Livi bounce back after early setback

LIVINGSTON manager John Hughes hailed his side’s 
first-half display as the Lions fired back from a bad start to defeat Hamilton at New 
Douglas Park.

Livi lost a goal thanks to 
Steven May with just 56 
seconds gone, but a blistering response, including strikes 
from Stefan Scougall and 
Marc McNulty, had the visitors ahead before the ten-minute mark.

After passing up more 
first-half opportunities, the 
Lions held their own in a 
rough and tumble second 45 to secure another three league points.

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Hughes said: “I thought we played really well in the 
first half and knocked the ball about well.

“We could have been three or four up at half time.

“In the second half a wee 
bit of trepidation came into our play, perhaps with a 
few of them just back from 
injury, and we didn’t really make a pass.

“But we got a wee bit of luck that we’ve not had in some 
other games this season.”

Livi welcomed back club 
captain Liam Fox and Kyle Jacobs after lengthy spells out injured, but the fresh faces didn’t stop Accies storming their way into the lead.

Steven May burst through a cluster of Livi defenders down the left-hand side before 
drilling the ball low under Andy McNeil in the first minute.

Hughes’ men responded sharply, as Scougall intercepted a slack pass across Hamilton’s back line and fired into the 
bottom corner from 20 yards just three minutes later.

Then on nine minutes Livi went in front as Tony Andreu slipped in Marc McNulty down the right, and the striker stayed composed to clip the ball 
beyond Accies keeper Kevin Cuthbert.

The Lions were knocking the ball about well and could have gone further ahead but 
Cuthbert denied both Andreu and McNulty.

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McNeil was kept on his 
toes at the other end, saving well from Alex Neil and May, and then after the break Craig Barr saw his effort from six yards blocked brilliantly by Cuthbert.

Red cards for Hamilton’s Neil and Livi’s Kevin McCann – along with hefty penalty shouts from both Kyle Jacobs and May – sustained the match’s second-half drama, but no more goals meant Livi held out for the three points.