Leigh stars after Lions roar back

Dec 18 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

THE Livingston Lions finally rediscovered their roar this week as they tore Ross County apart for only their second league win since September and their first in eight games.

It was the perfect start for new boss Paul Hegarty who led his troops to Dingwall and returned with the full three points.

Star man was the returning Leigh Griffiths who shrugged off a chest infection to turn in a man of the match performance.

The teenager has been kicking his heels on the treatment table for seven weeks but he announced his return to fitness in sensational style grabbing a goal and having a hand in others for Murray Davidson and Callum Elliot.

Rocco Quinn sealed an emphatic day at the First Division office with a 25 yard thunderbolt in the closing stages.

Livingston are still just seven points off the leaders and boast a game in hand and suggest the seemingly never ending reports of the clubs demise appear to be more than premature.

The West Lothian side took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Davidson drilled home.

But despite the visitors controlling the game County forced an equaliser on the stroke of half-time through Mark McCulloch.

The new Lions chief’s words must have been ringing in his sides ears as they came flying out of the traps and regained the lead just two minutes after the restart.

Griffiths was the provider as he whipped in a cross from the left which Elliot reached to steer home.

The roles were reversed on 70 minutes when Elliot helped tee up Griffiths who won’t get an easier goal this season. A long ball over the top from full back Gary Miller drew Bullock off his line but the keeper collided with Elliot and defender Scott Boyd.

All three were left in a heap on the turf allowing Sparky the chance to gather the loose ball and net his tenth goal of the season.

And Quinn completed a memorable day in Dingwall with an unstoppable 25-yarder strike.

Man of the match Griffiths admitted he had found it tough but admitted there was no way he was going to let down his new boss.

“I’ve got a bad throat and a sore chest, but what can you do? I was hardly going to go to the new manager and say, sorry boss, I’m not quite feeling my best today’.

“I just had to get down to it and cough away,” he said.

New manager Hegarty lavished praise on the teenager.

He said: “Leigh Griffiths was superb. The boy’s got real potential and as long as we can keep his feet on the ground he will contribute more often.”

Livingston: McKenzie, Miller (Macdonald), Talbot, McPake, Davidson (Keaghan Jacobs), Innes, McParland (Cuenca), Quinn, Elliot, Griffiths, Hamill. Subs Not Used: Martini, Smith.