Livingston 2 - 1 Dundee: Livi march up league table

The result was the fourth win in the last five for new boss John McGlynn. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Scorers: Livingston: Jacobs 55; Scott 88; Dundee: MacDonald 54

The result was the fourth win in the last five for new boss John McGlynn and moves his team up to fifth in the league. “That shows exactly the type of characters this team has got,” said McGlynn, “they could have crumpled when Dundee scored. But they didn’t and I’m delighted with the result.”

Amid rumours of debts totalling £1.7 million, the home players allowed the supporters to forget the off-field problems for 90 minutes with a terrific display on it.

Dundee’s direct approach to Peter MacDonald and Craig Beattie was denied at every attempt by the superb centre-back partnership of Coll Donaldson and Simon Mensing in the first half.

Dundee were much improved in the second half and went in front through MacDonald’s strike after the forward capitalised on Donaldson’s hesitation in dealing with a high ball. It was a moment of atonement for the striker who had missed a penalty minutes earlier.

The lead lasted less than 90 seconds. A quick corner on the left was worked to the edge of the area where Keaghan Jacobs was on hand to drill the ball into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

Dundee felt the pendulum should then have swung back to them shortly after when Beattie went down in the area following a shove by Jason Talbot – an incident John Brown later described as a “stonewaller”. Instead, referee Craig Charleston inexplicably chose to book Beattie.

With time ticking down, Donaldson redeemed himself for the earlier error with a diving header that Kyle Letheren could only push into the path of substitute Martin Scott, who bundled it home.