Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Livingston at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 10.11.20

Betfred Cup Sectional Match

Stenhousemuir 0 Livingston 4 [Forrest 1,8, Poplatnik 29, Taylor-Sinclair 65]

Stenhousemuir – Martin, Tiffoney, Munro [b25], McQueen, Yeats, Brown [Muir 54][b58], Fairley [Hodge 62], Blair, Tapping, Graham [Biabi 74] and McGuigan

Subs not used– Erskine, Halleran, Spence, Watters and Grigor

Livingston – Maley, Devlin [Taylor-Sinclair 60], Fitzwater, Ambrose, McMillan [Pignatiello 77], Forrest, Mullan, Pittman [Sibbald 60], Poplatnik, Holt and Emmanuel-Thomas

Subs not used– Robinson, Bartley, Guthrie, Brown and Serrano

Referee – Colin Steven            Assistants – Drew Kirkland and Calum Doyle.

After the rigours of league campaigns both sides made changes for this Betfred Cup match with Jayden Fairley and Cammy Graham both making their first starts in Warriors colours whilst youngsters Paul Brown and Chris McQueen coming into the first eleven.

Livingston for their part made seven changes to their team though two were enforced due to covid. This meant a rare outing for veteran keeper Gary Maley but also meant that the anticipated meeting between the Tiffoney brothers wasn’t to take place.

It is vital that when a League Two team plays one from the Premiership that for the lower ranked club to get anything out of the game that they need a good start to the game and then build on it. It is fair to say though that this didn’t happen on this occasion as Livingston opened the scoring after only 40 seconds of play when Alan Forrest opened the scoring. He then doubled the lead in the eighth minute of the game with a curled effort into the net after the defence was opened up. It was already looking as if it could be a case of damage limitation and just how many goals that the visitors would score.  Livingston were to go further ahead just before the half hour when Jay Emmanuel-Thomas’s pass split up the home defence and Matej Poplatnik finished the move by dinking a shot past Paddy Martin.

The Warriors hadn’t tested Livingston throughout this period but they were eventually to have their first effort on target in the 42^nd minute when Ryan Blair shot from distance. The strike lacked power though and was effectively a pass back to Maley. Nevertheless it would have given the home side a lift.

Livingston should have went further ahead in the 49^th minute when Emmanuel-Thomas’s effort from close range went wide.

The second half was slow to get into a rhythm with several substitutions being made. One was enforced for the Warriors as Tommy Muir replaced the injured Paul Brown. The striker was to cause Livingston more problems as the home side attacked more in the second period and Mark McGuigan was unlucky to see a shot go just wide.

The visitors though did make it four in the 65^th minute when Aaron Taylor-Sinclair headed a corner home. Martin then did well to save a Josh Mullen drive as Livi threatened to go nap. Stenhousemuir’s best chance came in the 80^th minute when Muir was set up by McGuigan but Maley was able to produce a fine stop to keep a clean sheet as the game ended with no further goals at either end of the park.