Motherwell and Livingston get on the board - but both still searching for first win

Motherwell's Declan Gallagher and Livingston's Marvin Bartley at full-time.

Livingston will have headed home slightly frustrated not to claim the win, but there will have been an element of relief in both camps simply to get points on the board and finally kick-start their season.

Both sides had gone into the game looking for their first points of the new campaign. Two games played, two defeats apiece and an awareness that while the Premiership is still very much in its infancy, after the positives these sides enjoyed last season, no-one wants losses to become habit-forming or be allowed to dent any of the confidence they had carried forward.

The suggestion from both managers is that their players simply need to get back to doing what they do best and then everything else will click into place.

Motherwell dropped Jake Hastie to the bench and replaced him with Jordan White, who joined Chris Long up front to augment the attack as they searched for the first goal of 2020/21.

Livingston also made changes from Saturday, swapping out Efe Ambrose and Nicky Devlin for Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and Alan Forrest. But manager Gary Holt resisted the temptation to give new signing Jason Holt immediate passage into the West Lothian side.

The former Hearts and Rangers midfielder, who only completed his move on Tuesday, started on the bench. But his presence there was a reminder to the men in the starting line up that another slow start would soon see them losing their place.

Goals had been this issue for both teams. Stephen Robinson’s men had only conceded two in the opening games, but had not scored any. Livingston had broken through against Hibernian at the weekend but had proved more generous at the back.

Both showed attacking intent in this one, though, and in the second minute Alan Campbell had to react to block Craig Sibbald’s early shot.

At the other end, David Turnbull flashed the ball in invitingly for Sherwin Seedorf, but Jack Fitzwater stretched out a leg to intercept

The same two Motherwell players combined two minutes later but this time Seedorf was the supplier, cutting in from the left and laying off to Turnbull on the edge of the area. He was clinical with his finish.

But, the home side did not enjoy that advantage for long and in the 11th minute an attempted Well clearance only got as far as Aaron Taylor-Sinclair on the left flank and he sent a looping delivery back into the area. There were immediate appeals for handball from the visitors and the officials agreed, awarding a penalty and booking Ricki Lamie. Lyndon Dykes had netted a spot-kick with aplomb against Hibs and he repeated the feat at Fir Park to level matters.

That goal gave the West Lothian side a boost and they were gradually taking a grip of proceedings, advancing down both flanks. But they struggled to get a quality delivery into the danger area and when they did there were not enough takers in the right place at the right time.

The pitch had been watered ahead of kick off and too often there were Livy slips at key moments, Dykes managed to get himself back off the turf to stab a shot at goal but it was too close to Motherwell keeper Trevor Carson, who gathered.

But Livingston were the team in the ascendancy but they paid the price for not translating their greater possession and pressure into something tangible and Motherwell regained the lead in the 35th minute.

After Chris Long was dispossessed the ball still found its way to Campbell, who found enough space to unleash an angled shot across the face of goal and tucking it just inside the far post. It was a poor goal for Gary Holt’s men to lose and should have given the hosts a boost but Livingston kept pushing.

Neat interplay in the corner almost set up Sibbald for the equaliser but his effort was deflected narrowly wide.

With a shooting opportunity teed up for Dykes on the edge of the area, the big striker slipped, allowing the hosts to clear.

It wasn’t all one way traffic though, in a compelling and competitive match and Mark O’Hara came close with a free-kick. And Jordan White also had a dig. At the other end Scott Robinson tested Carson before Seedorf looked to have put the game out of Livingston’s reach. But Jon Guthrie chased back and hooked his effort off the line.

And there was doubt that Livingston deserved to get themselves back into the game in the 69th minute when Forrest finally provided the incisive edge that had been eluding them.

Dykes tried to claim all three points, but Carson denied him and they had to settle for a share of the spoils.