New gaffer unites Lions

Livingston 2-0 QOS

LIVI skipper James McPake credited new boss Paul Hegarty after the Lions netted their second win in a row under the former Scotland international to move into joint second.

Goals from McPake and Calum Elliot were enough to avenge Queens' 6-1 win at Palmerston in October.

And the defender said: "The gaffer has brought the buzz back to the place. Everybody was a bit down. He is enthusiastic, his training is good and sharp and everything is going great.

"It was a tight game. We didn't start well but we knew we would get chances so we were happy to defend."

Hegarty faced his first home game match with the home support in an expectant mood after the Lions thumped Ross County last week.

He is expected to bring in a host of new faces in the January sales as he looks to stamp his own identity on the side.

And the Lions got off to a roaring start, playing as if their careers at the club depended on it.

Despite the tough tacking and the home side's dominance, chances were hard to come by and it took until the half hour mark before the away rearguard was tested.

Anthony McParland slipped the ball to the onrushing Dave Mackay to curl a delicious cross into the box. Striker Leigh Griffiths was able to get in front of his marker but the youngster's header was easily saved by Bryn Halliwell.

null

The Lions had a more direct approach than under previous manager Roberto Landi and almost took the lead through a speculative lob into the box at the start of the second half.

Mackay floated a free-kick into the penalty box from the touchline after Griffiths had been fouled by Jamie McQuilken. Elliot somehow managed to remain unmarked at the back post but the striker's header flashed just wide of the upright.

The Doonhamers failed to learn their lesson and a minute later, the Lions were ahead with a carbon copy effort.

Mackay once again swung in a free kick from the touchline. Griffiths was the target this time and the striker nodded the ball on to McPake to power his effort into the net from close range.

Five minutes later and the floodgates had opened as the defensive frailties of Gordon Chisholm's men were once again exposed.

Elliot was allowed the time to pick up a loose ball at the touchline, cut inside and beat Halliwell at the near post with what can only be described as a tame effort.

Queens shot themselves in the foot and forgot any attempt at a come back with ten minutes to go as centre-half Craig Barr was given his marching orders for his second caution of the day for dissent.

Doonhamers gaffer Chisholm was furious with his defender for his rash sending off.

He said: "If he has been sent off for dissent then I will hammer him. I will not accept that and we are in no position at the moment to accept that.

"We have five or six players out and then we lose a player for next week for stupidity. I am not accepting dissent and it's something we'll deal with internally.

"We do not look as if we will score and if you do not look like you will score and then you concede two goals like that, it is a hard task and a real big ask for the boys - but we just need to keep working away."

LIVINGSTON: McKenzie, Mackay, Talbot, McPake, Davidson, Innes, McParland, Quinn, Elliot, Griffiths (Smith 86), Hamill.

QoS: Halliwell, Reid, McQuilken, MacFarlane, O'Connor, Barr, McGowan, Simmons (Robertson 82), Kean, Dobbie (Weatherston 71), Kinniburgh (Thomson 62).

null

Dundee 0 Partick 0

FURIOUS Dundee boss Jocky Scott rounded on his shot-shy players after they scraped a goalless draw.

The Dens Park gaffer was raging with his team after they produced the worst performance of his reign so far against the in-form Jags.

Scott was without key players due to a flu bug, but he insists that is no excuse for his team's showing and they have now slumped to second-bottom of Division One as a result.

The only highlight for the veteran gaffer was the performance of former Scotland keeper Rab Douglas, who kept the Jags at bay and made a stunning double save to deny Gary Harkins and then Mark Roberts.

Scott fumed: "Rab Douglas saved us from defeat and the performance wasn't good enough. We didn't do enough when we had the ball and allowed them to dictate. It was a poor performance and we were never at the races."

Thistle should have had this game wrapped up but missed a host of chances, with hitman Liam Buchanan the biggest culprit of all.

He should have nodded a free header into the net after 12 minutes, but flicked it wide, then missed another chance which Douglas smothered.

Jags boss Ian McCall said: "We created enough chances to win but we came up against a keeper in great form."

DUNDEE: Douglas, Malone (Forsyth 87), Williams (Daquin 71), Lauchlan, McKeown, McHale, Shinnie, Pozniak, Antoine-Curier, Deasley (McMenamin 71), O'Brien 6.

PARTICK TH: Tuffey, Paton, Twaddle, Kinniburgh (Donnelly 49), Storey, Robertson, McKinlay, Rowson, Buchanan, Roberts, Harkins.

Airdrie 1 St Johnstone 1

DELIGHTED Diamonds boss Kenny Black refused to take the credit after super-sub Stephen Maguire grabbed a last-ditch equaliser.

High-flying Saints looked set to extend their lead at the top of the table when Liam Craig fired in an 82nd minute penalty.

But Maguire nodded home a dramatic leveller to give the basement boys a deserved point.

Black said: "At 0-0 you are frightened to make a change in case it backfires, but after the penalty my hand was forced.

"Luckily the change worked for us but I thought a draw was the least we deserved.

"The effort we put in was night and day compared with recent performances. Looking at the table we are still detached but this result will give us a lift."

Airdrie almost broke through when Steven McDougall's well struck shot was well blocked by keeper Alan Main.

The Diamonds should have gone ahead on the stroke of half-time when Joe Cardle's corner was headed to Simon Lynch by Marc Smyth.

However, from inside the six-yard box he hooked the ball over the bar.

And Lynch was denied again on the restart when his netbound shot from Cardle's cross was cleared off the line by Craig.

Saints squandered an even better chance when Stevie Milne's cross picked out Derek Holmes racing in at the back post but the big striker somehow hooked his effort wide of a gaping goal.

Saints then looked to have pinched all three points when Craig netted from the spot following Willie McLachlan's trip on Andy Jackson.

But Maguire nipped in to head Cardle's cross behind Main in the dying seconds for a draw.

Gutted Saints gaffer Derek McInnes groaned: "It's definitely two points dropped and it is hugely disappointing."

AIRDRIE: Robertson, Smyth, McLachlan, McDonald, Donnelly, Nixon (Maguire 85), McDougall (Watt 85), McKenna, Lynch, McLaughlin, Cardle.

ST JOHNSTONE: Main, Irvine, Craig, Morris, Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Millar, Hardie (Sheerin 77), Holmes, Milne (Jackson 70), Samuel (Swankie 67).

Morton 2 Ross County 1

SPLASH HIT Brian Wake headed the second half winner then deflected the praise on to Ton fans who swept flood water from the stand to ensure the game kicked off.

Fans worked overtime to clear flood damage and sweep water from the corridors of Cappielow.

And after nodding the winner Wake said: "They are different class,

"The pitch was fine but it was really the conditions inside the stadium which caused the problems so well done to everyone who helped out."

Stevie Masterton crashed a free-kick against the County bar from almost 30 yards.

But County went ahead when Scott Morrison swerved a tremendous low free-kick around the wall.

Masterton levelled with a 25-yard free-kick that ripped straight through the wall and Wake glanced home what proved the winner following yet another telling free-kick from Masterton.

This time he fired the ball from the right towards the back of the box where Stewart Greacen headed towards goal and Wake nodded it further away from keeper Tony Bullock high into the right of the net.

Home boss Davie Irons said: "I didn't think there was much in the game, but we did have the better chances."

Furious County boss Derek Adams body- swerved reporters afterwards saying: "I am not doing the press today."

MORTON: Cuthbert, MacGregor, Smith, Shimmin, Greacen, Jenkins, Finlayson, Masterton, Wake, Russell (Grady 60), McAlister.

ROSS COUNTY: Bullock, McCulloch, Keddie, Dowie, Boyd, Watt (Gardyne 78), Hart (Higgins 69), Brittain, Craig, Scott, Morrison (Strachan 62, 4).

Dunfermline 4 Clyde 4

JIM McINTYRE cursed Dunfermline's home form after they needed a late goal to snatch a point in a dramatic draw at East End Park.

The Pars came from behind to take a 2-1 lead, but they had to scramble to rescue a point after Clyde stormed 4-2 in front.

Player-manager McIntyre said: "It was an excellent match for the fans, but you have to be disappointed scoring four goals at home and not coming away with three points. We seem to be doing well on the road, but playing at home, we have been poor.

"It is something we will have to put right if we want to be challenging for the league."

Clyde took the lead after only 29 seconds when a neat ball over the top by Willie McLaren was controlled by Alan Trouten before he fired past Paul Gallacher.

The Pars were level after 10 minutes when Graham Bayne was fouled inside the box and Stephen Glass netted the penalty.

And the home side moved ahead in the 47th minute when a Rory Loy cross found Andy Kirk unmarked at the back post to head in.

Dunfermline's lead lasted just three minutes as Trouten's corner found Chris Higgins, who rose above the defence to head past Gallacher.

Clyde edged ahead after 65 minutes when a low shot by Pat Clarke was fumbled by Gallacher and the ball crept in at the far post.

Clarke looked to have won it when he netted his second five minutes later.

The Pars pulled one back two minutes later when Kirk slotted into an empty net following a poor clearance by keeper David Hutton. And they grabbed a deserved equaliser in the 79th minute when Nicky Phinn burst through the defence to slot home.

Clyde boss John Brown said: "At the start of the game we'd have taken a point, but when you go 4-2 up with 20 minutes to go you are disappointed with a draw."

DUNFERMLINE: Gallagher, Woods, McCann (McIntyre 73), Phinn, Shields, Thomson, Loy (Harper 64), Glass, Bayne, Kirk, Burk (Holmes 64).

CLYDE: Hutton, Lowing (McKay 84), Brown, Higgins, Gibson, Lithgow, Trouton, Wilson, Clarke, Gemmill (Waddell 44), McLaren.

This article has 0 comments