Saturday 24th 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
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