Captain’s goal keeps unbeaten run going
Livingston skipper Nicky Devlin joked that his late leveller against St Mirren will be his only entry in the club’s goal of the season competition.
The full-back fired low across goal from 20 yards out with just two minutes remaining as the Lions made it five games unbeaten to rescue a 1-1 draw in Paisley.
The visitors had the better chances in a largely uneventful game that produced two wonderful finishes.
Devlin forced Jak Alnwick into a save before the skipper’s cross was fired over the bar by Cristian Montano.
Neat play from Odin Bailey saw the winger force an attempt on goal that was held by the Buddies keeper.
The home side took the lead in fine fashion on 68 minutes when Jamie McGrath’s exquisite curling strike from 25 yards looped over Max Stryjek.
But the determined Lions refused to give in and were rewarded at the death when Alnwick’s save from an Alan Forrest effort bounced into the path of Devlin, who made no mistake from the edge of the box.
The goalscorer commented: “That is me made my play for goal of the season.
There will be no other entries from me.
“It was a good strike and overall I thought we deserved to take something from it.
“It would have been harsh to come away with nothing. I was lucky enough to be the one who scored but it’s just good to get the points on the board and that’s five unbeaten now.
“We have another point on the road, which is great, and we are looking forward to next week now.”
The Lions now enter a run of five games in 14 days, beginning with the visit of Rangers to West Lothian in their new manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first league game in charge.
And while the skipper is confident they can continue an unbeaten run which has seen them pick up two wins and three draws in their last five games, he stopped short of predicting a surge towards the top six.
Livi sit just three points above 11thplaced Dundee but are only three points behind St Mirren, who occupy sixth spot.
Devlin commented: “We knew if we won we would have jumped up to joint sixth. It’s very close and there’s not much between the teams.
“We are five unbeaten now and will try to continue that next week.”