Another tough home defeat for the Lions as the visiting Jags edged them out with a goal in each half.

Mark Wilson made one change to the side that started the 3-0 home win over Arbroath last weekend. Oisin Smyth missed out through injury, with Robbie Crawford taking his place against a former club. Liam McFarlane remained absent due to a knock picked up on international duty meaning Lewis Budinauckas continued in goals.

The action came thick and fast from the opening whistle. Livingston had the first chance of the game with Scott Pittman having a shot blocked on its way to goal some ninety seconds after kick off. The ball was cleared as far as Ryan McGowan who initiated another attack that fell the way of Bradly Van Hoeven. The Dutchman flashed his shot across the face of goal and out for a goal kick, as Thistle got an early let off.

The Jags tried to respond, driving forward, but failed to create anything of substance as Livi took control of the game. Some good build-up play from Tyrese Sinclair allowed Pittman another crack at goal on seven minutes, with Lee Ashcroft clearing it off the line to maintain parity.

On nine minutes, Livingston suffered a setback when an injury to Cristian Montaño forced them into an early substitution, with Jack Wilkie coming on in his place.

Unperturbed by the forced change, Livingston continued to come forward. A good move down the right-hand side found its way to Doherty in a good position on 11 minutes, however, he dragged his effort wide.

On 13 minutes, the home side fired a corner in from the left-hand side which broke to Brooklyn Kabongolo in the Thistle box. He knocked it back towards Wilkie, but his low drive shot just wide of the post.

After absorbing pressure for the first quarter of an hour, Thistle broke the deadlock against the run of play. Ben McPherson burst down the right, passing the ball to Seb Drozd. Drozd then swung a cross into the path of Paddy Reading who volleyed home to give the Jags the lead.

Thistle now had the wind in their sails and were keen to stretch the gap. Drozd lumped a free kick towards the Livingston goal, but it was cleared as far as Ben Stanway on the edge of the area. Stanway, eager to get more goals following a brace last weekend, hit it from range again, but this time it flew over the bar.

The next quarter hour saw a procession of corners for both sides, with little in the way of tangible chances. That was until the 35-minute mark when Reading picked out Drozd with a lovely pass. Drozd went for goal from a tight angle, with Prior producing a fantastic save to tip it over the bar and out for yet another corner.

With two minutes to go in the first half, Livingston found an equaliser. A first-time ball from Sinclair made its way out to Wilkie, who flung a cross into the box. Loughrey tried to head it to safety, instead nodded it into the path of Van Hoeven, who tucked the ball home to send both teams down the tunnel level at half-time.

Half-time – Livingston 1 Partick Thistle 1

Five minutes after the restart the home fans were up in arms as Bruce Anderson went down in the Thistle box under pressure from Cale Loughrey. Referee Calum Scott thought otherwise, booking Anderson for simulation.

After coming close with a cross-cum-shot at the back post early in the second half, Stanway had another pop on 52 minutes, forcing Prior to react swiftly to turn his drilled effort around the post.

Livingston were still showing signs of life though, feeding Doherty on the right just before the 60-minute mark. The full back’s cross fell to Sinclair at point blank range at the back post, but the Englishman contrived to send his shot wide when he really should’ve fired home.

On the hour, Alex Samuel made way for Tony Watt in the first change of the game for the visitors. Watt had an almost instantaneous impact on proceedings, scoring within a minute of coming on the park. Ben Stanway saw a shot blocked and cleared to the edge of the box where Paddy Reading controlled and shot. The left-back’s effort glanced off the legs of Watt and into the bottom corner to reestablish the Jags’ advantage.

Not long after, Aidan Fitzpatrick made his bow into the game, replacing Euan Henderson. From there, the pace started to slow down, with chances at a premium for large parts of the second half. On 74 minutes, Budinauckas in the Thistle goal showed great awareness, smothering a dangerous cross into the area from Jordan Doherty.

On 82 minutes, Drozd and Robbie Crawford exited stage left, with Ethan Ingram getting a run out alongside Ts’oanelo Lets’osa. Four minutes later, Watt had a chance to put the result beyond doubt after Fitzpatrick found McPherson on the right-hand side. McPherson slid a pass across the pitch to Watt in space, only for McGowan to throw himself in front of the shot and block it.

From there, Livingston continued to huff and puff, throwing themselves forward in hope of finding a leveller. Ingram did well to get himself to a dangerous Doherty cross in injury time, clearing it to safety.

The Jags marshalled the remaining minutes in a professional manner, securing a vital three points in the Championship title race.

Match report: David Forrest

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