Livingston recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season as they coasted to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Stenhousemuir. A Scott Pittman early strike was complimented by a Robbie Muirhead double as the Lions ran rampant in Larbert.

Martindale made three changes from the side that grabbed three points against Arbroath last weekend, with Jack Wilkie, Tyresse SInclair and Sam Nicholson dropping to the bench, replaced by Bruce Anderson, Cristian Montano and Stevie May, who makes his 100th appearance in a Livingston jersey.

The Lions stunned the hosts by opening the scoring within the first minute. Brooklyn Kabongolo played a lovely ball forward to Bruce Anderson, who squared to Scott Pittman, and the leading appearance holder made no mistake flashing his shot across Darren Jamieson and into the bottom corner.

It was a horror start for the Warriors, and they looked to bounce back quickly. A duo of corners looked threatening, with Sam Young finding himself free at the back post, his header back across goal finding a Livi man though.

Despite Stenny looking the more comfortable on the ball, it was Livi who were looking the more dangerous. Cristian Montano was making a nuisance of himself down the left hand side, ruffling the side netting with an acrobatic strike, before later receiving the ball on the overlap from Stevie May, his low pass across the goal failing to meet any of the Livi forwards.

Livi rattled the post on the half hour mark as they continued to search for their second. An attempted clearance was deflected forward to Jordan Doherty who unleashed a fierce shot across goal, striking the post and firing back out before getting cleared away.

Robbie Muirhead had an audacious attempt from around half way which certainly worried former Livi player Jamieson in the Stenhousemuir goal, but the effort rippled the top of the net.

The hosts were not without their chances, and with 33 minutes on the clock almost squared the game. A clever one two allowed Scott Bright through on goal, although his strike was saved well by Jerome Prior.

With five minutes to the half, the Lions doubled their lead. A corner from Stevie May found Robbie Muirhead all alone at the back post and he nodded the ball home to make it 2-0.

A moment of madness up the other end almost handed Stenhousemuir a way back into the game. May inexplicably opted to use his back to block a ball from left to right, which fell to Lewis Hodgkiss, but his strike was off target when he should have done so much more to trouble to the keeper.

Stenny came out fast in the second half and didn’t take long to test Prior in the Livi goal. The ball fell to Michael Anderson on the edge of the box, and the Warriors skipper struck low across the goal, Prior palming the ball out for a Livi clearance.

From that, Livi made it three. Driving up the pitch, Stevie May fired the ball across the edge of the box. Missing Pittman and Anderson, Muirhead took it in his stride before smashing the ball into the top left corner leaving Jamieson with no chance.

Muirhead was hunting for his hattrick and in an almost identical position to his second received the ball. His shot this time was blocked for a corner, with the corner finding Kabongolo whose header glanced wide.

Livingston were turning on the style and playing with a freedom hardly seen this season. The front three of May, Anderson and Muirhead were causing havoc on the Stenhousemuir back line and May almost grabbed himself a goal on 65 minutes, his shot right down the throat of Jamieson.

Michael Anderson was on hand to test Prior yet again. Driving forward to the edge of the box he got his shot away, forcing a fine save from the Frenchman to his right.

Livi had a huge call for a penalty with 15 minutes left on the clock. Stenhousemuir were trying to enact a high line, which Sinclair broke. Through one-on-one, the winger took too long to get his shot away, but was clattered in the back from Buchanan. The referee pointed for a corner, to the bemusement of just about everyone at Ochilview Park.

The second half was a scrappy affair, with the quality appearing to fall off a cliff, as the hosts scrapped and clawed trying to get their way back into the match. Gregor Buchanan, who took the captains armband following his introduction, found himself with a header at the back post from a corner, but he was unable to direct it goalwards.

Kabongolo found himself in all sorts of trouble as the game reached it’s conclusion. Being far too casual at the back, his pass was blocked into the path of Hamzad Kargbo, who charged down on goal, however a last ditch incredible tackle from McGowan stifled the attack, which ended up being the last real action of the game.

Match report: David Hastie

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