Livingston put three past Montrose to go top of Third Division

Nov 5 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

TEN-MAN Livingston marched to the top of the Third Division with a 3-0 mauling of Montrose on a day where the Lions bared their title teeth.

Second-half goals from Rafaelle De Vita, Andy Halliday and Marc McNulty sealed a prized away win in which both sides were a man down by the interval.

Livingston full-back Jonathan Brown was the first to see red after just 22 minutes for a lunge on John Gemmell but referee Bobby Madden levelled matters by sending Sean Anderson packing just 13 minutes later for a clash with Andy Halliday.

It looked as if it would be a long afternoon for Gable Endies keeper Steven Coutts after Robbie Winters wriggled free inside 60 seconds. The ex-Scotland striker drove the ball against the keeper’s legs before Winters had another chance a few minutes later but his well struck drive was blocked by Chris Hegarty who flung his body in the way.

Montrose weathered the early storm and Anderson fizzed a drive narrowly over the bar after Marek Tomana’s threaded ball.

Then a rush of blood to the head ended Brown’s participation in the match after he lunged in on Gemmell following a poor pass straight to the Montrose man.

It could have been even worse for Livi as Chris Hegarty bent the resulting free-kick just past the post with Roddy McKenzie beaten.

Montrose went even closer on the half-hour mark when another Hegarty delivery split the Livi defence and Hugh Davidson smacked the face of the crossbar with a diving header from 14 yards.

Anderson followed Brown in for an early bath ten minutes before the break after a clash with Halliday – much to the disapproval of the home crowd who reckoned the Livi star made the most of it.

On the stroke of half-time the visiting fans thought they had a penalty after De Vita cushioned a long ball on his chest and had his heels clipped inside the area.

However, the hosts were saved by the assistant referee’s flag who ruled De Vita had strayed fractionally offside.

Despite playing with just ten men Livingston manager Gary Bollan opted to preserve his offensive options and persevered with two strikers up top.

And it began to pay dividends in the second-half as his side forged a series of openings.

The first fell to De Vita who was picked out by Halliday and forced a flying stop from Coutts with a near post drive.

It was however just a matter of time until Livingston made the breakthrough and it was De Vita again on the end of a move but this time he made no mistake, expertly controlling a high ball and lashing home under the keeper from 12 yards.

Liam Fox had a go from the edge of the box which forced Coutts into action again but at the other end Montrose sub Daryl Nicol should have levelled matters.

Nicol fashioned a chance inside the Livingston box but with just Roddy McKenzie to beat he pulled his shot wide of the far post.

Normal service was then resumed with Livi in the ascendency and creating the far better of the chances.

And stopper Cammy MacDonald, still searching for a first ever senior goal, sent a left footed curler a matter of inches the wrong side of the post from distance.

A second goal did arrive ten minutes from the end for the Lions and as fate would have it, the subject of the home fans jeers and whistles Andy Halliday would be the man to score it, lashing home high into the net from 12 yards.

Livingston weren’t done there and they piled on the agony for Montrose in the final minute when Marc McNulty scored with his first touch on his first ever senior appearance after coming on as a late sub.

Livingston manager Gary Bollan said: “We are top of the table now and that’s a nice place to be sitting. We obviously hope we can stay there and our fate is now in our own hands.

“If we keep winning then the league is in our own hands and control.

“It was a decent game and one with plenty excitement about it. I felt Brown made a bad pass which was cut out and tried to rectify it and dived in. The ref felt it was a sending off so we have to accept it. I didn’t see the clash for their sending off so I can’t really comment on it.

“Halliday is big enough and old enough to take these sort of things on the chin. If he wants to progress and play at a higher level then this is something he’ll have to get used to.

“I was also delighted to give McNulty his first taste of senior football and he showed great composure to score. We’ve seen his quality every day in training and we’re all over the moon for him.”

Montrose manager Steven Tweed added: “Livingston are a good team and will be up there at the end of the season.

“It is hard enough to play a full-time team with a full complement of players never mind with ten men against ten men. The boys worked hard and that’s all I can ask.

“I thought the first one was a definite sending off offence but I didn’t see the incident for the second one. We didn’t utilise the extra man as well as we could have when we had it. It was end-to-end stuff and plenty chances but it was a poor, poor goal we lost.”

Courier Man of the Match – Rafa De Vita

Att: 433

Livingston: McKenzie, Brown, Sinclair, Griffin, Talbot, Fox, MacDonald, Keaghan Jacobs, De Vita (Kyle Jacobs), Halliday (McNulty), Robert Winters (David Winters). Subs Not Used: Moyes, McDowall.