Livingston set for Perth showdown

Feb 12 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

PAUL HEGARTY says his side must add consistency to their game if they are to evolve from title chasers to champions.

The Livingston boss admits he has been frustrated at seeing his team start games with a flurry before fading away or alternatively starting sluggishly and ending games in control.

And he has warned that he expects them to become more consistent in the First Division title run if they want to catch league leaders St Johnstone.

He said: “We have been only doing well for half’s at the moment.

“We are either doing well in the first half or the second and I keep telling the players we have to do it over a whole game as I’m looking for more consistency over the 90 minutes.

“I was disappointed with the first half showing on Saturday and the goals we lost were cheap.

“We gave them to Dundee on a plate and after that it was an uphill struggle for us.

“Roddy McKenzie really pulled us out of a big hole as he made two or three good saves when Dundee were already 2-0 up.

“In the second half we had a great reaction but I’m wanting that from the first minute to the last.

“We did ever so well to get back into the match and Tony scored a great free kick but it was too little too late.”

Star striker Leigh Griffiths was sent off for dissent during the weekend’s home defeat to Dundee and Hegarty has urged the teenager to start using his head.

Hegarty continued: “I had Sparky in to see me on Monday morning and we’ve discussed his sending off. He is still a young lad but he’s got to learn.

“To be honest I thought he was very fortunate not to get sent off in the first half for his first booking when he blasted the ball away as that could have been interpreted as violent conduct.

“He should have learned his lesson from that and we told him at half-time that some thing could happen in the second half and we wanted 11 players on the park.

“But he didn’t heed the warnings that myself and Graham Robertson had given him and his sending off made it hard for us.”

With a suspension beckoning for 12-goal Griffiths Lions’ fans have been hoping for a first look at Rafaelle De Vita.

The Italian came in from Blackburn Rovers in the summer and big things were expected from him until he suffered a cruciate ligament injury on his pre-season debut in July.

But Hegarty has ruled out an imminent top-team return for the 21 year old Roman.

“Rafa won’t be involved this weekend or the next few weeks,” admitted Hegarty.

“He’s doing really well and has had the all clear from the surgeon but he needs games before we can get him back into the first-team.

“He needs at least two or three games to get his match fitness up as his last run out was against the Rangers under 19s a fortnight ago.

“All the other bounce games have been called off with the snow we’ve had so it’s been hard to get him the games he needs to bring him up to speed.

“Once he gets a few games under his belt he will be back in my plans as he is a good player and someone who can score goals.”

The West Lothian club are just five points off leaders St Johnstone in the race to the SPL but that gap could be cut to two with Livi making the trip up the M9 this coming Saturday.

Saints are undefeated in the First Division since last August but they have been held to a draw in seven of their last nine league matches which gives Livi hope of a stunning away win.

Hegarty added: “We obviously want to win on Saturday but we’ve got to make it happen. The league is so tight and I don’t think St Johnstone have lost in 16 games but they’ve drawn up to half of them which has kept us in the running.

“They have good players and that’s why they are top of the league.

“It is such a tight league and I’ve told the players there are a lot of ‘if only’s’ in life. We didn’t do it on Saturday which would have seen us close the gap but we got our just rewards from the game which was nothing.

“Our effort and attitude has been great but sometimes you need a little bit of composure and I hope we have that this weekend.”