Steven Bell Post QOS

Bell boy boost wears off at Palmerston. "It is always hard when you give goals like that away.

A week is a long time in football probably only surpassed if you are an overdue mum-to-be. While Steven Bell's on field fortunes plummeted from a fine win at Firhill to farcical defeat at Palmerston at least his wife Louise had a more comfortable Saturday. Last week's cradle celebration was to honour the birth of baby Nicholas Bell just 32 hours before. Steven explained the previous weeks act:-

"Wee Joe asked me before the game if I was going to do it if I scored, obviously I never scored but then Kirkie scored. Joe said are we doing it? Are we doing it? I said if you want and then Joe started, I joined in and then everybody did it."

The babe in arms celebration came about after Louise gave birth to a baby boy in Glasgow's Southern General Hospital on the Friday morning before the Partick game, weighing in at 8lb 7oz.

"I was surprised to be playing never mind getting the full 90 minutes against Partick because I had hardly slept. After the Rangers game she went into hospital but then got sent home. Then she went in on the Wednesday morning at three but the same thing again, she got sent home at seven. Then next time they kept her in and I went in on Thursday morning at eight o'clock but she didn't have the baby until 12 minutes past eight the next day. I was up for a full 24 hours."

An emergency caesarean had been necessary after Steven had missed three days training but Jim McIntyre had been very understanding:-

"I phoned the gaffer but he said just take the days off because it is a big moment in your life. I was surprised to be playing against Partick but I had got a good sleep on the Friday night. After living on takeaways when I was staying at the hospital, I got a good meal."

Footballers being footballers there had been a sweep on the day the baby would be born but the new Dad came out the winner:-

"The boys were saying it was a fix. Seven of us picked a day out of the hat and I got Friday, that was the Thursday before. Burkie and Nicky got Saturday and Sunday but I drew Friday."

One son and £70 better off, Steven spent this Friday night staying with his Mum since he wanted to be fresh for the game at Dumfries. Unfortunately he was to leave Palmerston with nothing to celebrate. A win would have put the Pars four points ahead at the top, instead the only consolation for their 2-0 defeat was Raith Rovers failure to win at home. The new Dad had praise for his former club, Stirling Albion:-

"It is harder to take this defeat because Raith lost. I said before the game that Raith would struggle against Stirling because Raith are the kind of team that likes teams to come at them, but they were not going to get Stirling to come out against them. Stirling won 2-0 which is a good result for us but it is a long season - there are going to be ups and downs all season. This is a downer today but hopefully we will bounce back in two weeks."

Steven lamented the way goals were gifted to Queen of the South:-

"It is always hard when you give goals like that away. To be fair the second goal was a great finish from the boy. There wasn't much in it, but the gaffer said we weren't creative enough going forward. We were solid at the back; it was just a wee stupid mistake that did us."

Steven ruled out the possibility of blaming goalkeeper Chris Smith:-

"Big Chris Smith has been outstanding for us this season, in three games he has saved us points so none of us will be pointing the finger at him, these things happen to goalkeepers. It is unfortunate that it will be in the paper tomorrow as his mistake but a lot of the time it is not in the paper about the saves he makes for us. A nicer big guy you couldn't meet so we are gutted for him but we are also gutted for everyone else as well. If it had run through the big goalie would have been there to clear it. His starting position was fine, it was just a great strike from the boy.

"First half I thought we were the much better team; but credit to them they took their chances. They started playing the ball about really well in the second half and making it really hard for us. The second goal was a great goal but at the end of the day I don't think there was enough of us up to the game today."

Maybe the whole side should be kept awake for 24 hours and then given a good night's sleep before big away games but then its unlikely that they can all power up on the euphoria of child birth. Steven concluded:-

"Queen of the South are a hard team to play against but we should be better. When there are two or three of us off our game it is hard; we need everybody to be on their game - wingers, midfielders and strikers. I thought the defence was excellent today except for two mistakes; even the second one Higgins went to clear it but I saw it take some bobble. There is nothing you can do about that - it can happen to anybody on the park."