Livingston pick up first points of the season

Aug 14 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LIVINGSTON picked up their first league points of the season with a comfortable home victory over nine-man Ross County.

In boss Roberto Landi’s First Division bow at Almondvale his troops produced an excellent performance and a goal in each half to move up to fifth in the table.

Leigh Griffiths’ third goal of an already promising season put the Lions in front before full-back Jason Talbot sealed the points midway through the season-half.

But County were left raging at referee John McKendrick’s display after he dismissed former Livi striker Steven Craig and Sean Higgins for the visitors.

From the start Livingston looked hungry for the points and signalled their intent when midfielder Murray Davidson rattled the post with a header.

Davidson’s marauding style was causing the Dingwall side problems and the 20-year-old created the opener for Griffiths who steered the ball home left-footed after 12 minutes.

But five minutes before the interval McKendrick took centre stage when he sent Craig for an early bath with a straight red after an elbow on Chris Innes when the pair leapt for a high ball.

After the break and much to the fury of County boss Derek Adams 10 became nine when Higgins followed Craig off up the tunnel for a second caution.

And shortly after Higgins’ 61st-minute departure, Livingston sealed the points when Talbot followed up a long range effort from Jean-Jose Cuenca’s shot, which was spilled by Tony Bullock.

After securing the win the Lions sat back and killed the game off but after the match Adams was raging with the man in the middle.

Adams blasted McKendrick for a performance in which the official dished out eight yellow cards and two reds.

“The bookings and sendings off ruined the game,” he said.

“Livingston became pedestrian with us only having nine players and that’s not football,” he said.

Livingston: Martini, Mackay, Talbot, McPake, Fox (Miller 79), Innes, McParland, Davidson (Keaghan Jacobs 64), Cuenca (Smith 75), Griffiths, Hamill. Subs Not Used: Cave, Jamieson.