It was all 3 points on the road for the Lions this afternoon after Stevie May and Lewis Smith netted one each either side of the interval, with Andy Winter securing the win in injury time.

A trio of former Hamilton Accies players returned to haunt their old club as Livingston sealed all three points in Hamilton.

In his first game back at New Douglas Park since his summer switch to West Lothian, Lewis Smith delivered the cross for fellow ex-Accie Stevie May’s opener towards the end of the first half – which was quickly cancelled out by Kevin O’Hara – before he drilled home the second early in the second half.

And Accies’ misery was complete in stoppage time when Andy Winter sealed the points against his former employers.

It ended Hamilton’s run of consecutive Championship wins and kept Davie Martindale’s Lions on the coattails of leaders Falkirk, who remain six points clear at the summit. Accies stay sixth.

Hamilton boss John Rankin made three changes from last week’s win over Airdrie as injured trio Oli Shaw, Lee Kilday and Steven Bradley missed out. Dylan McGowan, Jamie Barjonas and Ben Williamson came into the side in their place.

For Livi, ex-Accies Smith, Scott Pittman and Stevie May started the clash, with another former New Douglas Park man on the bench in Andy Winter.

It was the hosts who had the first sight of goal in seven minutes when Kevin O’Hara worked a short corner to Ben Williamson. His cross found the head of Sean McGinty at the back post, but the defender’s effort drifted narrowly wide.

Ten minutes later, the Lions troubled Accies keeper Charlie Albinson for the first time when Lewis Smith threaded the ball through to Teti Yengi on the edge of the box and his low, curling effort had Albinson at full stretch, down to his right.

Albinson then came to the rescue in 23 minutes with a top save to deny Matthew Clark at close range, blocking his low strike with an outstretched leg after the Livi man was teed up by neat foot work from Stephen Kelly.

Down the other end, a flowing work from Accies saw Barjonas control the ball on his chest, slip in Stephen Hendrie down the left for a first-time cross and O’Hara met it with his head, but couldn’t keep his effort on target.

The Lions went even closer to breaking the deadlock in 28 minutes when Scott Pittman rattled the crossbar with a volley inside the box after getting on the end of Lewis Smith’s pinpoint cross. Pittman picked up a knock soon after and had to be replaced by Reece McAlear.

Livi goalkeeper Jerome Prior had to be at his best in 39 minutes to deny Accies an opener when he denied Euan Henderson one-on-one with a strong hand.

Two minutes later, the Lions took the lead. The ball broke to Lewis Smith at the far post and he showed great composure to dummy an initial attempt at a cross and then clip the ball for May to turn the ball in with his chest from close range.

That was a blow for the hosts but they found an immediate response. Stephen Hendrie picked the ball up out wide and delivered a terrific cross into the box for O’Hara to nudge a header into the bottom corner, pulling them level going into the interval.

Five minutes into the second half Livi regained the lead. Lewis Smith collected the ball out wide, wriggled his way into the box and then rifled a low strike to beat Albinson at his near post, before holding back the celebrations against his former club.

Accies provided a rapid reply to going behind in the first half and history almost repeated itself. On their next attack, it looked like O’Hara was destined to turn the ball home at the back post, but a stunning save from Prior on the line denied him a certain equaliser.

Stephen Kelly should have added a third for the Lion in 56 minutes when he latched onto May’s pass in the box but dragged his strike agonisingly wide of the far post.

Smith was on top form and he got in behind again to cross for Kelly on the hour mark, but a superb sliding block from the backtracking Scott Martin denied him.

Kelly was once again sent through in 64 minutes to seal the point and, again, dragged his effort just past the far post.

Teti Yengi caught Dylan McGowan with an elbow to the face and the Livi striker was perhaps fortunate to pick up just a yellow card, with the Accies player led from the field bleeding with an ice pack on his face. He was replaced by Oludare Olunfunwa.

Accies huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a leveller, as they slipped to a second defeat to the Lions this season.

Smith was replaced three minutes from time and earned a round of appluase from both sets of supporters for a game-defining display.

And with time running out there was still time for Winter to fire in a third after great work from Teti Yengi.

Match report: Paul Thomson

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