Scottish Premiership: Livingston 1-1 St Mirren
- Published
Curtis Main was sharper than his Livingston markers as he pulled St Mirren level
Livingston and St Mirren shared the points after both scored once and were reduced to 10 men in a captivating Scottish Premiership contest.
Home midfielder Scott Pittman was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Keanu Baccus after a VAR check and visiting captain Mark O'Hara was shown a second yellow after the break.
Within a minute, Livingston led when Cristian Montano swept home the opener, but St Mirren levelled when Eamonn Brophy fed Curtis Main to strike.
The result takes St Mirren's unbeaten record at Livingston to nine matches, but they toiled in this game. A measure of their first-half struggles was that Marcus Fraser's 20-yard drive in the 45th minute was their sole effort on target.
Ivan Konovalov did well to parry that attempt to safety but Fraser's strike might just have lessened the anger in his manager Stephen Robinson's half-time team talk.
Despite fielding an unchanged line-up, St Mirren looked a shadow of the team that had swatted Aberdeen aside on Christmas Eve, with Livingston dominant despite their numerical disadvantage.
David Martindale's team seemed unflustered by Pittman's 24th-minute departure and continued to pass across their back line, mixing playing through midfield with long balls directed at Bruce Anderson.
Ayo Obileye twice used his power and close control to create panic. On the first occasion St Mirren cleared only as far as Montano, whose left-foot shot flashed past a post. That was Livingston's only goal attempt in the opening 45 minutes.
Brophy came on for the second half as St Mirren tried to make their extra man count. Instead, captain O'Hara was sent off after receiving a second booking for a trip as Livingston broke in midfield.
The hosts took the lead from the resultant free-kick. Stephen Kelly launched it long into the box, Montano controlled and swept a shot against the far post but was alert enough to follow it up to stab the ball past Trevor Carson.
Livingston might have gone further ahead had Carson not come on top in a one-one-one with Anderson. That was bettered at the other end a minute later when Main's cross was met by Brophy, but Konovalov made an outstanding save.
That St Mirren duo swapped roles in the 63rd minute to level - Brophy's cross into the six-yard box from the left directed home by Main, ghosting in between two defenders.
Defeat would have been harsh on either team. In the closing moments, Brophy blazed high over the bar when Main was well placed to receive a pass across the box.
And Anderson might have nicked it for Livingston when he shaped his body to volley from 15 yards only for his effort to ricochet for a corner.
Player of the match - Ayo Obileye
Few players epitomise Livingston more than all-action Ayo Obileye, a player who clearly enjoys defending but who also threatens in the opposition box with his appetite to join the attack.
Reasons to be cheerful for Livingston - analysis
Livingston will surely take comfort from taking a point despite playing with one man fewer than St Mirren for half an hour. Further, after suffering defeats by Celtic and Hibs since the Premiership resumed, they avoided a third loss.
They can thank goalkeeper Konovalov for making two impressive saves from Fraser and, especially, from Brophy's header. The latter held his head in disbelief that the Russian had got such a strong hand to paw away his effort.
With such an astute manager as Martindale, Livingston can approach the second half of the season with confidence. Goal difference alone separates them from the top six as it stands, but with such a willing bunch of players one would expect them to finish in the top half of the table.
There is something in this result for St Mirren too. Certainly they failed to impose themselves on Livingston when Pittman was sent off but Brophy and Main kept the home defence busy in the second half, even when St Mirren had lost their influential skipper. Four points from a possible six since the league restarted is a good return for Robinson as he prepares his team for another away match on an artificial surface.
What they said
Livingston manager David Martindale: "Pittman's sending off - I don't think it was a clear and obvious error giving him a yellow card so I don't know why he [the referee] was being sent to watch it on the screen. It was verging on amber. I think it's a very, very soft red.
"We controlled large portions of the first half with 10 men. We were unlucky on a couple of occasions. We got caught on the counter late on. I don't know why we were so open because we were working on it during the week.
"But I'm delighted with the boys. That's the last two games we've had very harsh red cards. Hopefully we can keep 11 men on the park next week."
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "When we had 11 men against 10, we didn't move the ball quickly enough. As soon as we went down to 10 men we were very good.
"It's 100% a point gained. People think it's easy when you play against 10 men but credit to David [Martindale] for what he's done with their team. They might lose a forward player but they kept their shape.
"I probably have to look at myself because we were just about to take Mark [O'Hara] off. It's hard to take one of your best players off and we got punished. That's the way football works now - you can't touch anyone if you get booked."
What's next?
Livingston are at home again for the next Premiership match, with Motherwell the visitors on Monday 2 January, and St Mirren head down the M77 to play Kilmarnock at Rugby Park (both 15:00 GMT).