Livingston ended their campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Kilmarnock, despite taking an early lead through Stevie May on the final day.

Kilmarnock visited the Home of the Set Fare Arena to face Livingston in the final game of the season. With Kilmarnock having secured their place in the topflight for another season and Livingston already relegated, the match was largely a matter of pride and an opportunity to end the campaign on a positive note.

Kilmarnock came into the game in better form, having won their last three matches, while Livingston had drawn two of their previous three, either side of a 3-0 defeat at Dundee.

Interim Livingston manager Scott Arfield made one change from the goalless draw with Dundee United, with Barrie McKay coming in for Scott Pittman, who had just committed his future to the club for another year. For Kilmarnock, Neil McCann also made a single change, with Bruce Anderson dropping to the bench and Nicky Cleşcenco coming into the starting XI.

Livingston started the game on the front foot, applying early pressure that caused problems for the Kilmarnock defence. The first real chance fell to Michael Schønning-Larsen, who cut in from the right-hand side before curling an effort over Jérôme Prior’s crossbar.

In the nineteenth minute, Livingston found the breakthrough. Barrie McKay played a neat pass through to Stevie May on the right-hand side of the box, and he fired a low shot into the bottom-left corner to give the hosts the lead.

Kilmarnock responded five minutes later. A low cross from Dominic Thompson found its way through to Joe Hugill, who stumbled at the point of contact but still managed to guide the ball past Prior to level the score at 1-1.

After a sustained period of Livingston pressure, the ball broke to Greg Kiltie on the left-hand side, with most of the Livingston players committed in the opposition half. As Livingston scrambled back, Nicky Cleşcenco evaded multiple challenges, carried the ball forward, and smashed it into the top-right corner to put Kilmarnock 2-1 ahead.

Kilmarnock began to take control, creating several half-chances as the game approached half-time. Thompson picked up the first booking of the match after bringing down Lewis Smith on the right flank.

The game continued at a frantic pace, with both sides enjoying spells of possession in the opposition half. Livingston nearly found an equaliser just after the seventieth minute, but a low cross evaded everyone in the box and was eventually cleared.
Second Half

Kilmarnock started the second half strongly and made their pressure count in the fifty-third minute. Following a scramble in the box, Thompson managed to find Findlay Curtis inside the six-yard area, and he applied the decisive touch despite the best efforts of Brooklyn Kabongolo on the line.

Five minutes later, Kilmarnock extended their lead further. Robbie Deas played the ball through to Hugill, who was clean through on goal. He carried the ball into the box before calmly slotting it low into the left corner past Prior to make it 4-1.

Kilmarnock continued to dominate proceedings, piling pressure on the Livingston defence with wave after wave of attacks. After a series of Livingston corners, the ball fell to substitute Sam Culbert, whose long-range effort from the edge of the box narrowly cleared the crossbar.

Stevie May came close to pulling a goal back in the eighty-fifth minute, finding space on the right-hand side before cutting inside and curling a low effort towards the far corner, which was well saved by Maksymilian Stryjek. Moments later, the Polish goalkeeper was called into action again, parrying away another low effort from Culbert.

Livingston continued to search for a consolation goal, with Josh Zimmerman going one-on-one with Stryjek, but his effort was comfortably saved.

That proved to be the final action of the match, as Livingston fell to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Kilmarnock, who secured ninth place in the Premiership.

Livingston will now look to regroup over the summer and prepare for a promotion push next season in an attempt to return to the Premiership at the first opportunity.

Match report: Alastair Hogg

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