Livingston keeper Tony Bullock knows from painful experience how a league lead can be lost

Feb 24 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

Livingston keeper Tony Bullock knows from painful experience how a league lead can be lost

TONY BULLOCK knows only too well that a comfortable lead at the top of the pile at this stage of the season is never a guarantee of title glory.

Livingston are presently sitting pretty with an eight-point gap ahead of the chasing pack at the top of the Second Division but veteran keeper Bully knows how easily that can change.

He was part of the Dundee squad who looked to be romping to the First Division championship last season before eventual winners Inverness Caley Thistle reeled them in from 12 points behind to take the title.

Speaking after Livi’s weekend win over Stenhousemuir, he said: “Saturday was a good day for us with us winning and also with Brechin also dropping a couple of points .

“However, I was at Dundee where we squandered a 12-point lead and lost the league by 10-points which made an amazing 22-point turnaround.

“There is absolutely no-way we are taking anything for granted as I went through it all last season and it is tough to take.

“We’ll be back in training this week and start working hard again for the games which lie ahead.

“I don’t think the gaffer (Gary Bollan) would have it any other way.

“Although Saturday was a good day we’ll put it behind us and keep looking ahead to the next game.

“Near the end of the Stenny game one of their players got a header in at the back stick and he maybe should have done better with it but I managed to get across and get something on it to push it out.

“The defenders also dug in deep at the end of the game but getting the three points was the most important thing for our side.

“I don’t know where the six minutes of injury time came from.

“ I did ask the referee and he said it was for the substitutions and losing two balls in the stadium but six minutes was beyond me but although it wasn’t pretty, and was back to the walls stuff, we dug in and got another important win.

“I think what changed the game on Saturday was the sending-off.

“It gave them the impetus to push on and we had to sit a bit deeper which allowed them to get the balls into the box where they were a threat upfront.”