Innes pays tribute to goal machine Leigh

May 7 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

Innes pays tribute to goal machine Leigh

CHRIS Innes watched Leigh Griffiths score his 21st goal of the season and revealed the 18-year-old had a friendly battle with fellow teenager Andrew Halliday all the way home as to whether he had also scored his 22nd.

The second goal against Ross County on Saturday was credited to Halliday who celebrated his first-ever senior goal but Livingston skipper Innes reckons it may have belonged to Griffiths.

There was no doubt about the opening goal on Saturday as Griffiths bent a free-kick around the wall and into the net and Innes reckons the youngster is heading straight to the top of the game.

He said: “I was right behind the goal and I thought it [the second goal] was Sparky’s and the three of us had a discussion on the bus back from Dingwall.

“I’ll leave it to them to sort out though and if it has been given to Andy then it’s great to see him off the mark.

“I think Leigh is a raw talent and he deserved his Player of the Year award and call up to the Scotland B squad.

“As his captain and his friend I am very proud of him and they are further feathers in his cap.

“Over the season he has learned to take these kind of things in his stride and he is level-headed so I’d encourage him to enjoy them but to learn as much as he can especially at international level.

“Everyone here at the club is chuffed to bits for him.”

Livingston raced into a 2-0 lead in Dingwall on Saturday before a second-half collapse saw them pegged back for a share of the points.

It was enough to secure the Lions’ First Division status for another year but Innes admits to being disappointed at letting a comfortable lead slip.

He continued: “In all fairness we were disappointed to have lost a two-goal lead after starting so well.

“Sometimes it is harder to play against 10 men than it can be against 11 but credit to County who are battling for their survival and they did well to peg us back.”

The suspension of management duo Paul Hegarty and Graeme Robertson rocked the Livi camp last week but the club captain insists it had no bearing on the result in the Highlands.

He added: “We have been concentrating fully on the game and it is my job as captain to make sure the players are focused on that alone and not anything off the park.

“The boys have accepted what has happened and it is outwith our control and it is our job to concentrate on winning matches.

“We have another game on Saturday against Queen of the South and that is a game there to be won for us.

“The fans are coming and paying their hard-earned money and it is up to us to do our best and put in a performance. We’ve had some good games against them and we expect another one on Saturday.”