Jacobs cracker seals final day win for champs

May 6 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

KEAGHAN JACOBS’ superb first-half goal ensured Livingston brought the curtain down on a stunning season with a third win and third clean sheet on the trot.

Since being confirmed as champs, Livingston have cruised through their final three league fixtures, firing five past Montrose, beating Albion Rovers 2-0 and then on Saturday they completed a hat-trick of league wins over East Stirlingshire.

Both sides rung the changes with the visitors leaving out a handful of regulars ahead of their play-off battle with Forfar while Livingston handed final appearances to departing duo Andy Halliday and Danny Griffin.

And it was the former, heading to Gordon Strachan’s Middlesbrough, who almost snatched the opener inside 60 seconds when he flicked a Keaghan Jacobs’ cross into the side netting.

At the other end, Ryan Harding and Dave King both sent a header narrowly wide but it was as close as the Shire got.

After this bright opening, chances proved to be few and far between at both ends but Stevie Tosh worked keeper Gavin Sorley with a free kick.

The breakthrough came a minute before the break when Jacobs read a Robbie Winters flick on, lobbed the ball over the Shire left-back and then over the onrushing Sorley.

After the break the live-wire Jacobs went close with a 25-yarder which rippled the roof of the net while Halliday came close to marking his final appearance with a goal when he hooked a volley just wide.

Just before the end, Livingston took off Griffin and Halliday and they received a rapturous applause from the appreciative home crowd.

After lengthy celebrations on the pitch, a clearly thrilled Livingston manager Gary Bollan emerged and said: “It was a big day for the lads to be getting the trophy and it was thoroughly deserved.

“We said after winning the league we wanted to take nine points from our final three league matches and the boys have done that and kept three clean sheets as well.

“There have also been some very good performances as well which was even more pleasing as they’ve had nothing other than their own professional pride to play for.

“They are professional players and never want to lose any match and they haven’t let me down all season and they’ve been a credit to themselves.

“We took Andy and Danny off before the end so they could get a fitting send off from the crowd and they go with the best wishes of the club.

“We will enjoy this for now and in the next few weeks we’ll look ahead to next season and push on.”

Courier Man of the Match - Danny Griffin

Livingston: McDowall, D Jacobs, Griffin (MacDonald), Watson, Malone, K Jacobs, Tosh, Sinclair, Halliday (Fox), Winters (Barr), De Vita.