Livingston and St Mirren shared the points after both scored once and were reduced to 10 men in a captivating Scottish Premiership contest.

Home midfielder Scott Pittman was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Keanu Baccus after a VAR check and visiting captain Mark O’Hara was shown a second yellow after the break.

Within a minute, Livingston led when Cristian Montano swept home the opener, but St Mirren levelled when Eamonn Brophy fed Curtis Main to strike.

The result takes St Mirren’s unbeaten record at Livingston to nine matches, but they toiled in this game. A measure of their first-half struggles was that Marcus Fraser’s 20-yard drive in the 45th minute was their sole effort on target.

Ivan Konovalov did well to parry that attempt to safety but Fraser’s strike might just have lessened the anger in his manager Stephen Robinson’s half-time team talk.

Despite fielding an unchanged line-up, St Mirren looked a shadow of the team that had swatted Aberdeen aside on Christmas Eve, with Livingston dominant despite their numerical disadvantage.

David Martindale’s team seemed unflustered by Pittman’s 24th-minute departure and continued to pass across their back line, mixing playing through midfield with long balls directed at Bruce Anderson.

Ayo Obileye twice used his power and close control to create panic. On the first occasion St Mirren cleared only as far as Montano, whose left-foot shot flashed past a post. That was Livingston’s only goal attempt in the opening 45 minutes.

Brophy came on for the second half as St Mirren tried to make their extra man count. Instead, captain O’Hara was sent off after receiving a second booking for a trip as Livingston broke in midfield.

The hosts took the lead from the resultant free-kick. Stephen Kelly launched it long into the box, Montano controlled and swept a shot against the far post but was alert enough to follow it up to stab the ball past Trevor Carson.

Livingston might have gone further ahead had Carson not come on top in a one-one-one with Anderson. That was bettered at the other end a minute later when Main’s cross was met by Brophy, but Konovalov made an outstanding save.

That St Mirren duo swapped roles in the 63rd minute to level – Brophy’s cross into the six-yard box from the left directed home by Main, ghosting in between two defenders.

Defeat would have been harsh on either team. In the closing moments, Brophy blazed high over the bar when Main was well placed to receive a pass across the box.

And Anderson might have nicked it for Livingston when he shaped his body to volley from 15 yards only for his effort to ricochet for a corner.

Match Report: Keir Murray (BBC)

Livingston: Konovalov, Devlin ©️, Obileye, Boyes, St.Kelly, Shinnie (Holt ▊ 72), Pittman ▊, Bahamaboula (Omeonga 82), Sn.Kelly, Montaño (Penrice 72), Anderson
Subs not used: Hamilton, George, Cancar, Longridge, Gonçalves
Goals: Montaño (56)

St Mirren: Carson, Fraser, Gallagher ▊, Dunne ▊, Strain (Kiltie 80), Baccus, Erhahon, O’Hara ©️ ▊▊, Tanser, Ayunga (Brophy 46), Main
Subs not used: Urminsky, Shaughnessey, Gogic, Flynn, Reid, Henderson, Olusanya
Goals: Main (63)

Referee: Steven McLean
HT: 0-0
Att: 1,897

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