Shamal George reveals reason for Livingston tears and huge inspiration in the stands after penalty heroics

Emotional Shamal George revealed the sight of his cancer battling mum in the stands was the inspiration for what could be one of the biggest saves of his career.

The towering goalkeeper was the Livingston hero on Saturday with a second half penalty stop as the Lions beat St Mirren to end a 17-game winless run in the league and give their top flight survival hopes a huge boost. But George admits the joy of producing what could be a relegation battle turning point for his team was nothing compared to the tear-jerking moment he shared with his mum Kerry on the touchline after she travelled north from Liverpool to see him in action.

George may be battling relegation. But his beloved mother is in the midst of a far more serious fight after being diagnosed with breast cancer late last year. And the 26-year-old said her presence as he and his Lions team mates produced a courageous performance to win 1-0 through Teti Yengi’s goal was a massive motivation.

George said: “I had my mum in the crowd. She is a bit ill at the minute. To have her there was great. It was very emotional after the game, to be fair. But it’s what we do this for. It’s the best feeling in the world to put performances like that on when she is there. It meant a lot to me that one.

“Mum lives in Liverpool. She tries to come up every few months if she can. She got diagnosed with breast cancer about three or four months ago. That’s why I was emotional at the end of the game.

“She said she was so proud of me, that’s why I broke down crying. It meant the world to me. She came up on her own on the train. It was meant to take her three-and-a-half hours but it ended up five-and-a-half because she got on the wrong train. Hopefully she can come up a lot more. She can be my