Livi are a Rafa minute
De Vita seals it for Lions
SUPERSUB Rafa De Vita fired Livi into the quarterfinals with his late winner at Falkirk Stadium.
Scott Robinson hammered in the opener for Livi after 31 minutes but his strike was cancelled out by James Craigen’s equaliser before half-time.
Supersub de Vita stepped up in extra time to bundle in the winner for Livi and extend their unbeaten run to 15 games, stretching back to March.
The Lions will fancy their chances of making it to Hampden if they get a kind pairing in tonight’s draw.
Lions manager David Hopkin admitted before the game he didn’t expect to be playing in a last-16 tie after his team were drawn in the same group as Partick Thistle and St Mirren.
But a penalty-kicks bonus point against Thistle and a win over the Buddies, followed by comfortable victories over Airdrie and Stranraer set up this all-Championship clash.
There was nothing between the sides in the opening spell. There was an untidiness broken up by too many fouls and misplaced passes.
It meant set-pieces were always going to be a likely source of attack for both teams.
Bairns keeper Robbie Thomson was in trouble in the 14th minute as Livi aimed back-to-back corners under his crossbar but he managed to scramble across to punch clear.
Myles Hipployte for Falkirk and Livi’s Alan Lithgow made the shy as good as a free-kick but neither side capitalised.
The first real chance fell to the Bairns in the 27th minute. Neil Alexander dashed from his goalmouth to head away from Falkirk striker Nathan Austin.
But with the goal gaping Hippolyte took a touch and allowed Craig Halkett time to get back and head away from off his own line. Five minutes later, the Lions roared in front. Josh Mullin intercepted a Craigen pass and released Danny Mullen on the wing.
The striker, on trial with Cardiff City earlier this summer, fired over a pinpoint cross that was thumped home by the arriving Robinson from seven yards out.
The West Lothian men had their tails up at this point and pushed for a second.
Nicky Cadden saw a shot deflected wide in the 38th minute and moments later Lithgow couldn’t direct his close-range header on target.
Falkirk desperately needed something to go for them in attack and they benefited from a moment of fortune five minutes from the break.
Mark Kerr’s threaded ball found Craigen running beyond the Livi defence and after a poor touch he curled his shot round Alexander into the far corner. There was little after the interval to give further celebration to the pupils who Falkirk gave free entry to if they had earned exam passes yesterday.
Both managers sought inspiration from their bench and Lee Miller gave the Bairns a different focal point in attack with his aerial strength.
Fellow sub Joe McKee kissed the crossbar with his first effort but placed his second too close to Alexander.
With a minute left, Paul Watson thought he had won it but Alexander was equal to it. And when Luca Gasparotto tried to squeeze in the rebound from a tight angle Lithgow was there to boot clear off the line.
Livi looked dangerous on the counter-attack and snatched the winner 10 minutes into the first period of extra time.
Mullin found space on the right edge of the box and whipped in a superb ball as midfielder de Vita stole across his marker to bundle the ball in with his body.