Three and easy
MIRREN MATCHES AS THEY WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME
Craig Ritchie
Say what you want about St Mirren this season but this looks like a side that won’t ever throw the towel in.
Saints weren’t at their best on Saturday, I’ll give you that. But they never gave up, even when it looked like it would have been easier for them to do so.
They kept at and they were eventually rewarded with a self- described fluke from Lewis Morgan and David Clarkson’s late stunner, which rivalled his every-bit-as-good effort in the first half.
It was a dogged display that showcased the good and the not so good of a side still finding their match fitness.
It would be careless to read too much into the game as a whole, but the early signs at least are promising in that the Buddies eventually fought back to claim an altogether unlikely victory.
Alex Rae elected to hand goalkeeper Scott Gallacher and striker John Sutton their competitive debuts for the first game of this year’s competitive action.
On the other hand, former MK Dons defender Gary MacKenzie had to gaze on from the stand, having failed to shrug off a hip injury picked up earlier in pre-season.
Livingston handed Saints an early scare inside the opening exchanges but Danny Mullen failed to find a clinical touch as he fired wide from three yards out.
And Buddies’ hearts were in their mouths again, with 10 minutes on the clock.
Josh Mullen’s in-swinging corner outfoxed Gallacher in goals and looked destined for the back of the net before Gary Irvine got back to clear off of the line, sparing the keeper’s blushes.
Despite their early pressure, Livingston struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities and they were made to pay when St Mirren carved open their first real chance.
Morgan’s lung-bursting run down the left flank saw him charge up the field. The winger showed great awareness to lay the ball back to Rocco Quinn, who in turn clipped the ball towards Sutton.
The experienced striker headered the ball into the path of Clarkson to rifle home an unstoppable volley beyond a helpless Liam Kelly in the Livingston goal with 13 minutes played.
Saints appeared to take their foot off of the gas in the play that followed as Livi gained a foothold in proceedings.
Nicky Cadden on the Livingston wing was causing Jason Naismith all sorts of problems, as well as Gallacher, who had to be alert to palm behind the midfielder’s free-kick.
The second half got off to the worst possible start for Saints as Livingston quickly restored parity on the 50 minute mark.
The ever-threatening Cadden was again allowed too much time and space on the wing, allowing him to belt home a low drive from 20 yards which sneaked in at the keeper’s near post.
The strike knocked the stuffing out of Saints and David Hopkin’s Livingston were looking the more likely to take the three points as they pressed ahead with finding their second.
And they were duly rewarded for their efforts with, guess who, Cadden again at the forefront of the action. The former Airdrie man was afforded too much time as he delivered a teasing ball across the face of the St Mirren six-yard box.
Gallacher appeared to hesitate in coming and collecting the cross, allowing substitute Dale Carrick to storm towards goal and blast home from three yards out with his first touch since coming on.
It was here that St Mirren could have given up, but out of nowhere Saints were level.
Morgan had been Saints’ only bright
Star S Saint:
David Clarkson
The experienced striker produced two moments of magic to seal the deal for Saints on a testing afternoon. He linked up well with Sutton and the pair have the makings of a fruitful p partnership. spark throughout a tricky second half and probably earned the luck that ultimately brought St Mirren level.
A long ball over the Livingston defence saw Morgan break free on the right hand side. With his weaker foot, the youngster attempted to clip the ball towards Sutton in the box but instead somehow found the back of the net as the ball looped over Kelly to nestle in at the far post.
Match Facts
Score Livingston 2 St Mirren 3
Bookings Mallan (39)
Red Carded No-one
Referee Gavin Duncan
Teams Livingston: Kelly, Miller, Lithgow, Crighton, Longridge, Sinclair (Pittman 60), Halkett, J Mullen, Cadden, Buchanan (Carrick 67), D Mullen (Orr 77).
Subs not used: Jamieson, Byrne, Watt and Knox.
St Mirren : Gallacher, Naismith, Irvine, Baird, Webster, Mallan, Quinn (Stewart 89), Gallagher (Hutton 68), Morgan, Clarkson, Sutton.
Subs not used: Langfield, Gordon, Flanagan and O’Keefe.
This time St Mirren managed to build upon their goal and they found themselves in front within five minutes.
Clarkson had already produced a moment of magic to fire Saints into the lead and it was another stunning volley which secured his side their first three points of the Betfred Cup.
Stevie Mallan’s chipped pass fell to the experienced striker and he simply
plucked it out of the air to lash an unstoppable drive into the top righthand corner of Kelly’s goal.
The afternoon would end on a sour note as Rocco Quinn was stretchered off after landing awkwardly on his leg.
The early signs showed it was a potentially serious injury to his tibia but the midfielder will have to wait and see the result of X-rays and scans.