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Daily Record
Sport
Callum Carson

Livingston cling on for victory in feisty affair at home to Aberdeen

Livingston emerged victorious in a battle with Aberdeen that saw 14 yellow cards, a red card, some frantic last ditch defending from the hosts and a contest that at times resembled more of a schoolyard fight than a game of football.

The Lions opened the scoring on eight minutes when Ayo Obileye turned a Bruce Anderson strike beyond Gary Woods before a wonderful finish from Alan Forrest just after the break doubled their lead.

At times, the hosts were cutting Aberdeen apart every time they got over the halfway line and Jason Holt could have all but wrapped the game up had his strike not bounced off the post.

But the final 25 minutes was backs to the wall as Christian Ramirez blasted home from 10 yards against the run of play on 66 minutes.

Scrap after scrap ensued after the Dons reduced the deficit with referee Kevin Clancy having a staggeringly poor performance with countless baffling decisions as the game descended into a farce.

On several occasions players needed separated and it was no surprise when one was eventually dismissed six minutes from time.

Cristian Montano saw a second yellow for his reaction after Aberdeen's Vicente Besuijen had attempted to drag Anderson off the park after clattering the striker.

The Lions then defended magnificently over the closing stages with Stryjek repelling everything while the backline simply refused to bow under pressure - twice hooking would be equalising goals off the line.

Livingston boss David Martindale elected to start Liverpool loanee Adam Lewis who was making his first appearance since fracturing his foot in September. He replaces Scott Pittman in the midfield three with Odin Bailey dropping out for Montano in the only other changes to the line-up from Tuesday's disappointing loss at home to St Johnstone.

The Lions had the better of the early play, putting the Dons under pressure with a string of set-pieces before taking the lead on eight minutes.

Forrest's free-kick from the left was whipped into the box with the ball eventually falling into the path of Bruce Anderson. The former Aberdeen man fired at goal in a congested penalty box with Obileye diverting the strike beyond Gary Woods and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.

The visitors were struggling to create anything of note but were looking dangerous down their right-hand side. Calvin Ramsay was a threat and saw his effort after cutting in from the flank deflected wide but it was the best they would muster in a poor first half.

At the other end Gary Woods, in for the absent Joe Lewis, wasn't covering himself in glory and his fumble almost led to a Montano effort from 20 yards finding the net before he frantically claimed the rebound ahead of the Livi attack.

Sloppy defending from the Dons saw Livi pass up the chance to double their lead on two separate occasions just before the half-time interval. Forrest intercepted the ball on the halfway line and elected to run at the defence when trying to play Anderson through would have been the better option before Forrest himself hit a thunderous effort inches over the bar moments later.

Having squandered those chances, the winger would make no mistake four minutes into the second half. He raced in behind the defence to latch onto Montano's pass before delicately dinking the ball over Woods for his second goal in three games.

Aberdeen's day nearly got even worse five minutes later as Jason Holt clattered the woodwork from 20 yards following a wonderful attacking move from the hosts.

Despite having barely threatened all game, the visitors were suddenly back in the game as the contest entered the final quarter as slack defending allowed Ramirez to smash unmarked from 10 yards out.

And the comeback was nearly complete on 77 minutes when Lewis Ferguson was denied by a terrific instinctive save from Stryjek as the midfielder looked to have headed the Dons back on level terms.

The game was threatening to blow over with the officials having to separate players on numerous occasions so it was no surprise when a red card was shown. Montano was perhaps naive to raise his hands to Besuijen but the Dutchman's attempt to drag Anderson off the park sparked yet another stramash between the two sets of players.

A valiant defensive effort in the closing minutes ensured the Lions won all three points.

Livingston: Stryjek; Devlin, Obileye, Fitzwater, Penrice; Omeonga, Holt, Lewis (Pittman 45); Forrest (Boyes 83), Anderson (Chukwuemeka 83, Bailey 90), Montano. Subs not used: Maley, Longridge, Sibbald, McMillan, Kelly.

Goal: Obileye (8), Forrest (49).

Sent-off: Montano (83)

Aberdeen: Woods; Ramsay (Kennedy 63), McCrorie, Bates, Montgomery (Emmanuel-Thomas 83); Ferguson, Ojo; Besuijen, Jenks (MacKenzie 45), Hayes; Ramirez. Subs not used: Ritchie, Gallagher, Brown, Emmanuel-Thomas, McGeouch, Ruth, Milne.

Goal: Ramirez (66)

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