Five-alive for Livi in Hearts hammering

HEARTS became the latest victims of Livi’s formidable home form after a humiliating second-half capitulation saw the capital club demolished 5-0.

The Jambos, who finished the game with 10 men following the dismissal of Arnaud Djoum, endured a chastening evening as Craig Halkett’s penaltykick opened the floodgates before Dolly Menga, Shaun Byrne and a Ryan Hardie (below) brace completed the scoring.

The triumph sees Gary Holt’s Lions roar back into the top six, adding Hearts to a list of scalps at the Tony Macaroni Arena which already included Rangers and Hibs. Indeed, no club have picked up more points at home this season than Livingston, albeit having played three games more than Celtic on their own patch – a remarkable record nonetheless. The visitors hit the woodwork as Demetri Mitchell latched onto a Peter Haring pass and unleashed a curling effort from the edge of the box that struck the inside of the upright.

But the hosts were undeniably the dominant force in the first period but it took until the 72nd minute to grab a richlymerited lead from the penalty spot after Zlamal crashed through Halkett, who coolly dispatched.

That precipitated a humiliating 14-minute collapse from the visitors. Djoum was dismissed after he picked up his second booking and Livi took advantage of their numerical advantage with Menga and Byrne scoring either side of Hardie’s brace.

Steven MacLean struck the cross-bar in search of a consolation in injury-time, but there were few Hearts fans left to see it.