Livingston 1-3 Ross County

Saturday 7^th April 2012 – Livingston FC 1-3 Ross County FC

Having recorded fantastic back-to-back away wins at Falkirk and Partick, it was time to try and recreate that form at home as table toppers Ross County visited the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium.

John Hughes had to shuffle the pack slightly and welcomed Jason Talbot back to the team in place of Iain Russell who broke his hand in the win at Firhill. Talbot took to his usual left back position with Stefan Scougall pushing up into the midfield.

A win for Ross County coupled with Dundee dropping points at home to Falkirk would have crowned the Staggies champions so Hughes would have been ensuring his players were alert straight from kick-off in an attempt to spoil any potential title party.

Livi started the game brightly and created the opening chance. Scougall delivered an excellent free-kick to the back-post and after drifting away from his man, Kyle Jacobs rose highest to win the header but sent his effort narrowly over the bar.

Ex-Lion Colin McMenamin was gifted a great opportunity moments later when he dispossessed Craig Barr on the edge of the box but Callum Fordyce got back quickly enough to make the block before McMenamin got a shot away.

Another error along the Livi back-line then presented McMenamin with a second chance and this time, he made no mistake. Andy McNeil short goal-kick put Fordyce in a bit of trouble and he could only miskick his clearance as far as Richie Brittain. Brittain quickly controlled the ball and slipped a pass through the Livi defence to Michael Gardyne who held off the challenge of Fordyce and squared the ball to the unmarked McMenamin who headed into the empty net.

It was a quick and clinical finish from County who made the Livi defence pay for some slack passing. Up until that point though, the Lions had held strong and quickly went about trying to rectify the mistake and grab an equaliser.

A nasty injury to Jason Talbot meant a first-team debut for Connor McDonald and he was involved as the home side created an opportunity. Scougall’s pass sent McDonald scampering down the left wing and after getting the better of Brittain, he found Rory Boulding on the edge of the box but the in-form front man bent his 20 yard effort just wide of the post.

Into the second-half and Boulding didn’t have to wait long to have his next chance on goal. Two excellent tackles from Craig Barr seen the ball find its way to Bobby Barr on the right and first-time, he sprayed an excellent pass beyond the County backline into Boulding’s path. Despite the heavy presence of both Scott Boyd and Gary Miller, Boulding made no mistake, steadying himself before slipping his shot beyond the reach of Michael Fraser and into the corner of the net.

That goal was Boulding’s fifth in three games and seemed to give the whole team a lift as they started to put more pressure on Fraser’s goal. Bobby Barr’s short corner found Scougall on the edge of the box and he fired a shot just over the bar. Minutes later, a driving run from McNulty seen him stroll towards goal but his shot whistled wide of the post. Another corner, this time sent in by Scougall, again found Kyle Jacobs at the back-post and this time he hit the target with his header but Fraser was equal to it, palming the ball beyond the post.

Despite Livi dominating at this stage, County’s title credentials shone through as they steamed up the park and regained the lead. Paul Lawson collected Barr’s clearance on the edge of the box and sent a pass out wide to Brittain. The County captain looped a high cross to the back-post where McMenamin leaped high to beat McCann in the air and sent a header over McNeill and into the net.

It was a cruel blow for the Lions who had looked the likeliest to take the lead and they continued to attack the County goal, now in search of another equaliser. Kevin McCann found Boulding on the half way line after evading the challenge of Iain Vigurs; he drove forward, skipping by Grant Munro before firing a low shot just past Fraser’s far post. McCann’s throw-in deep in the County half again found Boulding who turned past Munro and Morrison before laying the ball off to Bobby Barr to fire goal wards but Fraser reacted brilliantly to tip the ball over from 8 or so yards.

Livi kept on pressing and McCann’s high ball into the box was flicked on by Craig Barr but Miller managed to block McNulty’s shot before Fraser thwarted Fordyce from getting on the end of the loose ball on the edge of the six-yard area. McCann was again involved as the Lions went close, this time flicking on Boulding’s cross into the path of Keaghan Jacobs who unleashed an excellent volley towards goal but couldn’t find the target as the ball flew past the post.

As we’ve seen so many times this season, not taking your chances can come back and haunt you and that was exactly the story here. A long ball forward from Miller sent McMenamin clear down the right and after twisting and turning past Fordyce, he fired the ball into the box and despite the best attempts of David Sinclair and Craig Barr, the ball fell kindly for Iain Vigurs to side foot home and seal the three points for the Dingwall side.

Free to view highlights, courtesy of LIVItv, are available here - http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/livitv/rosscounty070412/livitv.php

Away Day Review - Firhill, Partick Thistle FC.

So, it’s been two away wins in a row and all of a sudden the away day review seems like a match happier piece in ‘ROAR’ – I was hoping it would stay this way come the end of the game.

Pre-match commitments meant I didn’t arrive to the ground until a bit later for this one but Partick were offering a decent deal in their ‘Aitken Suite’ before the game of a pie, beans and 2 beers for £3 – a cracking deal right there for those who were able to take them up on it.

’Firhill for thrills’ they say (whoever ‘they’ are?) so this one had a lot to live up to. We’re normally housed in the North stand behind the goals but this time round, we were given the North end of the Jackie Husband Stand. A welcome change personally given my preference for a side on view.

A bit of an increase in admission fee at £17 but given it was another ground with no pillars blocking the view or seats falling apart when you sat down added with the side on view meant I was more willing to pay it the extra here than some other places. Under 16’s were granted access for free, which was a welcome bonus for many parents.

The sun was out in force for this one so opted for a pie and juice this week. No thrills on the pie front but it wasn’t stuck to the tin and didn’t crack your teeth with every bite, it did lack much of a taste though. Brown sauce to the rescue…

As mentioned, our view was better than other grounds although given we were right at the far end of the stand, it did mean that we had that horrible experience of never knowing what way the ball was heading when it was in the air down the other end. We did get a decent view of 3 of the 5 goals though so that helped make up for it. The pitch itself was in poor nick given there had been a rugby match played on it the night before but that did infact work in our favour, contributing to our first goal so no complaints on that front…

An attendance of just under 2,000 was announced but even given that everyone was housed in the same stand, there did seem to be a lack of any real atmosphere. Even with what appeared to be an improved away contingent. I would have expected a bit more of a ‘feeling’. There was, of course, more of a ‘noising up’ offered when both teams scored with supporters being right next to each other but it was nothing more than friendly banter – easy to say when you’re team wins in that situation though!

So there we are, three away wins on the bounce with a midweek trip to Starks Park next on the cards.

Access – 7/10
Admission – 7/10
Pie and Drink – 6/10
Stadium/View – 7/10
Atmosphere – 4/10

Overall – 31/50

Falkirk 2-5 Livingston

Saturday 24^th March 2012 – Falkirk FC 2-5 Livingston FC

After the disappointment of the Hamilton result, a trip to the Falkirk Stadium was next on the list – somewhere all to familiar to John Hughes. Given our last match there, a rollercoaster in which we narrowly went down 4-3, not many would have expected another seven goal thriller…

Hughes’s preparation for the game was dealt a blow with both Jason Talbot and Craig Barr missing through suspension and Paul Watson dropping out with injury. This meant the team had to be reshuffled, resulting in Rory Boulding, Ross Docherty and Callum Fordyce all coming back into the starting line-up. There was also a welcome return to the substitutes bench for David Sinclair who had been out with injury since our 2-2 draw with Queen of the South back in January.

Our defence took an unusual shape with trialist Kevin McCann joining Fordyce in the middle of the back four with playmaker Stefan Scougall slotting in at left back and Ross Docherty at right back.

The opening period didn’t do much to calm the nerves of the travelling support as Falkirk went to work on breaking down the makeshift defence. An early corner into the box was met by Bairns danger man Farid El Alagui but his header cannoned off the cross bar and away to safety. Minutes later, a free-kick was again met by the head of El Alagui but this time Andy McNeil got down to make the save before McCann cleared the ball.

It was to be third time lucky for the big striker though as he eventually opened the scoring. A long kick forward was eventually flicked beyond the Livi defence and as McNeil rushed out to make the block, El Alagui got there first, dinking the ball over the stranded ‘keeper.

Having never won a game this season after falling behind, the Livi faithful may have feared a win was now a lost cause. However, with Livi’s first attack after conceding, it was all-square. A brilliant piece of passing play from back to front sent McNulty scurrying down the wing and when his cut back found Rory Boulding 12 yard from goal, the striker made no mistake, evading the challenge of Wallace and firing across the ‘keeper and into the net.

With momentum behind them, the Lions pushed on and Marc McNulty came close with a 15 yard effort that Bowman pushed wide. With halftime approaching however, Livi did snatch the lead. A brilliant pass from Bobby Barr found Scougall in behind the Falkirk backline and he teed up Boulding who, with an almost identical finish to his first goal, beat Bowman with a shot across goal and put the away side a goal up.

Into the second-half and Falkirk came flying out of the traps, trying to grab an early equaliser. McNeil made an excellent save from a long-range Mark Millar effort before El Alagui missed a glorious chance, heading over from 6 yards when it seemed easier to score.

The Livi back-line stood firm though and with just over 70 minutes played, it was 3-1. An excellent run to the by-line from Keaghan Jacobs ended with the midfield man pulling the ball back and when there was no block made by any Falkirk defenders, Bobby Barr was on hand to roll the ball in at the back post.

Livi were flying at this point and only three minutes later, a chance to make it four came calling. Scougall’s corner was flicked on by Kyle Jacobs but the ball came off Tam Scobbie’s hand and the referee pointed to the spot. Iain Russell won the argument with Boulding for penalty duties and made no mistake, sending Bowman the wrong way to increase the lead.

Falkirk refused to give up though and after some good work from El Alagui down the left, he found David Weatherston in the middle and the defender turned the ball past McNeil to offer some hope of a come-back.

That hope was erased with six minutes left to play though after Bobby Barr went on a brilliant run forward, beating two men before playing a one-two with Boulding and rolling the ball home in similar fashion to his first goal.

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