Amy �s Stevie

I risked wrath of pop star girlfriend Amy Macdonald by scoring aganst Rangers, admits Falkirk's Steve Lovell

Jan 19 2009 By Colin Duncan

STEVIE LOVELL says he risked the wrath of pop star girlfriend Amy Macdonald by giving Falkirk a shock lead at Ibrox on Saturday.

The Scottish singer is a Rangers fan and has never hidden her love for the Glasgow giants but she put her allegiances to the side at the weekend to cheer on her boyfriend with the rest of the Bairns fans.

And her presence in the Ibrox crowd appeared to bring the best out of Lovell who produced his best performance since joining Falkirk in the summer.

The striker slotted home the opening goal with a clever run and cool finish and his pace caused problems for the Gers defence all afternoon.

Lovell said: "I didn't speak to Amy after the game. She left Ibrox right afterwards as she had to fly to Milan for a gig.

"She's said before she's a Rangers fan but she was at this game to support me - she was in the away end for a change and sat with my parents who were up from England to see me play."

Falkirk held the lead until first-half injury time when referee Willie Collum, who had an abysmal afternoon, awarded the home side a soft penalty.

The official then made the visitors' task even harder by dismissing Patrick Cregg at the start of the second half and Lovell feels the two calls cost his side the chance of causing an upset.

He added: "I don't want to say too much about the referee but his decisions changed the game.

"I didn't see the Cregg incident but from what everyone else is saying it was never a sending off.

With the penalty decision it just didn't look it was one.

"There were a lot of angry men in the dressing room at half-time as we felt we'd worked hard and were disappointed to be at 1-1.

" I felt we had the second half to go out and prove ourselves again but we didn't do that.

"We started the game well and made good use of the ball. The problem was that as soon as we scored we stopped playing.

"It was as though it was the worst thing that could have happened to us.

"It's something which has been going on throughout the entire season - we need to start taking games by the scruff of the neck when we go ahead.

"We came into this game thinking we could get something as we do when we play any side in the SPL but we need to win games and pick up points."

On new signing Steven Pressley, Lovell said: "He'll be a terrific player for us.

"He's got loads of experience and that will help the younger lads in the side."