Desperate Dan rescues point for Livingston

Oct 22 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

DANNY GRIFFIN rescued a point for Livingston with a glorious free kick leveller just two minutes from time and admitted he had to bully striker Robbie Winters to get the nod to take the kick.

The Lions stopper shattered brave Berwick’s resistance with an expert execution from 25 yards and the 32-year-old revealed the goal will go down well in the Griffin family home as well.

“It’s my first goal for about four years and I’ll be able to keep my wife happy now as she has been slagging me off for not scoring goals,” he joked.

“It was a nice free-kick but it’s not something I practice a lot. When I was younger at St Johnstone and Dundee United, I was known to score the odd free-kick but over the years, following my injuries, I’ve not had the chance.

“I hit the post in a friendly with Rangers and last week, against Forfar, I hit the bar. So I was confident and wanted to hit it this week.

“Robbie (Winters) wanted to hit it but I bullied him out of the way, so I was glad to see it hit the back of the net.

“We are disappointed with the result and I don’t think we turned up. We had played well in the previous two games against Forfar and Annan and it’s up to us to put that right.”

Having won two games inside a week, Livingston came into this match in top form and soaring confidence.

Rafaelle De Vita had the hosts’ first effort on goal with a low drive which whistled just wide while Griffin had a header knocked off the line.

But it was Berwick, who had beaten the Lions at Shielfield Park earlier this season, who came closest to a first-half opener.

A long ball from the Borderers rearguard was missed by Kyle Jacobs and allowed Steven Radzynski to burst through before he cut an inviting cross back across the face of goal.

Livi keeper Roddy McKenzie was beaten by the cross and it looked as if Alan Brazil had a tap -in at the back post but Griffin, despite his momentum carrying him the other way, twisted his body to extend a leg out and get enough on the ball to take it away from the Berwick man.

Livi’s troubles weren’t over there and a few minutes later Radzynski bounced a header off the crossbar while the rebound was met by strike partner Brazil, who wheeled away thinking he had done enough to open the scoring but McKenzie made a stunning one-handed save from underneath his own crossbar to deny the visitors the opener.

Graham Guy was also denied by the frame of goal as Livi were left reeling in a frantic 60 second spell.

At the other end, a powerful defensive header from Griffin turned into a perfect through-ball for De Vita.

The ball was skipping away from the Italian – who was at full stretch – and was only able to get a toe on it, which wasn’t enough to trouble Mark Peat.

After the break, Livingston forged a couple of half chances, with the best falling to in-form Winters, who narrowly missed a wonderful cross from Keaghan Jacobs which flew across the face of goal.

The home crowd was left stunned on 71 minutes when they fell behind as Cammy Macdonald put through his own net, hooking a cross from Fraser McLaren in beyond McKenzie.

Falling behind spurred Livingston onto the offensive but it looked like it wasn’t to be there day when Mark Peat made a stunning double save to keep out a Winters glancing header and a De Vita drive.

Winters also blazed over from 10 yards after a superb clipped ball from Andy Halliday as time began to run out.

But with just 90 seconds left to play, Livingston won a free-kick when Jamie Ewart was penalised for clambering over the back of Winters and Griffin stepped up to level in spectacular fashion for a share of the points.

Berwick boss Jimmy Crease admitted losing an equaliser so late in the game felt like a defeat.

He said: “We were expecting them to have a go at us in the final 15 minutes but I felt over the piece we maybe shaded it. We hit the bar a couple of times and their keeper made a couple of saves. I’m really proud of our players and you’d struggle to say who the full-time team there was.”

Livingston manager Gary Bollan added: “We left it late but it was a great finish. We did under -perform which was disappointing but I’ve not been too hard on the players and they’ve given us great effort in the last six or seven games.

Courier Man of the Match: Danny Griffin

Livingston: McKenzie, Kyle Jacobs, Griffin, Macdonald, Talbot, Keaghan Jacobs (Halliday), Sinclair, Fox (Hamill), D Winters (Husband), R Winters, De Vita. Subs (not used): Moyes, McDowall.

Att: 815