A last gasp stunner from Scott Robinson sealed a fantastic 2-1 win on the road as the Lions came from behind to beat Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and make it 6 wins on the bounce.

David Martindale opted for two changes as Marvin Bartley and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas came in to the team ahead of Alan Forrest and Robinson who both dropped to the bench.

There was plenty at stake for both sides going into this one. Kilmarnock were in desperate need of goals and points having recorded 4 defeats in a row and 8 defeats in their last 9 games, while Livingston were looking up at the table after a fine run of form.

And the Lions could have been in front inside 45 seconds had it not been for a terrific save from Rogers. Josh Mullin and Craig Sibbald worked a short free-kick with Mullin whipping a pin point cross on to the head of Jon Guthrie on the edge of the six-yard box, but Rogers managed to palm it wide from an awkward angle.

It was a frantic start as both sides tried to adapt to the terrible weather conditions. In the other box Rory McKenzie squeezed between two defenders and hit the deck. There was slight contact from Guthrie but not enough to sway referee Kevin Clancy.

But after that passes went stray and little happened in either box, save for a header from Livingston’s Scott Pittman that hit the net from a tight angle but was ruled out for offside.

By half-time Kilmarnock had gone over 400 minutes without a goal, but five minutes into the second half they were awarded a penalty when Nicky Devlin appeared to stop Kirk Broadfoot’s goal-bound shot with an arm after sliding on the wet surface.

Chris Burke stepped up to take the kick, having also scored from the spot in the return fixture at the Tony Macaroni Arena against Robby McCrorie, but it was the same outcome against Max Stryjek, as he sent the ‘keeper the wrong way to put the hosts ahead.

The lead would only last a matter of minutes though before the Lions hit back to level.

Josh Mullin forced a mistake and prodded the ball to Emmanuel-Thomas who collected the ball and fired a low, left-foot shot from distance, and despite getting a touch Rogers couldn’t stop the ball slipping behind him and into the net. It wasn’t pretty but it was in the net as the JET claimed his first top flight goal and with it, momentum swung the way of the Lions.

Twice Robinson had efforts for Livingston; putting one past a post from a tight angle and another into the arms of Rogers after Pittman chose to tee him up rather than have a go himself. And in time added on Guthrie headed over from close range with the ball landing on the roof of the net.

But just as it looked like there would be a share of the spoils, a long ball from Stryjek was cleared only as far as Holt who headed the ball back into the box for Robinson who swivelled on the volley and looped his effort over the head of Rogers and into the net. The frontman wheeled away towards the bench, sparking wild celebrations with his team-mates as the entire squad enjoyed sealing a 6^th win in a row.

If the Lions are to make that 7 in a row, they’ll need to do something they haven’t managed since returning to the top flight – defeat Aberdeen.

Kilmarnock Rogers, McGowan, Broadfoot, Findlay, Waters, Burke ▊, Power, Tshibola, McKenzie, Mulumbu, Kabamba ▊
Subs not used: Haunstrup, Dikamona, Brophy, Kiltie, Whitehall, Doyle, Pinnock, Taylor
Goals: Burke (48 pen)

Livingston: Stryjek, Devlin ▊, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Serrano ▊, Holt, Bartley, Mullin, Sibbald (⇔ Poplatnik 79), Pittman, Emmanuel-Thomas (⇔ Robinson 69)
Subs not used: McCrorie, Brown, Forrest, McMillan, Ambrose, Taylor-Sinclair, Lawson
Goals: Emmanuel-Thomas (51), Robinson (90)

Referee: Kevin Clancy
HT: 0-0
Att: BCD
Match Report: Dave Black

Share this: