Five-star second-half turns tide for league leaders

Mar 31 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

RUNAWAY league leaders Livingston fought back from a goal down to launch a stunning second-half blitz that marked another giant stride towards the Second Division title.

The Lions have now won seven league matches on the bounce to move 18 points clear at the top but it looked unlikely after a poor first half against Peterhead, who led at the break.

Martin Bavidge’s 28th-minute goal was the difference between the sides as the second-half got underway but Joe Hamill, Iain Russell (twice), Raffaele De Vita and Liam Fox all found the net after the break for the rampant Lions.

Livingston boss Gary Bollan believes the reaction of the fans to his side’s dire first-half display helped spark his side into life – and saved his players a rollicking in the dressing room.

“Half-time was mild,” said Bollan. “But what probably hurt the players was being booed off at half-time after what they have produced throughout the season.

“So they came into the second half with a point to prove, and they did it in some style.

“Their performance in the second-half was night and day compared to the first. They knew what was at stake in the second-half and it was a faultless second-half performance.

“We have players in the team who can score goals and we started to get the ball wide and get crosses into the box and that was what was hurting them.

“The players agreed it looked as if there was a lack of urgency in the first half but we upped it after the break and to score five-goals on 45-minutes proves what a good side we are and I take my hat off to them.”

There were few sights of goal in the first 15 minutes although Bavidge did have Livi keeper Tony Bullock slightly concerned with a shot on the turn which flew narrowly over the top.

Peterhead then took the lead when Bullock couldn’t hold onto a Ryan Strachan cross and Bavidge was the first to pounce on the loose ball, which he rattled in despite the best efforts of Devon Jacobs on the line.

Livingston came flying out of the traps for the second half, with Kyle Jacobs striking the top of the crossbar with a header from a Joe Hamill cross.

Moments later, Russell had the home support on their feet following an overhead kick which rippled the side netting.

It was a sign of things to come as Livingston equalised on 51 minutes when Hamill arrived into the box to steer a Devon Jacobs cross past Paul Jarvie.

Livingston were turning up the heat and Fox forced a save with a dipping drive from 20 yards which Jarvie could only push back into the area, but there were nobody following up.

It was all one-way traffic now and Russell headed Livingston in front when he dived to meet the rebound from David Sinclair’s deflected drive, which had been turned onto the crossbar.

Sinclair then had a hand in his side’s third goal. Another long range drive proved too hot for Jarvie to handle and sub De Vita pounced from close range.

Peterhead sub Connor Gethins should have pulled one back for his side before the end after a long punt up the park sent him galloping in on goal but he fired wide from 16-yards.

And the misery continued to pile on the visitors as Russell headed home his 20th goal of a prolific season from another Devon Jacobs cross seven minutes from time before skipper Fox lashed home from 10 yards after De Vita had hooked the ball across goal.

The result leaves Livingston tantalisingly close to another league title and Bollan (right) is determined to push his side on to glory over the coming weeks.

“I’m told we could be seven points now away from the title,” he said. “It’s been a long hard run until now and there’s just a short distance now to get to what we want to achieve. We’ll do our best to get there.

“We have a huge game coming up against Brechin and they will travel here full of confidence after their recent results – and after turning us over at Glebe Park recently.

“I’m sure my lads will be up for the challenge of that.

“It is a nice position to be in and had someone offered me it with seven games to go, I’d have grabbed it with both hands.

“But the lads deserve a lot of credit for that and, knowing them as well as I do, they won’t rest on that.”

Peterhead boss John Sheran said: “We were really pleased with how we played in the first half and we scored a good goal but we were obviously very disappointed with the second half, but that’s what happens when we don’t quite get it right.

“Once they scored their first goal it gave them the momentum and I think we suffered badly with injuries with a couple of players going off which did affect us as we had to change things around.

“We also have a number not playing in their right position which isn’t great but for us the season now starts on Saturday where we have six games to go.

“There is no point dwelling on it as we have six games to go. Some of the things which happened confirm why we are bottom of the league but we have a chance to turn it round so that’s what we are going to focus on.”

Courier Man of the Match: Devon Jacobs

Livingston: Bullock, D Jacobs, C Barr, Watson, Talbot, Fox, Kyle Jacobs, Sinclair, Hamill, Deuchar (De Vita), Russell.