Livingston fight back to beat Hibernian

Posted Sunday, September 02, 2018 by PA

Livingston came from behind to mark new manager Gary Holt’s first home match in charge with a stirring 2-1 victory over Hibernian.

The visitors took the lead six minutes after the break with Daryl Horgan’s close-range strike.

But the Lions, who handed new signing Dolly Menga his debut in attack, made it back-to-back wins as Shaun Byrne and Scott Pittman struck.

Hibs, who suffered a first defeat of the domestic season, started on the front foot and there was a pace about the visitors’ attacks early on.

But Livingston proved their threat from set-pieces after surviving the opening 10 minutes unscathed.

After a couple of long throw-ins created some tension in the Hibs defence, a Keaghan Jacobs corner was nodded on to Menga but the striker’s header was clawed away from his top corner by Adam Bogdan.

A concerted period of Hibs pressure concluded with a penalty claim as Martin Boyle was sent sprawling and then Liam Kelly got down to grab Scott Allan’s volley from the resulting cross at his left-hand post.

It was then Livingston’s turn to go in search of the breakthrough but Steven Whittaker finally brought a superb run from Pittman to an end just as the midfielder looked set to shoot.

And then, after Craig Halkett had sent a header just wide, the Lions created their best chance of the first half.

Menga ran clear on the left and skipped past a Ryan Porteous challenge but the Angolan marksman’s attempt to find the unmarked Scott Robinson in the centre only succeeded in allowing Paul Hanlon to block.

In injury-time, Efe Ambrose picked out Boyle but Allan missed his cut-back and Lewis Stevenson blazed over from 12 yards out.

Moments after the break, Livingston should have scored.

Menga evaded two defenders on the left and his cross found the supporting Pittman but the midfielder could not get any power on his shot and Bogdan held on.

It was to prove costly, albeit only briefly, when Hibs then took the lead in the 52nd minute.

Ambrose hurled in a long throw-in and Horgan eventually seized the initiative and poked the ball through a crowded six-yard box and into the net.

The lead lasted just six minutes, however, as Livingston equalised in the 58th minute.

A deep cross was headed out by Ambrose but only as far as Byrne who brilliantly side-stepped two challenges before drilling his shot into the bottom corner.

Pittman’s header from a Ricki Lamie cross brought out a superb save from Bogdan eight minutes later before they earned victory with 20 minutes remaining.

Hibs were caught napping as they made a substitution and Robinson’s run to the edge of the box ended with a kind ricochet that Pittman fired beyond Bogdan to seal three points.