Livi feel it’s a chance missed after draw with Celts
Lions dominate match at struggling champs
Livingston failed to pick up a first ever victory at Celtic Park - but they were able to extend their unbeaten run to nine games with a goalless draw in Glasgow.
It was an opportunity missed, though, as the Lions will likely never have a better opportunity to break their Parkhead duck.
The champions were still missing 13 players – as well as manager Neil Lennon and his assistant John Kennedy - and played without a recognised striker as Aussie midfielder Tom Rogic occupied the central forward role.
The hosts could muster only a solitary shot on target with Livingston creating the better chances. Boss David Martindale refused to be too downbeat, however, but admitted it was a strange feeling to come away disappointed with only a draw at the home of the Glasgow giants.
He said: “I’ve never had the feeling of leaving Parkhead disappointed we didn’t win – so it’s probably a bit strange.
“We’ve got a draw here before but this was a fantastic chance to get three points. On the balance of play and opportunities created, we were unlucky.”
He added: “We could play higher up the pitch due to Celtic’s personnel issues – it allowed us to do it.
“Normally you sit in your own half, try
to stop them then hit on the counter but this time we were more on the front foot.
“I looked at the clock after 40 minutes and realised Celtic hadn’t really been in our half.”
The Celts may have been without a string of regulars but they were still able to field what by SPFL Premiership standards was an impressive and expensively built side.
The starting line-up was laced with quality and experienced internationals such as Nir Bitton, Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic, Shane Duffy and Diego Laxalt – not to mention £3million man David Turnbull.
From the off, Livingston were on the
front foot and refused to let Celtic’s fragile defence settle.
That Jon Guthrie’s volley, which flew over from a Josh Mullin free-kick, was all they could muster in front of goal was disappointng for all their dominance in the early stages.
Celtic, meanwhile, created their best chance of the game when a Ciaron Brown tackle saw the ball fall kindly to Jeremie Frimpong.
The Dutch youngster took a pop at goal from a tight angle but Polish stopper Max Stryjek got down impressively to save at his near post.
After the interval, the hosts played a
higher line and while that helped them get further up the pitch, it left them susceptible on the counter-attack which Livi were keen to exploit.
Scott Robinson almost fired them into the lead just after the interval with a shot that fizzed narrowly wide.
The former Hearts man is in the form of his life for the Lions and despite his diminutive stature was causing Duffy and Bitton in the Celtic defence all sorts of problems in the air.
Livi should have taken the lead from an unlikely source in Efe Ambrose. The ex-Celtic defender has yet to find the net for the Lions and showed why when
he squandered a wonderful Mullin corner with a header that went wide harmlessly wide.
Broxburn kid Ewan Henderson was brought on as the hosts searched for a winner while fellow substitute Armstrong Okoflex failed to connect with an Anthony Ralston cross when the merest of touches would surely have led to the deadlock being broken.
It was Martindale’s men, though, who looked the most likely to score as the clock ticked towards injury-time.
Mullin went close when his deflected shot clipped the top of the bar before the dangerous Nicky Devlin flashed an effort narrowly wide of Connor Hazard’s goal.
In the end, the visitors were forced to reflect on a draw that could have been much more.