren Miller’s corner to the back post was fired goalwards by Malone and deflected into the net, writes Paul Thomson.
Replay footage suggested Cummins may have got the final touch with his knee and Malone, who was credited with the goal, said: “I don’t know why defenders claim goals, they should just be happy it’s gone in.
“The ball has come to the back post and I’ve helped it back in. For me, the keeper has tried to get to it and palmed it in and Adam’s fell on the ball.
“I ran away celebrating, but now Adam is saying it’s his but I didn’t see that.
“If it’s his, it’s his - I don’t care. It’s the three points that matter.
“Livi are a hard team to play against, but we done well.
“They are full-time and should be fitter than us, but I didn’t see that.
“We got the early goal and had to see it out at the end. I felt we dealt well with that pressure.”
League One pacesetters Livi had won three on the bounce going into this, scoring 13 times, and Malone’s effort is the first goal they have conceded in nearly five hours of football.
In 38 minutes Alan Lithgow had a great chance to equalise when he rose highest to meet Nicky Cadden’s floated free-kick into the box, but he headed well wide.
Miller should have doubled Spiders’ advantage on the hour mark when Cummins slipped him through but his sidefoot shot was turned away by Lions keeper Liam Kelly.
Lacklustre Livi were forced to take potshots from distance for much of the second half.
But in 76 minutes they thought they had pulled level when Sean Crighton’s cross was headed home by Josh Mullin, only for the flag to be raised for offside.
Spiders hung on to claim their first home league win of the season and move within five points of leaders Alloa.
Malone added: “We go into every game as underdogs, but we don’t fear anybody and we fight for each other.
“There’s no individuals in this team and I believe we will do well this season.”
After slipping to third in the table, livid Lions boss David Hopkin hit out the officials for ruling out Mullin’s header.
He said: “I’ve watched the replay and I don’t know how the linesman can give that as offside.
“It’s embarrassing. I will be cutting and clipping a few things to send to the referee.
“When a perfectly good goal is chopped off I’ve got to start asking questions.”