Ten-man Livi dump Dumbarton

Aug 19 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LIAM FOX believes Livingston have the players and the ability to win the Second Division title this season but he knows they’ll also have to scrap and claw their way to glory too.

And the Lions skipper reckons their battling away day win, with only ten men, against Dumbarton has shown they are well stocked in the battling qualities and team spirit.

Robbie Winters’ first-half penalty had put Livi in front but Scott Chaplain levelled from the spot for Dumbarton following a tangle which also saw Michael O’Byrne sent off for the visitors.

But the ten-men dug deep and hit a late winner through Iain Russell for the kind of victory that skipper Fox believes they’ll need if they want to win the title.

He said: “It was a very tough match and I think the boys showed fantastic character to come back and win the match after losing a man.

“It was great character and we’re going to need loads of that during the season and we really had to dig in for the last 20 minutes as they bombarding us.

“We had to stand up and be counted and the boys did. It was a very physical match but I think we’re going to get that this season.

“We know we have ability and we all work hard but we also know we are all going to have to dig in hard.”

It was the hosts who had the first effort on goal of the match with Derek Carcary forcing a save from Tony Bullock with a drive from the edge of the box.

Dumbarton had an even better chance a few minutes later after a kamikaze pass across his own back line from Livi’s Paul Watson sent Paul Maxwell scampering in on goal but Bullock raced off his line and made a smart block with his feet.

There had been little to trouble Stephen Grindlay in the Sons goal until the 25th minutes when Iain Russell went down under a challenge from Ben Gordon.

Whistler Neil Watters pointed to the spot and veteran striker Robbie Winters stroked home the resulting penalty to get his tally off the mark.

Livingston could have doubled their advantage within a minute of the restart for the second-half after Kyle Jacobs and Fox linked up on the right to send over a teasing cross for Russell but he headed over the top.

At the other end Maxwell had another sniff of the Livi goal but his drive cannoned off the onrushing Bullock and looped onto the roof of the net.

Dumbarton were handed a way back into the match on 70 minutes when they were awarded a penalty of their own following a tangle between O’Byrne and Gordon.

Scott Chaplain stroked home confidently sending Bullock the wrong way and in a double blow for the West Lothian side they also lost O’Byrne to a second yellow card.

But the ten men regained the lead 13 minutes from the end when Russell netted for the third successive match after latching onto a long ball and finishing at the second time of asking.

Livingston had a late chance to add a third when sub Keaghan Jacobs sent a teasing cross over to Raffaele De Vita but the Italian’s header was plucked out of the air by Grindlay.

Dumbarton manager Jim Chapman said: “We’re always disappointed to lose but you can accept losing in the right manner.

“We were excellent today and got our pride back from a disappointing showing last week so you can lose in the right manner.

“I thought the two teams went at it well in a match full of unnecessary disruptions.

“I was delighted with the efforts of the players, just one or two wee silly mistakes and we were punished for them.

“It was disappointing to lose a goal in the manner we did and you always expect when a team goes down to ten men you’ll be the team in the ascendency but one ball over the top killed us.”

Livingston manager Gary Bollan said: “To come away from home and win three points, you’ve got to be happy.

“We had a double setback with the sending-off and the penalty and you think you might have to hang on but the boys scored a great goal to win the match.

“The guys plug away every week and they’ve done that since I came to the club. Some weeks we’re not going to perform to our best but if we can come to away grounds and take the points then I’m happy.

“We are under no illusions to how difficult the Second Division is and we know it is a step up for us from last season but we have players here capable of doing that and I think it was a well-earned three points.”

Courier Star Man: Iain Russell

Livingston: Bullock, C Barr, Talbot, Kyle Jacobs, O’Byrne, Watson, Fox, Sinclair, Russell (Malone), Winters (De Vita), B Barr (Keaghan Jacobs).