Strange feeling but new gaffer Miller gets a win
Kenny Miller is looking for his new players to show the non-stop commitment he’s been famous for throughout his career. The new Livingston player-boss won his first competitive match in charge and showed there’s no chance of him easing up. He even collected a booking for a foul in the 91st minute. But the former Rangers striker was unhappy that his team let Airdrie back into things after establishing a two-goal lead. He said: “The performance was very good and not so good. We should probably have got more than two goals in the first half. “After the break, we showed that, if you’re not at it, then you give any team encouragement. We gifted them a goal and that got their tails up. “All in all, I’m happy with getting the win, but there are things to improve on. In particular, we have to look at the intensity. “Teams won’t fold and let you walk all over them. It’s a lesson for us – we need to be at the top of our game to be good. “Our players’ work ethic is outstanding, but you can’t go into your shell when things turn against you. I’m looking forward to the game against Hamilton on Tuesday because that will be a good test for us.” Miller admitted it was an odd experience being on the field as a manager. He went on: “It was a bit strange being called gaffer on the pitch. You are watching out for other things, particularly when things go against you. “But I have people on the sidelines to help and we’re looking to bring in another coach. “We’re also looking to bring in new players and, hopefully, we’ll see a bit of movement in that this week.” Livi hit the woodwork twice before scoring two goals in a minute midway through the first half. Scott Pittman weaved his way through the home defence before calmly putting Miller’s men ahead. A quickfire second came when Airdrie goalie Gallacher let a header pop out of his gloves and Lee Miller stabbed the loose ball home. A chance to score on his debut came Miller’s way as half-time approached, but the 38-year-old’s shot was comfortably saved. While he wasn’t hugely influential as a player, it’s clear the former Scotland man is stamping his authority on the training pitch. Livingston were known for playing a high-tempo, direct style under previous boss David Hopkin. It was a way of playing that overpowered Partick Thistle in the Premiership play-off. There was more of an emphasis on possession football yesterday. Whether or not they can adopt this approach in the top flight remains to be seen. Airdrie took advantage of hesitation at the back when Halkett was caught in possession, and Darryl Duffy ran through to shoot past an onrushing Liam Kelly. Airdrie boss Stephen Findlay said: “We had a few harsh words at the break and I thought we were the better side in the second half. “We need to make sure we perform over 90 minutes and not just 45.”