It was a disastrous day at the office for Livingston as they not only lost 4-1 at home to Hibs but also saw defender Jack Fitzwater sent-off and lost both Ayo Obileye and Stephane Omeonga to injury before boss David Martindale also saw red in the closing stages.

The hosts started the game brightly and opened the scoring thanks to Joel Nouble’s wonderful strike on 10 minutes but a calamitous equaliser just before the half-hour mark led to a complete change in momentum.

Elie Youan raced behind a static defence to slot beyond Shamal George before sending the visitors in front before the break with a deflected effort that managed to sneak inside the far corner.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Lions managed to lose Jack Fitzwater to a red card for bringing down Matthew Hoppe just six minutes into the second-half with the game then put beyond doubt as Omeonga turned a Chris Cadden ball into his own net on the hour mark.

Having lost one centre-back, Livi would lose the other when Obileye hobbled off – which saw Luiyi de Lucas come on for his debut – before remarkably ending the game with nine men as Omeonga too was unable to continue as he was forced off with 10 minutes remaining and the hosts being unable to make any more substitutions.

Mykola Kukharevych added a late fourth before Martindale saw red in the game’s final action.

Prior to kick-off both sets of players and fans impeccably observed a minute’s silence following the passing of Hibs chairman Ron Gordon last month.

Both sides showed plenty of attacking intent in the early stages but it was Livi who made it count as Nouble opened the scoring in stunning fashion on 10 minutes. The striker latched on to a tremendous long pass from Boyes before jinking in between a pair of defenders and firing home off the crossbar for his fifth goal of the campaign.

The pair almost linked up again moments later with Livi clearly targeting Hibs full-back Marijan Cabraja.

The visitors looked threatening every time they got the ball in the final third and they went close to levelling things up on 19 minutes when Ewan Henderson was found unmarked on the right but his angled drive clipped the top of the bar.

They would get themselves level nine minutes later thanks to a helping hand from a static Livi backline. They didn’t react to a ball over the top then collectively simply stood still awaiting an offside flag that never arrived as Youan raced through and slotted past Shamal George.

Livi seemed rattled by that and were behind before the break as Youan doubled his tally with a deflected strike after a pass from Matthew Hoppe that rolled agonisingly beyond the outstretched arm of George and nestled into the far corner.

Having set up the second, Hoppe should have netted a third for the visitors just four minutes after the break. Scott Pittman was bundled over in the middle of the park with the American being played clean through but George stood firm and made the save.

Just three minutes later he looked to race through once more only to be clipped by Fitzwater with the centre-back duly shown his second red card of the season. It was then very much game over shortly after as Hibs hit on the counter-attack with Cadden’s ball across goal being deflected into his own net by Omeonga.

Livi suffered a further two blows as Obileye and Omeonga picked up injuries that saw them hobble as the home side’s horrendous form continued with the Lions having won just one of their last seven games.

Kukarevych finished the scoring in the final moments before Martindale was sent to the stands.

Match Report: Callum Carson (Daily Record)

Livingston: George, Devlin © ▊, Fitzwater ▊, Boyes ▊, Montaño ▊ (Shinnie 70), Nouble, St.Kelly (Obileye 54 (de Lucas 76)), Pittman (Penrice 70), Holt, Omeonga, Anderson (Bahamboula 69)            
Subs not used: Hamilton, Guthrie, Brandon, Bradle
Goals: Nouble (9)

Hibernial: Marshall ©, Fish, Cadden, Cabraja, Hanlon, Egan-Riley ▊ (Miller 79), Henderson (Nisbet ▊  68), Jeggo ▊, Youan (MacIntyre 89), Campbell, Hoppe (Kukharevych 68)
Subs not used: Jair Tavares, Devlin, Johnson, O’Connor, Stevenson
Goals: Youan (28 & 37), Omeonga (OG 61), Kukharevych (90)

Referee: Chris Graham
HT: 1-2
Att:

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