The 33-year-old’s brace, on either side of Alfredo Agyeman’s ninth goal of the campaign, helped John Potter’s side to a third win in three League One meetings with the Doonhamers this season, bringing them to the same level of points than their opponents.
With 11 games to go, just eight points separate third-bottom Kelty, who trail Queens on goal difference, from third-best Airdrieonians, in the battle for the season-ending Championship play-off places.
FC Edinburgh, promoted last season along with League Two winners from New Central Park, sit in fourth and last in the play-offs, with Potter’s side seven points behind.
This weekend, Higginbotham and his team-mates travel to the latest club, Peterhead, and the experienced former Pars star recognizes the importance of backing up his breakthrough success over Marvin Bartley’s side with another in Balmoor.
“In quite a few games this season, we’ve probably been on top for a lot of the game. Certainly Dunfermline and Falkirk at home, those two come to mind,” he said. Sport Press.
“It’s good to come out on the right side of the result and it keeps us in touch with the play-offs.
“That is ultimately our goal. By the end of the season, we want to be in and around them.”
“We need to have a series of games. This is just one result, we can’t get too carried away. We need to keep our heads down, keep working hard and hopefully by the end of the season, we’ll be there.
“It’s starting to get to the business end of the season. Every game matters. If you’re winless or losing, then the games start to sell out pretty quickly.”
“We need to have a run of games, a run of results and hopefully that can help us move up the table.”
Seasoned attacker Higginbotham has had contrasting fortunes in play-off settings in his career.
In 2012, he started for Huddersfield Town at Wembley in the English Football League (EFL) League One final against Sheffield United, which they won on penalties, and, in 2016, helped Kilmarnock preserve their Scottish Premiership status with a two-legged fixture. success over Falkirk.
Two years later, however, he was part of a Dunfermline team that crashed out of the Premiership play-offs at the quarter-final stage against Dundee United.
Higginbotham, however, is hopeful that his recent goal excess (four in his last three games, bringing his season tally to six) can help get Kelty into this term.
“I managed to start hitting the back of the net, which is nice,” he continued.
“I’ve never been a prolific goalscorer, but it’s four in the last three games. I just have to keep working, keep working hard and hopefully many more will come.”
“It’s good to get a couple of goals and three points, which is the main thing.
“We want to be looking up in the league, so we knew we needed to win, and luckily we managed to do it.”