Livi grab deserved win with Forrest’s late, late clincher

West Lothian side defeat Dundee United 2-1 at Tannadice

Livingston's Alan Forrest celebrates his winning goal. Picture: Ross MacDonald / SNS

Alan Forrest’s late winner gave Livingston a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice.

The win took Livingston above Dundee United and into sixth place in the table.

There was some surprise when it was revealed that United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist was absent from the squad but manager Micky Mellon said pre-match he had a strain as number two keeper Deniz Mehmet made his first appearance in more than a year.

United took the lead from a free-kick awarded when Livi’s Scott Pittman crunched Adrian Sporle who had just left Julien Serrano writhing on the ground with a challenge.

After some time allowed by referee John Beaton for the Livingston player to get treatment, Nicky Clark curled the ball round the Livi wall and in at Robby McCrorie’s left-hand post for his third goal of the season.

Gary Holt’s side hit back with force, but Mehmet made an impressive double save, first from Forrest’s curler, then tipping Scott Robinson’s shot on the follow-up over the bar.

Mehmet again thwarted Robinson in the 38th minute, pushing the forward’s drive from 12 yards past the post.

Just before the break Mehmet blocked yet another effort, this time an angled drive by Scott Tiffoney who had breached the back line.

The Lions kept pushing after the break, racking up the corners and eventually the pressure paid off when Jon Guthrie, still in the box from a previous set-piece, swept in a cross from Marvin Bartley.

It looked like a draw was on the cards, but there was to be a sting and it came when Robinson robbed Mark Connolly and as Livingston broke in numbers, Pittman played in Matej Poplatnik, who squared to Forrest, pictured, to tap into an empty net with no time for United to respond.