Livi’s Colts booked their place in the second round of the Irn Bru Cup at the second attempt with a penalty shootout victory over ten-man Forfar Athletic at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

After the original meeting was abandoned with the young Lions 1-0 up due to a power cut in the local area, the two sides played out a goalless draw before Livi came out on top 5-4 on penalties.

Reserve coach Steve Pittman went with the same starting line-up from the initial match, Keaghan Jacobs captaining the side as he continued his return from injury.

The match was very slow to get going and it took until 19 minutes for anything to happen, Jacobs picking up a yellow card for a foul on Michael Travis which forced the ex-Livi youngster off with an injury to be replaced by Darren Whyte.

The visitors were reduced to ten men on 35 minutes when another former Livi starlet, Dylan Easton, reacted angrily to a foul from Michael Rintoul, kicking out at the Livi man and leaving referee David Dickinson with no choice but to show a straight red card. Rintoul was cautioned for the foul.

An attempt on goal finally arrived on 40 minutes, in fact there were two as Jack Hamilton and Carlo Pignatiello both saw efforts deflected wide. Matthew Knox then tried his luck from distance two minutes later but saw his effort well saved by Willie Muir as the teams went in level at the break.

Half-time: Livingston Colts 0-0 Forfar Athletic

The Lion cubs went close within two minutes of the restart as Adam Watson, who had scored the only goal in the abandoned fixture last week, saw an effort cleared off the line before Knox and Hamilton both came close to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark.

The ten-man visitors went close to breaking the deadlock on 69 minutes when veteran striker John Baird fired in a fine strike from the edge of the box that was brilliantly saved by Jordan Pettigrew. Cammy Blues then went close moments later with a low strike that flew across goal and wide.

Knox then tried his luck from a tight angle on 74 minutes but couldn’t steer his effort on target before Murray Mackintosh squandered a great opportunity for Forfar, steering a close-range effort wide at the back post.

Livi went close again on 82 minutes when a long-range strike from Jacobs forced a fine save from Muir. The Forfar keeper then kept out an effort from Hamilton before Baird fired over the bar for the visitors. Both sides made late changes as Connor Coupe replaced Gary Fraser for the visitors before Livi replaced Knox with Alberto Vezza, before the final whistle blew to send the match to penalties.

Both sides converted their first three spot kicks before Baird’s effort was saved. Hamilton scored to put Livi on the brink but Watson missed the chance to win it as his effort was saved by Muir. Jamie Bain scored to take the shootout to sudden death and, after Hamish Thomson scored the Lions, Eddie Malone saw his effort hit the post to send the Lions to Ireland for a second round clash with Sligo Rovers.

Full-time: Livingston Colts 0-0 Forfar Athletic (Livingston Colts win 5-4 on penalties) 

Livingston Colts: Pettigrew, Pignatiello, Clark, McMillan, Thomson, Jacobs, Blues, Rintoul, Hamilton, Knox (Vezza 88), Watson
Subs not used: Kinvig, Forrest, J Henderson, C Henderson, Hay, Kinchant
Penalties: Jacobs, McMillan, Clark, Hamilton, Watson, Thomson

Forfar Athletic: Muir, Meechan, Malone, Munro, Travis (Whyte 23), Reilly, MacIntosh, Fraser (Coupe 84), Baird, Easton, Bain
Subs not Used: Kennedy, Reilly, Allen, Starkey
Penalties: Munro, Meechan, Whyte, Baird, Bain, Malone

Referee: David Dickinson
Match Report: Andy Crawford
Photos: Rae Irvine
Attendance: 460

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