Livingston roared back to winning ways in their first game in the post Whelan era, recording a resounding 4-1 victory over Greenock Morton under the lights at Cappielow. First half goals from Liam Polworth and Robbie Muirhead were added to by an Emmanuel Danso stunner and a first for Jordan Doherty, with Michael O’Halloran briefly causing concern for the Lions by getting on the score sheet himself.

Davie Martindale named his first squad since taking over as interim manager, making two changes with East Kilbride bound Sam Culbert and Cammy Palmer being replaced in the starting eleven by Ty Sinclair and Liam Polworth.

Both sides started positively with Morton trying to apply early pressure, but once Livi got a foot on the ball they moved it well and positively up the pitch, with Bruce Anderson having an early strike on the edge of the box blocked, and Robbie Muirhead having a shot come cross taken well by Elyh Harrison in the Morton goal.

Ty Sinclair was looking lively on the right side, knocking the ball down well to Anderson before receiving the ball back with five minutes on the clock. Driving towards the byline he crossed into the back post, but his effort was cleared.

Muirhead had a half chance a couple minutes later, with Liam Polworth and Emmanuel Danso linking well in midfield before feeding the number 9. Pushing towards goal his shot was poor and trickled past the post without troubling the Morton keeper.

The hosts first real chance came on nine minutes. Muirhead was dispossessed in his own half, which allowed Eamonn Brophy to stride forward. Sliding the ball to Michael O’Halloran, the veteran hit the byline before crossing the ball, for it to be deflected out for a corner. The corner was taken close to the goal line, and forced Jerome Prior to punch the ball, conceding another corner which came to nothing.

The Lions really should have been one to the good with twelve minutes on the clock. A long throw was headed out wide left where it picked up by Muirhead. Chopping inside, he sent a cross beautifully to Brooklyn Kabongolo in the six-yard box, but his header back across goal missed wide, when it looked easier to score.

A hospital pass from Polworth shortly after was intercepted by Brophy, who played in O’Halloran, but his shot was blocked by the recovering Polworth for a corner. The resultant corner was played onto the edge of the box with Grant Gillespie finding space for a shot which was saved by Prior, but it was straight to the foot of another Morton player. The ball was then floated into the back post where Phil Croker was waiting, his header wasn’t on target, but Garrity was there waiting, his shot saved well by Prior before getting cleared by Livi.

It was a good period of pressure for the Ton which the Lions needed to weather, and they appeared to do so. Midway through the half and Livi started to find their feet once more, a cross from the left finding Polworth on the edge of the box, his shot deflected over. The corner bounced around the box before finding Anderson who cut back to Sinclair, with his shot being cleared off the line.

Livi were dispossessed again in their own half by Brophy who pushed forward just before the half hour mark, hitting a shot on the edge of the box which deflected off McGowan and into the hands of a grateful Prior.

The Lions had the ball in the back of the net on 33 minutes. A corner from the left found Kabangolo who headed the ball past Harrison, but the referee blew his whistle for offside.

Two minutes later, and Livi got the opener. Muirhead found space down the right-hand side and drove towards the Ton box. His whipped cross was deflected behind Anderson, who passed out to Polworth on the edge of the box who made no mistake placing the ball to the bottom right corner to make it one nil.

The goal seemed to wake Livi up after a mediocre start, and they moved forward with a lot more meaning. With Anderson, Muirhead and Doherty looking lively with no real result.

Bradly Van Hoeven had had a quiet night, but with a couple minutes before half time, he exploded into life. Cutting inside the Morton defender, he drove forward passing the ball to Muirhead. Crossing the ball deep he found Sinclair whose header looped over the keeper and crashed off the post before getting cleared.

On the stroke of half time, Livi doubled their lead. A corner from the right looked to be going out of play, but was rescued by Kabongolo. Passing the ball to Doherty, he whipped the ball to Sinclair who caught the ball nicely on the volley, which crashed off of Muirhead and trickled into the far corner.

Livi started the second half much like they had the first and were looking dangerous and likely for a third. However, a break the other way got the Ton right back into the game. A quick one-two sent O’Halloran through from around half way. The former St Johnstone man rolled back the years gliding forward before slotting the ball past Prior at his near post to half the deficit.

The goal appeared to shake the visitors, and with renewed confidence Morton looked the far more comfortable on the ball. This forced Martindale into a sub, with Bradly Van Hoeven being replaced by Stevie May. It had the desired effect and Livingston were almost two goals to the good again. With 65 minutes on the ref’s watch, Polworth flicked the ball forward to May. His deft touch found Muirhead who fired forward, and with Anderson on his right, he opted to strike the ball, beating the keeper before striking the post and back out.

Morton replied in kind though, with substitute Sahil Bashir’s first action being almost getting on the end of a cross at the back post, forcing Livi to clear for a corner which came to nothing.

With 15 minutes left, Livi made it three and put it out of sight of the visitors. A corner from the left was cleared but only as far as Emmanel Danso who made no mistake with his strike, lashing a ferocious volley past Harrison to send the points back to West Lothian.

Livi were in cruise control, and almost added a fourth. Clever play out wide by Graham Carey found May whose touch took him past his defender, his shot glancing across the face of goal and past the far post.

May looked a positive figure off the left wing, and almost got a goal as his reward. Starting in the centre circle he poked the ball forward to Scott Pittman who drove into space before crossing into the box, where the onrushing number 17 met it with his thigh, threatening to loop over Harrison who had to poke it over.

From the corner, Livi added their fourth. The ball came in from the left and the first phase was poorly dealt with by Morton, with the ball falling to Doherty, who swivelled beautifully before sliding the ball into the bottom right corner, prompting many in the home end to head to the exit.

Greenock Morton grabbed a couple of late corners but they were dealt with well by the Lions defence, and a strong comfortable performance netted Davie Martindale a win at the first time of asking.

Match report: David Hastie

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