Latapy, Rahim lose with Falkirk in Scotland

DUMFRIES: Trinidad and Tobago’s Russell Latapy and Brent Rahim suffered defeat with their Scottish First Division club Falkirk on Saturday. Queen of the South ended Falkirk’s unbeaten league away record in style by claiming a thoroughly-deserved 2-0 victory over the Bairns. Latapy, one of the Caribbean’s most successful players ever in Europe, troubled the home side with his skill in the first half. The 35-year-old Latapy, who played successfully during the 1990s in Portugal before moving to Scotland, beat several players in and around the box midway in the half but the Trinidadian was crowded out before he could get a shot in.

The hosts withstood a series of first-half Falkirk attacks, and four minutes into the second half they made the breakthrough when Sean O’Connor ran onto a pass from Paul Burns to slip it past the advancing keeper. Gary Wood made it 2-0 midway  in the second half when he connected on a cross from Eric Paton to smash the ball into the net. With twenty minutes left, Latapy won a free-kick on the edge of the box but the little midfielder sent it a yard over the bar. Falkirk were becoming desperate and nine minutes later John O’Neil smashed in a great shot after more good work by Latapy but John Dodds, in the Queen of the South goal, was equal to it, turning the shot behind for a corner. Falkirk’s player-manager John Hughes was red-carded three minutes from time for a second bookable offence.