Livingston on cloud nine after fifth win on the bounce opens gap at top of the table

Feb 17 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

IAIN RUSSELL fired a double to help Livingston to a fifth league win on the bounce and said it could be the league leaders’ most important win of their recent run.

The Lions have turned over promotion rivals Brechin City and Ayr United in recent weeks but 28-year-old Russell believes keeping the run going this week against Airdrie United was even bigger.

He said: “We are all delighted with the win and I actually said to one of the other boys I felt tonight was an even bigger win that the matches against Ayr and Brechin recently.

“I thought it would be difficult for us to maintain the levels we reached against Ayr and Brechin so to get the three points was vital especially with their game being called off which gives us a wee extra gap at the top.

“I didn’t think it was ever going to be a classic as we had played so well against Ayr and Brechin where we had two great performances and results so it would be hard to get to those heights.

“Tonight was all about the three points and we were delighted to get them.

“It is definitely better to have the points on the board than the games in hand.

“Brechin and Ayr will both have been hoping Airdrie could have done them a favour here tonight but now they are nine and ten points behind us.

“I know they have a couple of games in hand but they’d rather have the points and maybe it does give us a psychological edge over them.”

Russell opened the scoring after skipping round Airdrie keeper Mark Ridgers then sealed the win from the spot in the second-half.

Airdrie came close to grabbing a fluke opener after just seven minutes when a cross-cum-shot by Paul Lovering almost dipped into the top corner but the back pedalling Tony Bullock managed to tip the ball over the bar.

The league leaders were dominating possession but were not creating many openings but a spill from Ridgers gave Kenny Deuchar a sight of goal but the covering Kieron Stallard spared his keeper’s blushes by clearing the danger.

At the other end Bullock was called into action when he pushed away a 20-yarder from Rhys Devlin.

Livingston then made the breakthrough just after the half-hour mark when Kyle Jacobs was sent clear on the right and fed Russell who carried the ball round Ridgers before hooking the ball into the net as the angle narrowed.

Keaghan Jacobs had a chance to add to Livi’s lead when he latched onto a Kenny Deuchar knockdown but his near post drive was smothered by Ridgers.

Then two minutes before the break Deuchar had a golden opportunity to double their advantage when he was afforded the freedom of the Airdrie penalty are and was picked out by a Joe Hamill lob.

The visitors appealed in vain for offside but the Livi No 9 controlled the ball on his chest before firing a shot straight at Ridgers from 12-yards.

Within 90 seconds of the restart Livi had another chance as Russell sprinted clear up the right touchline with Bobby Barr and Keaghan Jacobs screaming for the ball in the centre.

Russell’s ball infield took Barr a little wide and the winger slammed his shot into the empty seats behind the goal.

The Lions eventually made sure of the points on 68 minutes when Russell steered home a penalty after Craig Hill handled the ball in the box.

Airdrie went close twice in the dying minutes to grabbing a late consolation when an inswinging corner was hacked off the line, then with the final action of the match Jamie Stevenson cracked the crossbar with a dipping freekick.

Livingston manager Gary Bollan said: “We are on a good run and the boys have kept it going with another three points which I’m obviously very happy with.

“It was another clean sheet for us and if you don’t concede and then score goals you are always winning games which is great.

“It wasn’t always pretty tonight but it was effective and that’s all you can ask.”

Airdrie United boss Jimmy Boyle said: “We had a couple of wee chances at the end where we might have scored but in the first-half Livingston were by far the better side and we didn’t really start playing until they scored their second goal when we started knocking the ball around a wee bit.

“I don’t understand why the penalty was given as the ball came up at our player, hit him on the head and then on his hands. I’ve had a look at it and the ball has come in, smashed off his head and hit his hands so I don’t agree with the decision.

“There were a lot of bookings for both sides which didn't look like bookings for me as it wasn’t a dirty game. The referee could have let it flow a bit more.

“Livingston are a good team. They are the best team in the league and this a tough place to come and I think they can only throw the title away now.”

Livingston: Bullock, D Jacobs, Watson, Cowan, Talbot, Keaghan Jacobs, Kyle Jacobs, Hamill, Barr, Russell (De Vita), Deuchar (Winters).