Friday 13th December, 2024 at 11:38pm
A goal in each half was enough for Livingston to see off visitors Partick Thistle 2-0.
Thistle made two changes to the starting 11 of the win over Ayr. Luke McBeth made way for the captain Brian Graham to return as he was back to fitness, while an injury suffered in that last match meant Harry Milne dropped out for Charlie Sayers. Matthew Falconer came onto the bench for his first involvement in a first team squad in place of Zander Mackenzie.
After just shy of two minutes played, Kyle Turner did well to get the ball away from the imposing Tete Yengi in the defensive third before releasing Scott Robinson down the same wing. He took a touch ahead and felt Ryan McGowan closing in forcing him to pre-emptively slide tackle the ball away from the defender before cutting in and getting a shot away which was saved.
There was serious danger of a Livi goal twice in a short space of time, calling Myles Roberts into early action and he certainly delivered. An extremely close range shot from Reece McAlear was closed down with the goalie making himself huge and turned out for a corner when it looked a certain goal. The corner was sent to the back post and met a Livingston head within six yards which the ‘keeper had to tip up multiple times to get it out for another corner.
Shortly after around the six minute mark, Roberts was tested yet again and couldn’t make the stop this time. Tete Yengi’s central header found the net to open the scoring for the visitors.
Two blocked Livingston shots from the edge returned screams for handball to no avail before Roberts could get his hands on it and send it safely away.
A free kick was delivered into the Livingston box by Kyle Turner, taking a bounce before reaching the back post where the eventual shot ended up flashing across goal and away out.
Stevie May was able to latch onto a loose ball some distance from the box but feeling the presence of defenders, he unleashed a long shot. Well struck, but Roberts’ fully outstretched arm could stop it.
Logan Chalmers carrying the ball down the right whipped a cross into the box with his right foot just shy of the 30-minute mark. With the first defender failing to block it Brian Graham was lying in wait for it but only his knee could find contact with the ball which resulted in it going high.
Charlie Sayers’ dipping ball in from the left had the better of the defensive line but Graham had to really commit his body to getting any sort of touch on it. His lunging toe made the touch, but the ball went just wide.
Half time – Livingston 1 Partick Thistle 0
Livingston started the second half positively with several balls sent across the face of the Thistle goal and a number of corners came in the first eight minutes, but a finish was lacking.
Sayers went into the book after 57 minutes as he slid in marginally late while Livingston were breaking.
Graham was unlucky at the end of a cross again as a high ball soared to the back post and started coming down towards his head, but the presence of a defender made it difficult and the captain’s effort was high.
Shortly afterwards Chalmers’ ball in from deep looked like it might be inch perfect for a Graham header but a Livingston defender used all his might to jump and swipe it to safety with his head.
Daniel O’Reilly was booked after an advantage was played for a sliding attempt to stop a Livingston counterattack. Livi retained possession and Roberts was forced to dive out at the edge of his box and palm it away.
Another home player latched on to the loose ball and had a crack, but Roberts was already on his way back to the net and could gather it.
On the 65-minute mark Kris Doolan was looking to his bench to make the difference. Chalmers and Robbie Crawford exited the field with Terry Ablade and Steven Lawless coming on.
Soon after Livingston were able to double their advantage as a ball was floated to the back post and was met by substitute Robbie Muirhead who headed it goalward and Roberts couldn’t get enough on it to make the stop.
Muirhead had another pop not long later but this time with his left foot from the corner of the box. There wasn’t quite enough curl on it and Roberts could easily gather.
Two more subs were made by the Jags with 15 minutes to go, as Sayers and Fitzpatrick left in place of Luke McBeth and Liam Smith.
Lawless with the outside of his left boot thundered the ball towards the net from distance with a small nick sending it just off course and out for a corner.
Lee Ashcroft was on the line in the dying minutes to kick clear what would have been a third for the hosts.
Ashcroft picked up a late booking as tensions heightened in an off the ball incident as Thistle kept pushing to the very last.
After a couple of threatening looking Livingston breakaways when the Jags were putting everything they had up the pitch, the late dangers were averted seeing the game end 2-0.
Full time – Livingston 2 Partick Thistle 0
Teams
Partick Thistle – Myles Roberts, Kyle Turner, Daniel O’Reilly, Lee Ashcroft, Charlie Sayers (Luke McBeth 75’), Stuart Bannigan, Logan Chalmers (Steven Lawless 65’), Robbie Crawford (Terry Ablade 65’), Aidan Fitzpatrick (Liam Smith 75’), Scott Robinson, Brian Graham
Unused substitutes – David Mitchell (G/k), Ricco Diack, Matthew Falconer
Livingston – Jerome Prior, Matthew Clarke (Cristian Montaño 70′), Ryan McGowan, Reece McAlear (Stephen Kelly 65’), Scott Pittman, Tete Yengi, Jamie Brandon (Andrew Shinnie 77’), Lewis Smith (Robbie Muirhead 65’), Stevie May (Andrew Winter 77’), Daniel Finlayson, Michael Nottingham
Unused substitutes – Marcelo Pitaluga (G/k), Ben Jackson, Liam Sole, Olly Green
Referee – Graham Grainger
