Raffaele aids Lions’ away renaissance

Sep 24 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

Stranraer 0 Livingston 3

LIVINGSTON ended their away day blues last weekend as the Lions clinched their first win on the road.

Livi’s surprising relegation to the Third Division had began with a home win over Montrose.

But the shell-shocked West Lothian club, perhaps distracted by the then off-the-field appeals against their demotion, lost two in a row on their travels before a return to winning ways at Almondvale against Elgin.

This week, they finally shook off their travel sickness by winning on the road to climb up to fourth in the table, just two points off leaders Forfar and still with the luxury of a game in hand.

It didn't take Livingston long to take the lead at Stair Park, stunning their hosts in the third minute.

Andrew Halliday, back in the side after missing the Elgin win after being stuck in traffic on the M8 a week earlier, drew first blood for the Lions by prodding home from close range after Keaghan Jacobs’ drive had come back off the crossbar.

The Stranraer rearguard were all at sea and they fell further behind just 10 minutes later when Raffaele De Vita found the back of the net.

The Italian striker dashed any faint hopes of a Stranraer revival when he crashed home Livi’s third goal, just after the hour mark, with a move straight off the Almondvale training ground.

Johnny Brown touched on to Halliday, whose first time pass for De Vita allowed him to lash the ball home confidently for this third goal in two games.

Livi boss Gary Bollan hailed his players, saying: “The boys showed they are a great bunch and I’m absolutely delighted with our performance.”

Stranraer manager Keith Knox reckoned his side’s first-half display cost his side the game.

He added: “They destroyed us in the first half and there can be no excuses.”