A LEIGH Griffiths penalty in stoppage time grabbed a point for Livingston, who trailed by two goals with a minute to go. Griffiths netted after Ryan McCann hauled down Murray Davidson, just 30 seconds after David Winters netted from close in with his
first touch after coming off the bench.
Livingston, who have failed to win away from home since before Christmas, had not won at Palmerston in nine years. And their hopes of ending that dismal record were not improved when they passed up two chances in the space of 30 seconds. Eleven minutes had gone when Griffiths found himself in the clear but Queens keeper Lee Robinson blocked his angled shot with his legs, before Armand One suffered a similar fate from the same spot.
Queens broke the deadlock in spectacular style in 36 minutes. Barry Wilson, who had only come on seven minutes earlier in a tactical change for Andy Aitken, cracked a sensational shot high past McKenzie from 25 yards, his fifth goal for the Doonhamers in 10 games.
Livingston should have been left short-handed five minutes after the restart but midfielder Murray Davidson escaped with a yellow card after a dreadful lunge on Robert Harris. Queens doubled their tally in 55 minutes when Stephen Dobbie notched his 15th strike of the season, drilling a low 15-yard angled drive from the left across McKenzie and into the far corner of the net.
Livi should have thrown themselves a lifeline in 63 minutes when a Griffiths free kick was blocked and fell perfectly for Davidson 10 yards out, but he shot straight at Robinson. Three minutes later they finally pulled a goal back when Griffiths raced clear to slide the ball under Robinson.
Any hopes of a comeback should have gone five minutes from time when Stewart Kean found Dobbie in space to turn and curl a marvellous 16-yard shot high into the net.
The full article contains 345 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
