Livingston gained their 6th consecutive win with a confident 3-1 defeat of East Fife in Methil.  A Kenny Deuchar double and one from Kyle Jacobs gave the Lions the victory, with East Fife Substitute Ryan Wallace getting the Fifers’ only goal of the game.

It was East Fife that opened the game brightly, with ex-Lion Stevie Hislop taking the first major opportunity of the game, seeing his effort going out for a corner.  Bobby Linn got the next chance, unleashing a close range effort which Tony Bullock did well to save for the visitors.

The Fifers opening battle continued with Bullock having to make a save after a minor error.  The Lions remained on the back foot as Mark McCulloch threatened.

Livi’s first effort came after 12 minutes.  A corner, taken by Aaron Conway, found Iain Russell who messed up an opportunity to score from close range.

The game became an end-to-end affair after this, with neither side truly threatening until the 27th minute where the Lions took the lead through Kenny Deuchar.  Conway took a corner which found Paul Watson, who headed the ball back into the area with Russell nodding it across goal.  Deuchar came in unmarked and headed the ball neatly into the back of the net from just 1 yard out.

Iain Russell had a chance to double the lead with 32minutes on the clock.  Taking a great pass by Liam Fox he released a powerful shot, but saw his effort go just over the cross-bar.

East Fife came close to equalising with 5 minutes remaining in the half, Bobby Linn managing to get the ball to Lloyd Young whose effort came to nothing.

It wasn’t the last effort of the half though, with Deuchar managing to get another header in, but seeing his chance thwarted by East Fife keeper Michael Brown.

The second half took more time to build up momentum than the first, and it wasn’t until the 9th minute that the first effort took place.  Iain Russell managed to get on the end of a Conway cross, but his shot came to nothing.

Deuchar had an opportunity less than 40 seconds later, but his shot from 10 yards went wide.  Three minutes later, the towering striker nearly scored again, latching onto great play by Liam Fox, but his shot was cleared.

It was East Fife that were to score though, substitute Ryan Wallace getting onto a David Muir cross and putting the ball well past Tony Bullock on the hour mark.

The game failed to keep up the momentum, and it was almost 10 minutes later before the ball found its way goalwards in a decent effort.

Kenny Deuchar managed to get his second goal of the game on 70 minutes after a well played move by the visitors.

The Lions doubled the goal deficit 10 minutes later, Kenny Deuchar turning provider as he sent a neat cross into Iain Russell whose effort went across goal and found Kyle Jacobs on the back post to send the ball crashing into the back of the net.

David Sinclair unleashed a powerful shot just a few minutes later, but his effort was held comfortably by Michael Brown.  The Lions closed out the game comfortably, and defender John Ovenstone almost scored a spectacular own goal, as he was under pressure from the Livi attack.

Substitute Rafaelle da Vita found himself with a number of efforts in the closing minutes, but none to add to the Lions goal tally.

East Fife often had the better of the play throughout the game, but it was the Lions who scored the goals, big Kenny Deuchar coming back once again to haunt his old side with yet more goals.  The East Fife fans will count themselves unlucky in this game as the home side gave as good as they got, but just couldn’t find the killer touch. 

The Lions impressive form sees them march on towards the end of the season. 

East Fife: Brown, Durie, Ovenstone, McGowan, Muir, Johnstone (Wallace 48), Park, McCulloch (Fagan 80), Young (Brown 68), Hislop, Linn
Subs not used: Lyness, Smart

Livingston: Bullock, C.Barr, Ky.Jacobs, Watson, Hamill, Sinclair, Fox, Conway (D.Jacobs 63), Russell (De Vita 81), Deuchar
Subs not used: McDowall, Malone, Winters

Att: 707

Ref: A.Law

Report: Chris Naismith