Away Day Review – The Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk FC.

So finally, after our Greenock trip provided the first three away points of the year, I was a little more optimistic for this one – although, given the hammering we took at home to Hamilton last time out, I really mean ‘a little’.

Early commitments meant I was in the area a good couple of hours before kick-off so it was Sportsters Sports Bar for the usual pre-match pint before heading to the ground. A steep £4 car parking charge was the first thing we encountered at the Falkirk Stadium. Given the numerous free parking areas all around the ground, I think Falkirk will find people avoiding paying that on most occasions.

The Falkirk Stadium is nice on the eye. A very attractive main stand, highly resembling Hampden does look good on approach. We were in the away stand behind the goals though and the common £15 entrance fee was paid. It was much to my delight that this time, the £15 wasn’t grudged at all. There was no big pillar blocking your view, the seats were fit for purpose and you didn’t scrape your shins open on the seat in front every time you moved.

Back to the basics in terms of food this week with a pie and tea hitting the spot. Again, no complaints on either front. Pie wasn’t burnt, had plenty of filling, didn’t fall apart after the first bite and tasted pretty good. Albeit, these are all things you expect whenever you buy a pie but as you’ll have read here, the food experiences aren’t always what you’d hope for around the grounds.

Our view of the game was fine. I’m not a great fan of sitting behind the goals, but as mentioned it was nice to take the game in with no obstacles to avoid. The fact that we got three of the five Livi goals up or end too made the view even better!

The Falkirk Stadium scores highly on the atmosphere front too. When Falkirk took the lead, you got a real sense of the delight from the home fans given the high noise level that echoed across to us. Likewise, when we grabbed our goals, it felt there were a lot more in the away end than actually was. A rendition of a certain chant by Livi fans in honour of Falkirk manager Steven Pressley sounded brilliant both at the time and on the highlights package - even better was the clear as day ‘we want six’ calls as the game drew to a close.

Overall, there wasn’t much that the Falkirk Stadium let us down with – a good view, decent food, a brilliant atmosphere, five Livi goals and three points – they’re far too kind to us!

Access – 6/10
Admission – 7/10
Pie and Drink – 8/10
Stadium/View – 8/10
Atmosphere – 9/10

Overall – 38/50

Livingston 0-4 Hamilton

Saturday 17^th March 2012 – Livingston FC 0-4 Hamilton Academical FC

With a well deserved win recorded at Cappielow the week before, it was back to home soil for the Lions as Hamilton visited the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium.

John Hughes opted to make one change to that winning line-up with Michael Scott dropping out to make way for the fit again Stefan Scougall.

Hughes would have been hoping the players would pick up from where they left off against Morton and take the game to the Accies but that hope would be dashed with only three minutes on the clock. Martin Canning’s long free-kick forward wasn’t dealt with by the Livi defence and on-loan striker Jon McShane was able to collect the ball and fire low past McNeil.

It was exactly the start you don’t want and things didn’t get much better. Jason Talbot collected the ball at left back and as he drove forward, his final touch ran away from him and with Alex Neil sliding in to make the block, Talbot lunged in, catching Neil with both feet. Referee Stevie O’Reilly was placed right in front of the tackle and had no hesitation in issuing a red card.

To make matters even worse, only 90 seconds after Talbot left the game, Hamilton doubled their advantage. Simon Mensing found Neil in the middle of the park and the Accies captain played a brilliant ball over the Livi defence for Daniel Redmond to control on his chest and rifle past McNeil for 2-0.

Two goals behind and down to ten men with only fifteen minutes played, a long afternoon lay ahead. If that wasn’t bad enough, a third Hamilton goal was to show that even luck wasn’t on our side. Jon Routledge collected the ball in the midfield and drove forward before curling a shot goal wards from 25 yards. The shot looked harmless but as McNeil got down to make the save, the ball took a horrendous bobble and looped up and over the despairing ‘keeper and nestled in the net.

It could have been four before half time after a brilliant ball from Andrew Ryan found McShane free in the box but his first touch let him down and he fired straight at McNeil from a tight angle.

Into the second half and to give credit where it’s due, Livi continued to battle on, desperately hoping that they could somehow haul themselves back into the game.

Kevin McCann and Keaghan Jacobs linked up with the latter sending Iain Russell through on goal but he shot straight at David Hutton in the Accies goal before Mark McLaughlin blocked Rory Boulding from latching onto the rebound.

Up the other end, Hamilton continued to press for more goals and substitute Mark Stewart was desperately unlucky not to get on the score sheet. A good run from Greig Spence was followed by a cross into the box which Stewart headed goal wards but McNeil somehow managed to make a diving save, tipping the ball onto the bar before Kyle Jacobs cleared to safety.

Despite that save, Hamilton did put the gloss on the win and grabbed a fourth goal as the game neared an end. Routledge went on another tricky run from the right, evading challenges from Kyle, Keaghan and Paul Watson before thumping a shot from 20 yards beyond McNeil.

Free to view match highlights, courtesy of LIVItv, available here - http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/livitv.php

Away Day Review - Cappielow Park, Greenock Morton FC.

I won’t lie, I was close to giving up on this away day review column as it was beginning to look like a bit of a jinx – 3 reviews, 3 defeats. I’d decided that a defeat at Cappielow would put the kybosh on the idea – the fact you’re reading this now though is a good sign!

So, a trip to Greenock isn’t exactly the highlight of the fixture calendar but given the fact Morton were on the end of a 5-0 defeat the week earlier, I was optimistic that we had what was needed to go there and get a result.

We got off the bus right at the ground and jumped into the nearest public house for a swift pre-match beverage. A quick look around the surrounding area and I think there’s a high chance that when pop-star Rihanna sang those lyrics ‘We found love in a hopeless place’, she was hinting that she’d met a boy from Greenock.

Anyway, drink finished and into the ground I went. Just like Somerset Park, I was faced with a £15 admission price for a poor excuse of a seating area. The first seat I attempted to sit in was broken and had come loose from the metal structure it had been screwed in to. When I did get a seat that was fit for purpose, I quickly realised I was in for an uncomfortable afternoon. The seats in front of you are far too close for anyone of 6ft plus meaning that every time I moved, my shins scraped along the backrest.

Sore shins aside, the great big pillars right in front (a la Dens Park) meant that you needed to constantly dodge in your seat every time the action moved to that area. It must have just been my bad luck that there seemed to be a lot of play happening directly behind the damned things.

Half time arrived and for the first-time in 2012, Livi were leading – so I thought I’d celebrate the moment with a cheeseburger rather than a pie. It provided me with everything I’d expect from a cheeseburger, y’know, a bun, cheese and a burger all of which tasted pretty good so on those grounds, pass marks there. The flat, fizzy juice wasn’t so good but you can’t expect everything.

Even despite the Lions going on to close out the win, there wasn’t much of an atmosphere. Infact, the most obvious noise of the day came from the collective boos of the home support towards their own goalkeeper. Given the small attendance, I guess a great atmosphere was never really on the cards but I do suspect when the place has more bums on seats, the shed like stands would stir up a decent bit of noise.

So, finally, an away day review that ended in a Livi victory! Next up, The Falkirk Stadium – same again please boys.
Access – 7/10
Admission – 5/10
Pie and Drink – 7/10
Stadium/View – 3/10
Atmosphere – 4/10

Overall – 26/50

Morton 1-3 Livingston

Saturday 10^th March 2012 – Greenock Morton FC 1-3 Livingston FC

A trip Cappielow was up next as the Lions looked to bounce back from the midweek defeat to Ayr with a first away victory of 2012.

John Hughes made three changes to his starting line-up. Injuries to Liam Fox and Stefan Scougall meant Iain Russell joined debutant Michael Scott in the first eleven alongside trialist Kevin McCann who was preferred at right back ahead of Ross Docherty.

Livi started brightly and the combination of McCann and Scott on the right looked dangerous from the off. The pair linked up excellently on the wing with Scott wriggling free into the middle and firing a shot goal wards that forced ex-Livi ‘keeper Colin Stewart into an excellent save.

Moments later though, Stewart didn’t cover himself in glory as the Lions took a fifth minute lead. Bobby Barr breezed past the challenge of Andrew Graham before pinging a pass into the path of Marc McNulty. As the young striker collected the ball, Stewart came out to narrow the angle but appeared to lose his footing, allowing McNulty to skip round him and pass the ball into the empty net for his 15^th goal in all competitions this season.

Stewart was nearly at fault again as the Lions passed up a great opportunity for a quick second. A poor pass back from David O’Brien forced Stewart to race off his line again and this time Iain Russell got there before him but by the time he found Scott on the edge of the area, the Morton defence had got back and Peter Weatherson blocked the shot before Graham cleared.

The Lions were looking comfortable but much like the way the game went at Somerset Park a few weeks back, with only the one goal scored, Morton were still very much in the game. A corner kick was only half cleared by Keaghan Jacobs and when Paul Di Giacomo delivered another cross into the box, Peter MacDonald rose highest at the back post to nod in the equaliser.

It was a cruel blow for Livi who’d dominated the game up until now but with the equaliser behind them, Morton came forward more with Andrew Jackson seeing a shot deflect over the bar then Andy McNeill pulled off a brilliant save from MacDonald’s free kick.

However, the difference this time than from the previously mentioned Ayr game was that the Lions didn’t allow Morton time to properly settle into the match and went straight back on the hunt to regain the lead.

Iain Russell, starting his first match since the end of January, was relishing playing just behind McNulty and nearly grabbed a goal from a low, 30-yard strike but Stewart got down well to turn the ball behind. Stewart wasn’t to deny Russell with his next effort though as Livi restored the one goal advantage. An excellent pass from Scott sent McCann free down the right and he drove a wicked cross along the face of goal where Russell slid in to poke the ball past Stewart at his front post. Russell’s delight was clear for all to see with last season top-goalscorer having not netted since October last year.

Livi took the 2-1 lead into half time and after the players re-emerged for the second half, the small group of travelling fans only had to wait six minutes to celebrate the lead being extended. Bobby Barr’s corner was punched clear by Stewart but Jason Talbot got the ball under control and sent a cross back into the box where Craig Barr wrestled off the challenge of his marker to head the ball into the net.

That goal eased the pressure for the Lions and they began to play some free-flowing football. Talbot and Barr were causing havoc down the left hand side and twice combined to present Iain Russell and substitute Andy Russell with chances but Stewart made two good saves to prevent any further damage.

Jason Talbot then really should have put the game beyond doubt when he was gifted an opportunity from Stewart’s parried save but with the goal gaping, the left back somehow managed to rifle the ball high over the bar.

Morton did venture forward as time started to run out and Andy McNeil was twice needed to make top saves and keep the score at 3-1. O’Brien went on a mazy run, ghosting past Andy Russell, Kyle Jacobs and Keaghan Jacobs before hammering a shot at the top corner but McNeil pulled off a stunning one-hand save to push the ball out for a corner. Moments later, Fouad Bachirou played in Archie Campbell who fired goal wards but again, McNeil was equal to the shot and tipped the ball wide.

John Hughes brought on Ross Docherty into the midfield despite the youngster having played all his first-team football at right back and straight away he got stuck in, setting up a Livi attack. After dispossessing MacDonald, ‘Doc’ played the ball wide to Iain Russell who spearheaded a three on one Livi counter-attack. However, with a goal to his name already and confidence obviously running high, Russell opted to shoot and Stewart made the save when a pass to Andy Russell would have almost certainly seen a fourth Livi goal.

As the game drew to a close, Bobby Barr had one last chance to get on the score-sheet but he sent his shot over the bar from just outside the area meaning the Lions settled for a 3-1 victory and a first win on the road in 2012.

Free to view highlights courtesy of LIVItv are available here - http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/livitv.php

Livingston 1-2 Ayr United

Tuesday 6^th March 2012 – Livingston FC 1-2 Ayr United FC

Jamie McCluskey’s late winner for Dundee just three days earlier was a real hammer-blow for Livingston but they now looked to get back to winning ways against Ayr United.

Having only visited, and lost at Somerset Park a week and a half ago, John Hughes was keen to get revenge on The Honest Men. ‘Yogi’ was forced into one change with Jason Talbot coming back in for Dean Cummings who had limped off towards the end of the Dundee match. Andrew Russell made an appearance on the bench ahead of Jack Downie.

In horrible conditions, Livi began, very much so, the better of the two sides. Stefan Scougall’s corner from the left bobbled about around the box and when Ross Docherty found Fox on the edge of the area, the skipper drove a low shot goal wards but Kevin Cuthbert was on hand to turn the shot round the post.

The Jacobs brothers combined to create Livi’s next chance of the half with a quick one-two in the middle of the park allowing space for Kyle to get a shot away but the ball sailed over the bar.

Keaghan was involved again as the search for the opening goal continued. Bobby Barr drove into the middle with the ball and slipped a pass behind the Ayr defence for Keaghan to run on to and first-time, he squared the ball into the six-yard box for Marc McNulty but Eddie Malone stuck a foot in to stop ‘Sparky’ from getting a shot away.

That attack was never fully cleared by Ayr though and after Barr worked hard to keep the ball live, he teed up Jason Talbot who whipped a low ball into the box where Kyle Jacobs flicked goal wards but couldn’t find the target.

From the resultant goal kick, the Lions took the lead. Cuthbert scuffed his kick and McNulty picked up possession 30 yards from goal and after playing a neat one-two with Kyle, he slid the ball past the ‘keeper and into the path of Keaghan Jacobs who had the easy task of rolling the ball into an empty net from all of four yards.

Moments later, it was so nearly 2-0. Kyle Jacobs again done well in midfield and after his shot was blocked, the ball fell to Scougall 20 yards out and he let fly with a shot that Cuthbert did excellently to palm away.

Livi’s lead only lasted 8 minutes though as Ayr were awarded a penalty kick. Andy Geggan, two-goal hero for Ayr against Livi in the last game, drove forward and played a through-ball behind the Livi defence for Keigan Parker. As the front man collected the pass, Andy McNeill, who had raced from his line, sent him to the deck and the referee pointed to the spot. Mark Roberts took the kick and despite McNeill going the right way, the penalty was struck well and nestled in the corner of the net.

With half time approaching, both sides had excellent chances to take the lead. Scougall’s corner was only cleared as far as the edge of the box where Liam Fox smashed a shot goal wards, only to see the ball cannon off the bar and then headed over by Kyle on the follow-up. Up the other end, some neat footwork in the box eventually lead to the ball breaking for Michael McGowan who was desperately unlucky to see his shot fly narrowly wide of the post. Keigan Parker’s miscued shot then nearly landed brilliantly for Tomsett but he couldn’t get enough power on his header and Fox was able to hook the ball off the line.

Into the second-half and Marc McNulty really should have re-established the Livi lead. Keaghan Jacobs played an excellent pass forward from deep inside his own half, sending McNulty through one-on-one with Cuthbert but the striker could only shoot straight at the ‘keepers feet. The rebound fell to Bobby Barr who teed up Kyle Jacobs for a shot but Cuthbert was equal to that too.

Keaghan was involved again as Livi went close in almost identical circumstances. This time his pass forward sent Bobby Barr clear on goal but he looked to overrun the ball slightly and Cuthbert was able to close the angle before Barr got a proper shot away.

Ayr gradually started getting into the half and came close after some good play down the left between Parker and Adam Dodd resulted in the latter twisting and turning before getting a shot away but McNeill did well to make the save.

Parker was involved again soon after as the away side took the lead. Some scrappy play on the right hand side saw ball fall to parker who dinked a cross to the back post. Ross Docherty got up well to head the ball away but Michael McGowan collected and with time on his hands, he calmly slammed the ball beyond McNeill.

Livi continued to press despite conceding the goal as they desperately fought for an equaliser. Substitute Iain Russell played in Bobby Barr who teed the ball up for Keaghan Jacobs but his goal bound effort was blocked Jonathan Tiffoney. The resultant corner from Barr was then nodded in Keaghan’s path again and after a sublime piece of skill in the box, his shot was this time blocked by Adam Dodd.

Ayr weren’t happy to simply defend the lead and also pushed on, looking to kill the game off. McGowan’s corner was fired goal wards by Roberts but Fox scuffed the ball clear from the line. Andy Geggan managed to flick the clearance back towards goal but this time Docherty blocked on the line and Parker couldn’t get on the end of the loose ball quick enough and Docherty was finally able to clear the ball properly. The final whistle accompanied the clearance and with it meant a third defeat in a row for the Lions.

Free match highlights courtesy of LIVItv are available here - http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/livitv.php

Livingston 2-3 Dundee

Saturday 3^rd March 2012 – Livingston FC 2-3 Dundee FC

With the disappointment of losing to Ayr still fresh in the mind, the visit of Dundee to the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium was a chance for the Lions to get back to winning ways against a long time rival.

John Hughes was able to welcome back midfield whizz kid Stefan Scougall after missing out against Ayr. He replaced the injured Jason Talbot with Dean Cummings dropping to right back and Scougall sitting in midfield. There was a new face in the 16 too with Jack Downie taking a place on the bench for his first involvement with the senior squad.

The game started evenly with Livi creating the first chance of any sort. Kyle Jacobs drove forward with the ball and after exchanging passes with Bobby Barr, Jacobs teed Barr up for a shot from the edge of the area but ex-Livi ‘keeper Rab Douglas saved easily.

Dundee began to take a hold of the game and were causing problems with their quick, pressing play. The home side continued to try and build attacks with passing play from the back but the constant pressure was forcing errors and after being pinned back for a long stage, Livi found themselves a goal behind.

Stephen O’Donnell’s pass forward was flicked on by Carl Finnigan and after getting the better of Paul Watson; Jamie McCluskey fired a low shot beyond McNeil and into the corner. A Dundee goal had been on the cards and they so nearly bagged a second moments later. Matt Lockwood’s corner from the left was met by Rhys Weston but his header cannoned off the post and somehow worked its way across the line and out beyond the other post for a goal kick.

That miss sparked the Lions into action and with just under 40 minutes on the clock, the game was levelled. Kyle and Keaghan Jacobs linked up in the midfield with the latter threading an excellent pass behind the Dundee back-line where Marc McNulty was able to steady himself and fire into the corner. The young forward has scored some key goals this season and he once again showed his predator like instincts in the box to grab an equaliser.

With half time approaching, both teams had chances to take the lead.

Kevin McBride did well to win the ball from Kyle Jacobs in midfield and he found Ryan Conroy out wide. His cross into the box found Finnigan unmarked but his tame volley was straight at McNeil.

Up the other end, Bobby Barr’s deep corner found Scougall at the back of the box and he tried the spectacular, volleying the ball goal wards but again, Douglas was equal to it and held well.

Into the second-half and with only two minutes played, Livi took the lead. Dean Cummings drove forward and slipped the ball inside to Bobby Barr. The winger rolled a low cross into the box and under pressure from McNulty; Dundee defender Neil McGregor slid the ball past Douglas and into his own net.

It was a perfect start to the half for the Lions but the goal seemed to kick Dundee back into life and they didn’t have to wait long before finding themselves level again. A Dundee attack was headed away by Cummings and the ball presented a 50/50 opportunity for Scougall and Weston. As the two met in the middle, Weston got the block in and the ball ricocheted over the Livi defence into the path of Finnigan and he made no mistake in smashing a low shot past McNeil.

There was a real look of offside about the goal and a number of Livi players demonstrated this to the linesman and referee but they weren’t interested and the goal stood.

With the game even, Livi had their best spell of the match and McNulty was unlucky not to regain the lead for the home side. Keaghan Jacobs slipped another terrific ball in behind the Dundee backline but McNulty took a touch too many and Douglas done well to narrow the angle and make the block with his feet. From the resultant corner, Scougall’s cross was spilled by Douglas and Barr latched onto the ball but his shot was well blocked by McBride.

Ross Docherty then did excellently to drive the ball up the left wing before feeding a pass into McNulty but Douglas again produced the goods to tip his shot wide of the post.

Dundee weathered the storm well and were soon fighting up the other end, looking for a winner themselves. A miskicked clearance from Liam Fox sent Finnigan through on goal again but McNeil managed to scoop his shot round the post. Moments later, Ryan Conroy’s pass sent Finnigan down the left but he elected to shoot rather than pass and could only find the side netting.

Dundee were definitely looking like the team who would go on to win the game and Finnigan passed up another great chance to grab a third goal. A superb piece of passing play ended with O’Donnell feeding the ball into Finnigan but again, he shot straight at McNeil who pushed the ball wide for a corner. A series of Dundee corners then followed – along with a third Dundee goal. O’Donnell’s corner from the right was glanced on by Finnigan and McCluskey was on hand to prod the ball over the line for a Dundee winner.

Again, there looked like a hint of controversy with McCluskey looking to have controlled the ball with his arm but the referee was having none of it despite the Livi pleas.

It was a real sickener for Livi who had done enough to at least earn a point. A last minute foul on McNulty on the edge of the box gave Scougall a chance to claim a point but he could only shoot straight into the wall and with that, the three points were confirmed as heading to Dundee.

Free match highlights courtesy of LIVItv are available here - http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/livitv.php

Away Day Review - Somerset Park, Ayr United.

So, in the two games we’ve covered in the ‘Away Day Review’ so far, we’ve witnessed Livi pick up two, 3-0 hammerings. This week, we were hoping for third time lucky – whoops!

A quick visit into the nearby Bowling Club to indulge in a pre-match pie and pint was a nice way to set myself up for the day that lay ahead. A quick wander round the corner and Somerset is there, in all its 130-year-old glory. A sign above the main entrance reads ‘Somerset Park – Home of Ayr United since 1910’. I’ll not lie; it doesn’t look like they’ve done much to it since then either.

Gaining access wasn’t a problem – Ayr had opened two turnstiles and the few travelling supporters were easily and quickly admitted inside. The price did stump me a bit though. I’d normally not bat an eyelid at a £15 admission fee – it’s probably around the average for the division. Difference being, not everyone else houses you in either a falling down shed or some steps in the far corner. There is of course the option of going in the stand but wheres the fun in that?

Where Ayr got it bang on though, was an old-school chip van on the far side. I like a pie at the football, don’t get me wrong, but the chance to go wild and have chips covered in curry sauce really got the juices flowing. Always being one to be exceptionally thorough with my work, it was only right that I sampled a cheeseburger with onions aswell - and that hit the spot too. Everything was reasonably priced, infact, I got change back from £5 for both of those snacks – a rarity these days.

I’m not a huge fan of standing behind the goals so I opted to stand in the corner (yes, in front of the burger van – very good!). The view of the pitch was fine, no horrible pillars blocking you but it was tough at times to judge what way the ball was moving with being so far away. The metal cage and police taped dividers to stop the, ahem, ‘masses’ of fans clashing made you feel more like you were in the jail than at the football – although given the full-time score line, the jail might have served up more fun.

Both sets of fans did manage to serve up a good bit of atmosphere. With us dominating early on and then of course going a goal ahead, the singers and shouters behind the goal were on full volume. The Ayr fans perked up as their side fought back into the game and by the time third goal went in, the noise from the home end circled the stadium. Having not won at home for four months prior to this game, the sound of relief was very clear to hear from the Honest Men.

A good trip, some great, ‘classic’ foods on offer but possibly a bit steep on the entrance price.
Access – 7/10
Admission – 4/10
Pie and Drink – 8/10
Stadium/View – 5/10
Atmosphere – 6/10

Overall – 30/50
First published in 'ROAR' - Livingston FC Matchday Magazine on Saturday 3rd March 2012.