MY ACCOUNT
Livingston climbed to fourth in the cinch Premiership as they continued their impressive form with an imposing 3-1 win over Kilmarnock.
Joel Nouble scored on his first start since November in the ninth minute before Bruce Anderson doubled the home side’s advantage in the 11th minute with an intelligent shot across goal. In the 28th minute, Stephen Kelly made it 3-0 with a sweetly-struck volley inside the box.
Kilmarnock had failed to win away from home in the league coming into this one and were consigned to this run continuing before the first half had ended.
An early second-half goal in the 46th minute from Christian Doidge was their only consolation as they were unable to record back-to-back Scottish Premiership wins.
David Martindale’s side started on the front foot with Cristian Montano and Nouble forcing Sam Walker into early saves.
The home side continued to surge forward and were soon rewarded as Nouble instinctively nodded home from close range after reacting first to a deflected cross.
Less than two minutes after their opener Anderson doubled Livingston’s lead as his exquisite finish sent the ball beyond Walker.
With just under half an hour on the clock, Martindale’s side were 3-0 up and out of sight thanks to the afternoon’s pick of the strikes.
At the heart of the goal was Nouble, who drove to the byline and saw his ball deflected into the path of Stephen Kelly who side-footed his shot off the underside of the bar and in with venom.
Kilmarnock showed some glimpses of life as the first half wound down with Kyle Vassell’s shot rippling the outside of the net, but Derek McInnes’ side failed to find a route back into the game before the half-time whistle.
The home side’s 3-0 lead at the interval capped off a remarkable 45 minutes of attacking football with their three-goal-margin flattering Kilmarnock.
After recording their first win in five league games midweek against Dundee United, Kilmarnock struggled to show a similar level of fight – or attacking prowess – in the opening 45 minutes.
A goalmouth scramble led to Doidge poking the ball over the line for Derek McInnes’ side just minutes after the restart with the second half failing to match the first’s entertainment value despite the smart start from the visitors.
Walker was called into action making a smart double save to deny powerful strikes from Jack Fitzwater and Nouble as the home side saw out the game in a professional manner, avoiding any late scares.
