Battling Buddies dig out a vital victory
ONCE St Mirren’s players had applauded their large travelling support, it was Oran Kearney’s turn to take centre stage. Arms in the air, smiling in the sunshine, the magnitude of what he had witnessed was huge.
The roars from the crowd were justified after Saints — eventually — navigated the first hurdle in their post-split fixtures.
Yes, Hamilton’s late equaliser against Motherwell dampened the mood slightly. But the sight of Saints, although still occupying the relegation play-off spot, closing to within two points of Accies makes for nicer viewing.
There is an even better view for the Buddies looking down, with Dundee now six points adrift. But, in these sorts of scraps, life is never simple.
Livingston captain Craig Halkett was sent off for a last-man challenge after just 17 minutes.
However, rather than take advantage, St Mirren were trailing within three minutes when Scott Robinson pounced. Paul McGinn’s equaliser six minutes later eased the nerves — before the visiting fans went wild when late strikes by Danny Mullen and Simeon Jackson secured a precious win.
Kearney was delighted his team responded after Livvy’s shock opener. ‘It was a really big moment because for as well as we’ve been doing and the strides we’ve made — in the size of the game and pressure — the longer it stays 1-0, the more frustrating it could have become,’ he said. ‘Our quick response was fantastic.
‘There is a lot made about other teams and how they’re getting on — but we must be selfish. Just worry about ourselves. There would have been no point me standing here if we had lost today wondering about the other sides. We must look after ourselves and get the three points.’
All the hard work Kearney had done ahead of this clash was almost wiped out within the opening 50 seconds. Livingston took a corner from the left, the ball was passed to Keaghan Jacobs and the midfielder curled an effort from the edge of the box just beyond the far post.
The hosts were presented with another opportunity after seven minutes. On-loan Rangers striker Ryan Hardie raced down the left and, although his cross appeared to have been misjudged, Robinson met the ball 18 yards out but fired wide.
But, 10 minutes later, Livvy were stunned when skipper Halkett was sent off by referee Willie Collum.
Saints midfielder Brad Lyons raced through on goal and was brought down by the defender 20 yards out. The 23-year-old, who will join Hearts in the summer, was clearly left in shock. He stood, hands on hips, staring into space. There may have been cover but it was a desperate challenge, particularly so early in the match.
If Gary Holt’s men were bemused by that flashpoint, St Mirren were about to be equally flabbergasted by the way in which the 10 men quickly took the lead.
Three minutes after Halkett’s dismissal, Steven Lawless’s terrific wing play on the right allowed him space to fire a cross to Robinson, who couldn’t miss from six yards.
Lawless could count himself unfortunate to then be substituted. He was replaced by Hakeem Odoffin as Holt was forced to alter his plans. A rather bonkers nineminute spell was complete when Kearney’s men equalised.
Again, the defending was questionable. On-loan Brighton winger Anders Dreyer fed McGinn on the right side of the box. Livvy’s defenders failed to close him down and he fired low into the far corner from a tight angle.
Ten minutes before half-time, a superb last-gasp block by Saints midfielder Ryan Flynn in the box denied Scott Pittman firing the hosts ahead.
Keen to make their man advantage count at the start of the second half, Jackson — who replaced Gary MacKenzie at half-time — forced a smart stop from Livvy goalkeeper Liam Kelly with a 10-yard effort.
Jackson then turned provider just before the hour mark when he cut the ball back to Mullen, whose closerange effort was deflected behind.
With relegation rivals Dundee and Hamilton both losing at that point, frustration was building among the St Mirren fans at their team’s failure to take the lead. But with one strike of his right foot, Mullen delivered 12 minutes from the end.
The ball dropped to the striker 20 yards from goal and his fierce drive found the bottom-left corner to send the visiting fans wild. For Mullen, it was sweet relief as he celebrated in front of Livvy fans who had jeered the player who had served the club for nearly six years.
‘I was here for five-and-a-half years and I’d still not scored against them until today,’ he said. ‘I’ve got that goal now and it’s helped get three points. The fans had been giving me it tight before and during the game, so it was good to score.’
Those scenes of jubilation were cranked up a notch when Jackson added a third within two minutes. Substitute Kyle McAllister’s shot was spilled by Kelly and Jackson had a simple task to tap home.
Holt, whose ninth-placed side are aiming to finish best of the rest, rued a lack of technology to help Collum with his decision to send off Halkett.
‘I’ve not spoken to Craig yet or seen it again,’ said Holt. ‘We don’t have VAR, so we have to take it on the chin. Willie made the decision and if we’ve got grounds for appeal, then we’ll appeal it. There’s no point me moaning on the touchline as he wasn’t going to change his mind.’