BY ALAN TEMPLE – Capital City Press
Gary Oliver is adamant the camaraderie in the Queen of the South camp will ensure they bounce back from their Livingston nightmare.
Queens capitulated against Livi – who were bottom of the Championship prior to kick-off last weekend – and succumbed to a shock 4-1 defeat against Mark Burchill’s men.
Skipper Chris Higgins savaged his side’s performance, insisting the Lions ‘wanted it more’ and branding Queens’ display as ‘unacceptable’.
And while there were angry words in a ‘gutted’ dressing room after the match, former Hearts kid Oliver believes the togetherness of the squad will mean an immediate response against Alloa today.
The 20-year-old said: “It was hugely disappointing to lose to a team which, in my opinion, are not as good as us – so we really need to bounce back with a win, and I’m confident we will.
“This is a group of boys that will not let their heads go down. We all help each other and, if things are not going well, we’ll stick together. We know this season has not been ideal but we’ll work hard and I’m sure things will improve.
“It’s a tight-knit dressing room and we all look out for each there. Sometimes things don’t go your way and that’s when you need a good bond in the squad.
“We were all gutted last week but we’ve put that to bed now. The manager might look to change a few things and I’m sure we’ll get back to winning ways.”
Oliver, a deadline day signing from the Jambos, has already made 10 appearances for the Dumfries’ outfit and admits he is relishing the responsibility of being a first-team regular.
And he reckons he has learned more in three months for Queens than he ever could sitting on the bench at at Hearts.
Oliver added: “There’s definitely a lot more to come from me. This is my first season playing first team football and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I’m playing every week – if I’m not starting then I’m getting minutes off the bench – and I’m learning all the time.
“I feel that over the last few weeks I have developed more than I did at Hearts. First-team football is what I wanted – and I’m a better player for it.”
