Livi outnumbered but not outplayed
Islanders’ bench the difference in gutsy home display
Livingston’s challenging season continued with a 5013 loss at home to Orkney on Saturday.
As has often been the case this campaign, which will ultimately see Livi demoted from National League Division Three, the Almond Park side certainly didn’t lack for effort and determination but a much stronger bench for the visitors would prove crucial in the second half.
With several players missing, it was always likely to be a challenging contest against a team that had beaten them 63-12 in the previous meeting between the sides this season.
Livingston, searching for their third win of the season, were well in the game at the break, trailing 17-8.
A poor defensive display allowed Tom Croy to open the scoring in the early stages for the Islanders but that seemed to spark Livi into life as they would score a try of their own a few minutes later as Khristjan Gamble squeezed over the defence to score in the corner.
Kerr Anderson missed the conversion as the hosts trailed 7-5 but he did give his side the lead with a penalty-kick.
Unfortunately, Orkney would then go on to score 45 unanswered points to comfortably seal the win.
Willie Thomson breached the static defence to score under the posts before adding the conversion and a penalty before the break to give the visitors a 17-8 lead at the whistle.
The second half started with Orkney making several changes and it seemed to have the desired effect as they took the game out of sight with Croy adding his second of the game before Steven Groat won a chase with the Livi defenders to touch down near the posts for the bonus point try.
The conversion made it 31-8 to the away side and the hosts were beginning to tire.
Three quick tries in the closing stages put the game to bed and saw Orkney reach the half-century but it was Livingston who would have the final say.
After winning a scrum due to a collapsed maul, Anderson’s clever cross- kick was held by hooker Bryan Middlemass who dived over in the corner for Livi’s second try.
The conversion was missed, but it did ensure the hosts finished on a high and with something to show for their efforts in what was always likely to be a tough contest against a decent Orkney side.
There’s no game this weekend and the club will be hoping they can be back to full strength when they make the trip to face Haddington on March 25.