Livingston new boys Tosh and Hamilton score goals to earn win at Cliftonhill

Feb 11 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

Livingston new boys Tosh and Hamilton score goals to earn win at Cliftonhill

LIVINGSTON’S new old-boys Jim Hamilton and Stevie Tosh shattered the Lions’ Cliftonhill curse on Tuesday night, bagging a second-half goal apiece to earn a precious league win over 10-man Albion Rovers.

Livingston had been beaten twice on visits to Rovers’ home patch this season but it was a case of third time lucky for the table toppers who returned to winning ways.

Rovers romped to a 3-0 league cup win over Livi in August before dumping them on league duty three weeks later but this time it was the West Lothian side who took the points thanks to goals from two former Lions re-signed by the club last month.

Livingston started well and came within the width of the crossbar of grabbing a fourth-minute opener.

Home keeper Derek Gaston got himself into all sorts of trouble on the edge of his box, gifting possession to Robbie Winters who clipped a 22-yard effort onto the top of the bar.

Livi keeper Roddy McKenzie had to be alert to get down and grasp a low volley from Pat Walker at the other end as the sides played out an energetic opening.

Tosh, making his first start for Livi since his return, had the game’s next chance after he played a one-two with Hamilton and raced into the box but his shot was blocked by Gaston.

Former Albion favourite Bobby Barr showed his former team-mates a clean pair of heels on 55 minutes after he galloped in on goal but Alan Benton came across goal to make a superb sliding tackle just as the winger was poised to shoot.

The visitors went close again on the hour mark when Cammy MacDonald’s header was hacked off the line by Steven McKeown.

Walker, who had Rovers’ best first-half effort, forced another save from McKenzie at the other end as the game began to open up.

But the game turned on 65 minutes when Rovers suffered the double blow of going a man down and conceding a penalty after Phil McGrath was sent off for chopping Winters down as he raced in on goal. Hamilton sent Gaston the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick to edge Livingston in front.

Sub Keaghan Jacobs forced a late save from Gaston before the league leaders sealed the points in the final minute when Tosh burst through the Rovers rearguard before slotting into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Courier Man of the Match: Liam Fox

Livingston: McKenzie, Griffin, Talbot, Sinclair (Keaghan Jacobs), Watson, MacDonald, Fox, Tosh, Hamilton (De Vita), Winters (Halliday), Barr. Subs: Malone, McDowall.