Saturday 30 April 2011

Livingston 1 - 1 Dumbarton
HT (0 - 1)

A late Robbie Winters equaliser gave Livingston a 1-1 draw with visitors Dumbarton on Saturday, and ensured the club picked up the championship trophy after full time with their unbeaten home record for 2010/11 intact.

Behind for much of the match thanks to a header three minutes before half time from Pat Walker, the Lions spurned chance after goal-scoring chance before finally veteran striker Robbie Winters neatly tucked the ball home with nine minutes left on the clock, and ensured there was to be no spoiling of the after match party.

With the title itself secured several weeks ago at Stenhousemuir, it was the visitors who had more to play for and they started brightly, Jon McShane flashing an early effort across Tony Bullock’s goal.

Livi had much of the possession and worked their way back into the game as the half wore on. Fox tried his luck with a twenty-yard drive that smacked off the post, while Kenny Duechar sent a looping header off the bar.

It was the visitors, however, who did eventually make the breakthrough. A fine Andy Geggan free kick swept across the Livi six-yard box, and Walker was on hand to bullet a header past Bullock and into the top corner.

Livi should have been back on level terms almost instantly, but Kenny Deuchar was denied as equaliser when Sons keeper Stephen Gindlay blocked his effort after being sent clean through on goal.

After the break, as time ticked down it appeared more and more likely that Dumbarton would be the first team to claim all three points at the Braidwood Motor Company stadium this season.

Fox found himself in space in the box, but his effort balzed over while another effort from the captain was well saved by Gindlay.

But Livi, who had thrown on striker Robbie Winters and winger Bobby Barr in an attempt to rescue their unbeaten home record, eventually found a way through in the eighty-first minute.

A clever reverse pass for Winters gave him the chance to clip the ball past the onrushing Grindlay to the delight of the home support.

Gary Bollan’s men looked the more likely to secure all three points in the closing stages, but the match finished level, leaving both sets of players and supporters with much to celebrate.

The game leaves Livi twenty points clear at the top of the Second Division, with the club having clocked up it’s record points total and most goals in one season in the campaign already, as well as remaining undefeated on home soil for the first time in it’s history.

Livingston: Bullock, Fordyce, Malone, C.Barr, Watson, Hamill, Fox (Sinclair 80), Kn.Jacobs, Ky.Jacobs (B.Barr 62), Deuchar (Winters 54), De Vita
Subs not used: McDowall, Conway

Dumbarton: Grindlay, Chisholm, Creaney, Gordon, Nugent, Halsman, Gilhaney (Brannan 84), geggins, McShane (White 84), McNiff, Walker
Subs not used: Whyte, Carcary, Campbell

Att: 1,549

Ref: S.O'Reilly

Report: Calum Leslie