Livingston slam seven past Clyde in Scottish Cup rout

Dec 17 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LIVINGSTON mauled Clyde on Monday night to march rampantly on to meet Dundee in the Scottish Cup fourth round after finally seeing off the Bully Wee at the FIFTH attempt.

Fog, frost and a Broadwood draw had seen the sides Scottish Cup duel drag on into an epic but it was a case of fifth time lucky for Livi who tore the Second Division strugglers apart in a scintillating six-goal second-half.

The game was tied at 1-1 at half-time following goals from Keaghan Jacobs and Alan Lithgow but Livi booked their place in the fourth round with six stunning strikes.

Skipper Liam Fox fired Livi ahead with a 20-yard volley three minutes into the second-half before Robbie Winters struck 90 seconds later.

Andy Halliday pounced on a calamitous error from Clyde keeper Callum Reidford to add a fourth on 51 minutes before Halliday netted again shortly after the hour for his third goal in two games.

Winters scored a glorious sixth two minutes later before Fox ended the rout ten minutes from the end as the Lions bit back hard after losing their first match in ten on Saturday.

Livingston took the lead after just four minutes when the Third Division leaders countered at breakneck pace from a Clyde corner turning a defensive situation into an attack outnumber the visitors three to one at the back.

Robbie Winters carried the ball down the inside right position and helped it across goal to Liam Fox who shot against Callum Reidford’s legs.

But the loose ball was knocked back into the box where Keaghan Jacobs followed it up and slid it into the net for the opener.

It was the fourth time Livi had taken the lead against the Bully Wee but the visitors levelled just seven minutes later with a wondrous free kick from Alan Lithgow.

The scorer of Clyde’s leveller last week was at it again as he fired past Roddy McKenzie from fully 35 yards which bounced infront of the Livi keeper and sneaked inside the near post.

Chances were coming at both ends and Cammy MacDonald was the next to go close with a powerful header which whistled by Reidford’s post.

Jacobs had a chance to restore Livi’s lead on 18 minutes when played clean through on goal but elected to pass instead of shoot.

Joe Hamill and Winters had combined well on the right to send Jacobs in one on one with Reidford but with just the keeper to beat he tried to pull the ball into the centre of the goal where there were no amber shirts following up and Clyde cleared.

A minute later Reidford was again called into action when he parried a Raffaele De Vita drive as Livi turned the screw.

The ever-involved Jacobs should have scored his second of the game in first-half stoppage time when he raced in again but Reidford hurtled off his line and made another brave block at close range.

Livingston started the second-half in the same fashion they started the first but this time they struck with three goals inside the opening five minutes.

The first was a thunderous volley from skipper Liam Fox who smashed the ball home from 20 yard.

Winters was the next on the score sheet just 90 seconds later when he spun and sent a right foot volley just inside the far post.

Livingston added a fourth seconds later following a clanger from keeper Reidford who let a pass back roll over his foot and as he attempted to scoop the ball off the line Andy Halliday slid in to net.

It could have been worse for the shell shocked Second Division strugglers as the woodwork came to their rescue when De Vita rattled the inside of the post following a 20-yard drive.

It was all too easy for Livi who scored a fifth on 65 minutes when a quick free kick from Hamill caught the Clyde defence sleeping and Halliday raced in and drove past Reidford.

The goals were flying in and Winters bagged his second of the night when he latched onto a Jacobs through ball and clipped the ball over the advancing Reidford.

Clyde survived a strong penalty appeal when sub Kyle Jacobs was scythed down in the box but ref Craig Charleston waved play on.

David Winters should have scored a seventh for Livingston but he fired over the bar after racing in behind the ropey Clyde defence.

But the younger of the Winters’ siblings did have a hand in his sides seventh goal when his shot cannoned back off Rediford’s chest straight into the path of the onrushing Fox who lashed home to cap a miserable night for Clyde.

After the match Clyde boss John McCormack warned his side to shape up or be shipped out.

He said: “A lot of questions were answered for me whether the players were going to be good enough and whether they will be up for the fight.

“I think there was a lot who weren’t and these players need to either learn to fight or be replaced.”

Attendance: 690.

Livingston: McKenzie (McDowall), Brown, Talbot, Watson, MacDonald, Keaghan Jacobs, Hamill (Kyle Jacobs), Fox, Halliday, R Winters, De Vita (D Winters). Subs: Griffin, Sinclair.