Saints become sinners as Livi pounce on rare string of errors

THE traditionally stingy St Johnstone defence was the surprise vehicle for helping Livingston rediscover a scoring touch.

David Martindale’s team took advantage of a catalogue of individual errors to net their first league goals on the road this season.

Their margin of shock victory could have been greater on a day Callum Davidson will be intent on declaring a one-off for the sake of their top-six hopes. They now sit five points adrift of the split, while Livingston moved four clear of the bottom.

‘It wasn’t the afternoon I wanted — it wasn’t the first three minutes I wanted,’ complained Davidson. ‘They were everything you’d ask them not to be. I’ve been here 18 months and one of our strengths has been doing basics right.

‘We worked hard as a team but made too many errors, allowing three of the most simple goals Livingston will probably ever score.

‘It’s not like us. We’ve been really good defensively. But a couple of players didn’t perform to the level I would like.’

The visitors had netted just once in six games, the winner at home to Celtic from Andrew Shinnie who was absent through injury. And with Alan Forrest on the bench, the last man in Martindale’s starting line-up responsible for a goal had been Bruce Anderson back on August 8 against Aberdeen.

However, for both first-half strikes, an unusually sloppy Perth back line was culpable. They were warned on two minutes. Scott Pittman’s shot was blocked and Christian Montano pounced on the rebound with a header which was well saved by Zander Clark.

Sixty seconds later, Saints allowed Odin Bailey to collect a return ball from a smart exchange on the right with Anderson.

The on-loan Birmingham winger scored his first for the club with a lovely reverse finish from the edge of the box.

St Johnstone’s response was pleasing as they gathered a semblance of composure and pressed for an equaliser. Liam Craig, presented with a pre-match memento for breaking the all-time appearance record a fortnight ago, almost capped his 443rd outing with a terrific goal. His take and volley from a corner clipped the top of Max Stryjek’s crossbar.

Efe Ambrose went close with a header but the former Livi defender wasn’t convincing in his defensive duties and the uncertainty spread.

Livingston doubled their advantage thanks to a mix-up between Clark and Jamie McCart, who clearly wasn’t prepared to take his goalkeeper’s pass out from the back. The ball came off the defender’s heel and fell kindly for Anderson. The striker pounced with a clinical first-time finish.

With Jason Holt and Stephane Omeonga, then substitute Jack McMillan, obstructive in front of an excellent back four, Livingston were solid.

That allowed them to profit on the break as St Johnstone folded. The home side’s miserable day was encapsulated in the move that led to the third goal.

Ambrose collided with teammate, Michael O’Halloran, inside the box. With both prone on the turf, Anderson was hardly going to pop the ball out of play to allow for treatment. Instead, he cut it back for a perfectly-timed Scott Pittman arrive and finish for his first goal since March.

O’Halloran looked shaky as he got to his feet after the bang on the head and was replaced by James Brown.

Max Stryjek’s fine fingertip save from a Chris Kane header parked any ambitious ideas of a comeback and Livingston almost piled on the agony late when Alan Forrest flashed a shot inches wide.

Both sides emerged with injury issues. Saints’ cup hero Shaun Rooney is likely to miss games after rolling his ankle, while Martindale reported James Penrice will undergo a hernia op.

The Livingston boss added: ‘It was a great result.It’s nice to score three here and pleasing to get a clean sheet.

‘Max (Stryjek) had a fantastic save and the back four were terrific.’