There was no Friday night delight for the Lions as a goal in either half from Hamilton ensured the points stayed with the home side.

John McGlynn made one change to the side that won away to Alloa last weekend as Craig Sives made his first start for the club in place of the suspended Simon Mensing.

Both sides started the game well despite the poor weather conditions with the rain making the ball skip off the surface with a bit more kick than usual.

Hamilton created the first opportunity of the game as Louis Longridge slipped the ball through to ex-Livi midfielder Tony Andreu but the Frenchman’s low shot was pushed wide by Jamieson.

Moments later and the Lions really should have been in front. A clearance from Callum Fordyce found its way in behind the Hamilton backline where Keaghan Jacobs latched on to the ball and closed in on goal but just at the crucial moment, Ali Crawford done enough to put him off and the midfielder sent his shot across goal and wide of the post.

With nearly half an hour on the clock, the home side took the lead. A corner in from the left was headed clear but when Jamieson could only parry the follow up shot, Jason Scotland was on hand to calmly slot the ball into the corner despite the best efforts of Kyle Jacobs on the line.

The remainder of the half was played out with no real chances of note for either side but it was Hamilton who looked most like scoring after the teams re-emerged for the second period.

Scotland was desperately unlucky not to double his and Hamilton’s tally after dancing round three Livi defenders only to see his shot well saved by Jamieson. James Keatings was next to come close as some neat link up play between Andreu and Crawford sent him through on goal but his shot was flicked wide by Mevlja.

Danny Mullen, who retained his place in the starting line-up after an impressive showing against Alloa, tried his luck to get Livingston back level but Kevin Cuthbert in the Hamilton goal was equal to his shot and palmed it wide of the goal.

It was still Hamilton who looked most threatening however and only the woodwork denied Tony Andreu from a second Hamilton goal as his powerful effort was tipped on to the post by Jamieson before Mullen cleared the danger.

The same post would then deny Crawford this time as he latched on to Darian MacKinnon’s pull back from the wing and slammed his shot off the base of the post before Jamieson gathered.

Given the pressure Hamilton were now putting on the Livi backline, it was no great surprise when they did indeed seal the win in injury-time. A big clearance down the park seen substitute Mickael Antoine-Curier outmuscle Mevlja in the Livi defence and when Jamieson slipped as he attempted to close down the angle, the big striker dinked the ball past the ‘keeper and wrapped up the game for the Hamilton.

A disappointing result after two good away performances but attentions are now turned to next weekend when Cowdenbeath visit the Energy Assets Arena as the Lions look to put an end to a three game losing streak at home.

Hamilton: Cuthbert, Gordon, Canning, Gillespie, Keatings (Antione-Courier 73), Crawford, Longridge (Hendrie 57), MacKinnon, Andreu (Routledge 77), Garcia Tena, Scotland
Subs not used: Currie, Devlin, Docherty, Ryan

Livingston: Jamieson, Mampuya (McNulty 46), Talbot, Fordyce, Mevlja, Sives, Kn.Jacobs (Denholm 80), Ky.Jacobs, Scott (Habai 63), O'Brien, Mullen
Subs not used: Walker, Wilkie, Praprotnik, Rutherford

Referee: Craig Charleston

Attendance: 1063

Match report: Dave Black