Livingston’s second-half Ayr raid gives Lions title boost

Feb 17 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LIAM FOX netted a contender for goal of the season after climbing off the bench at Somerset Park then insisted boss Gary Bollan was right not to start him.

The Livingston skipper was suspended for the league leaders’ recent 2-0 win over promotion rivals Brechin so Fox admits he had no right to walk back into the side for their trip to Ayr after he served his ban.

He said: “I was suspended last week and the boys did really well and had a great result against Brechin so I have absolutely no complaints about not coming straight back into the team.

“That’s football and that’s the way it goes.

“I was a bit disappointed not to be starting but I’ll just keep working hard and do my best to get into the team.”

The Lions took a chunk out of title hopefuls Ayr United’s chances with an emphatic win at Somerset Park thanks to a hat-trick of second-half goals by the visitors.

Bobby Barr steered Livi in front before Kenny Deuchar and Fox’s late stunner edged them further clear at the top of the pile and in a very strong position.

The games will continue to come thick and fast for Livi as they catch up on the fixture backlog with two games a week and Fox reckons it is a crucial time for them in the title chase.

He added: “It was a decent strike but it wasn’t about who scored the goals today, it was about coming down here and getting the three points.

“It was a good result for us especially as we were turned over down here at earlier this season so we had a bit of a point to prove here.

“With the call-offs and all the games now being rescheduled we know the next six-weeks is a big time for us and for everyone as we have 12 games in that time.

“It’s going to be tough and everybody is going to be needed as well but if we go about our business the same way we did today then we’ll be alright.

“We have two games a week for the next few weeks so things could change very quickly for us.

“We are definitely still taking things one game at a time but as I said if we approach the game in the manner and with the attitude we did here that will stand us in good stead.”

A lively opening spell saw Jason Talbot shown a yellow car after just 42-seconds but Jonathan Tiffoney quickly followed him into referee Ian Brines’ book after going down in the Livi box a bit too easily for the ref’s liking.

Kyle Jacobs had the first chance of the match after just four minutes when he was played clean through on goal but the Livi midfielder shot straight against David Crawford who had sprinted off his line.

Jacobs went close with a header from a Joe Hamill corner on 13 minutes before his big brother Keaghan Jacobs warmed Crawford’s palms with a well struck drive from the edge of the box.

The visitors weren’t having it all their own way though and Michael Moffat showed good pace to beat Paul Watson to a long ball from the back before touching it off to Ryan McCann who hit the by-line and whipped the ball in but Bullock got down well to smother the ball.

Livingston had the woodwork wobbling on 21 minutes when Deuchar’s lofted effort from 12-yards bounced off the top of the bar as the league leaders searched for the breakthrough.

But a minute later it was Ayr who almost took the breakthrough when Moffat spotted Bullock off his line and tried to float the ball into the far corner but his effort drifted narrowly wide.

Their best chance fell to Mark Roberts who made the most of a long punt up the park from Chris Smith.

The veteran turned Watson inside out but his hesitancy to shoot allowed Bullock to narrow the gap and he made a good save from close range.

Bullock denied Roberts again with another reactionary stop when the frontman tried to glance a header in from a corner as the hosts began to turn the screw.

It was a different story though after the break and Livingston created a chance inside 60 seconds of the restart when Iain Russell laid the ball off to Barr but the winger’s drive was beaten away at the near post by Crawford.

Hamill was the next to go close for the visitors after combining with Russell but his shot from 14 yards rose harmlessly over the top.

The home support were screaming for a penalty just before the hour mark when Moffat and Craig Barr had a tussle in the Livi box but to be fair there were more appeals from the stands than from the Ayr players.

Livingston finally edged in front on 61 minutes when Barr arrived right on cue to rifle home from eight-yards after Kyle Jacobs had missed a cut-back from the by-line.

They doubled their advantage 12 minutes later when Deuchar was afforded acres of space inside the Ayr penalty area to guide a header past Crawford after Russell had helped on a Keaghan Jacobs cross.

But they saved the best for last as skipper Liam Fox netted their third and final goal in stunning fashion.

Keaghan Jacobs turned defence into attack with a ball down the right wing for Robbie Winters who shifted the ball onto his left foot before looking up and picking out Fox, who had made a lung-bursting run in support.

He caught the dropping ball perfectly with a left foot volley which flew just inside the post.

Livingston manager Gary Bollan said: “I’m obviously delighted to come down here and get the three points and I think a couple of the goals we scored were excellent, especially our third one and I don’t think you’ll see a better one anywhere else today.

“It was a tough game and there was nothing between us in the first-half although I don’t think we played the ball as fluently or quickly as we can but I thought our second-half performance was different class.”

Ayr United boss Brian Reid bemoaned his side’s second-half performance.

He said: “I didn’t see that coming at half-time and that was as poor a second-half as I’ve seen us play in a long time.

“I think we stood off, let them dictate the tempo of the play and we never worked hard enough. If we don’t do that, press the ball, win the second ball then that’s what you get and that’s what happened here. It is a big disappointment for us and the players know that.

“Too many players never performed today and we have to pick ourselves up. We haven’t lost a game at home like that in a long, long time so now we have to see who has the character to react.”

Courier Man of the Match: Joe Hamill.

Livingston: Bullock, D Jacobs, Watson, C Barr, Talbot, Keaghan Jacobs, Kyle Jacobs (Cowan), Hamill, B Barr (Winters), Deuchar (Fox), Russell.