Livi pay the penalty as Van Veen earns Well-earned victory
MOTHERWELL 1 Van Veen (68 pen) LIVINGSTON 0
Before the kick-off Motherwell’s Ultras unfurled two banners, one featuring new manager Stevie Hammell while the other bore the legend: “Motherwell through and through.”
The long-serving defender, academy coach and interim boss can boast a 100% record in the two games since he was confirmed as the successor to Graham Alexander in the Fir Park hot seat.
And his name was chanted loudly by joyous supporters at the final whistle, with his players performing a lap of honour as they moved into third place.
In fairness, it was Hammell’s changes that swung this contest in the Lanarkshire club’s favour after a first half that had fewer incidents of interest than a debate between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.
Livingston full-back Nicky Devlin tested home keeper Liam Kelly with a fierce angled drive in the visitors’ first attack, an impressive, free-flowing move that proved to be something of a false dawn in what turned out to be a scrappy first half.
It took Motherwell until midway through the opening period before they created an opening of note. When they did, centre-back Ricki Lamie ought to have done better than to head wide from six yards after getting on the end of Sean Goss’s deep free-kick.
On the half-hour mark ‘Well midfielder Blair Spittal played a one-two with Kevin van Veen to create space on the edge of the 18-yard box, but his shot lacked conviction and trundled behind.
Hammell attempted to fire his side up by throwing on Josh Morris and Joe Efford for Connor Shields and Dean Conelius after only nine minutes of the second half and van Veen subsequently quickened the pulse of the home support by cutting inside from the right to fire a shot into the side netting.
Scotland full-back Stephen O’donnell, currently operating on the left flank in order to accommodate Paul Mcginn on the right, tried a curling effort from 20 yards but this, too, went wide on an afternoon where the goals appeared to have an invisible force field around them.
Finally, we had a breakthrough, albeit a scrappy one. Morris crossed to the far post where Sean Goss rose to send a header goalwards. Left-back Cristian Montano blocked it with his arm and, while Motherwell’s appeals for a spot-kick appeared to be in vain, far-side assistant referee John Mccrossan flagged for an offence.
Up stepped van Veen to take the penalty and the talismanic Dutchman converted with typical efficiency.
Their victory was more or less confirmed by the recklessness of Livingston substitute Dylan Bahamboula, who managed to stay on the pitch for just 12 minutes of his Premiership debut after replacing Sean Kelly.
He was cautioned for a needless foul on the halfway line in the 74th minute and, just three minutes later, the Congo midfielder was shown a second yellow card for taking out Goss.
Down to 10 men and forced to chase the game, Livingston gambled on throwing men forward and left spaces at the back which, mainly due to bad decision-making and a poor final ball, the hosts failed to take full advantage of.
Scott Pittman, making a club record 310th appearance for Livingston – who slipped to seventh place with this defeat– had an afternoon to forget but he was hardly alone there.
The usual trademarks of a Lions display – hunger, industry and a refusal to be bested – were largely absent all afternoon and they could have had no complaints about the outcome.