| Manager Derek McInnes was unable to recall Goran Stanic to the squad, meaning Paul Sheerin deputised on the left side. Recent signings Jody Morris and Barry Wilson found themselves in the starting line-up, and the medical all-clear stemming from his hospital visit on Tuesday night, saw Andy Jackson take his customary place up front. There was a place on the bench for club captain Kevin James as he recovered from injury.
Saints looked good in the opening exchanges and Gary Irvine's early run allowed Wilson to cross for Liam Craig to shoot, only to see it drift wide. Wilson was again sharp a few minutes later, freeing Rocco Quinn to shoot from the right hand side for a corner. That attack ended with the set-piece seeing Wilson volley at the goalkeeper. The Saints defence held firm despite a couple of soft free kicks giving Livingston some action at the other end.
However it was Quinn who took the game to Livi again shortly after, combining well with Jackson before sending a nice volley just too high. Wilson had another chance moments later, shooting from distance, but only forcing another corner. Alan Main, meanwhile, was kept busy with the Livingston front men finally finding their shooting boots, and Steven Anderson was heroic in defence with a fantastic last-ditch tackle to prevent a certain goal.
But it wouldn't be long before Saints took the lead. Jackson controlled a long punt upfield, but with the Livi defence looking for offside - and the striker giving up the chase as a result - Quinn smartly chased the ball himself, before unleashing a delightful chip over keeper Stewart, making sure of the goal with a tap-in on the line.
Saints were in the ascendency but Main had to save well from Mackay as Livi had their chances. Craig and Wilson were again in the thick of the action at the other end, seeing out an entertaining half with some good attempts on goal. A frantic end to the opening period saw chances at both ends, with Main doing well to hold onto a couple of Livi pot-shots, and Sheerin defending well to clear a likely Livi chance in the penalty area.
The home side came out fighting in the second half, pressing forward at the first opportunity but lacking the firepower to make their chances count. But Saints weren't done yet, with Irvine and Wilson building on their understanding down the right, the latter putting in some excellent crosses which Quinn and Peter MacDonald came close to converting.
The frantic nature of the first half continued, with chances falling for strikers at both ends; Main once again called into action, not least to recover from a dodgy moment where he might have palmed the ball into his own net. MacDonald and Quinn forced some nice inter-play but the Saints striker just couldn't find a way to goal.
But that combination proved fruitful in the 57th minute as another long pass aimed itself at MacDonald's feet. He couldn't control the ball but Quinn found himself in possession almost 25 yards out - and taking a moment to control the ball, he let fly with a rasping shot that might have found its way to the Almondvale Shopping Centre up the hill, had the net not blocked its path. The fantastic strike pushed Saints two ahead with half an hour left, and it looked like game over.
McInnes brought on Kevin Moon to flatten the midfield, with Wilson making way. The youngster soon got into the thick of the action with a shot just wide of the post. A flurry of corners saw Livi try to get back into the game but Saints held their own, controlling play and limiting the home team to limited chances. The busy Jackson was replaced by Steven Milne with just over 20 minutes left, and the fresh legs seemed to push Saints towards even greater dominance.
MacDonald did well on the left wing, sending over a cross for Craig which couldn't quite reach the Falkirk loan star. Soon it was the turn of Allan McManus to get on the end of a corner, but his header across goal found no takers when it looked simpler to score. Quinn might have had a hat-trick after excellent play from Sheerin and Moon, but his effort was well blocked on the line, as was MacDonald's follow-up.
But the Livi Lions tried to roar back into the match with a handful of minutes remaining, and Main proved his experience with some excellent stops from Walker and Griffiths. David Weatherston came on for the tiring MacDonald with six minutes left, and his injection of pace almost paid dividends in the closing stages with a corner which Craig almost converted, but with that last chance of the game, the final whistle saw three points heading for Perth.
The team should be proud of a good, comfortable win on a ground which proved Saints' undoing in recent times; the team never looked in too much trouble. And while the chase for the league title remains technically viable despite Hamilton's win over Dundee, the win gave McInnes's squad a healthy boost ahead of their Scottish Cup replay against St Mirren in midweek.
Livingston: Stewart, Mackay, James, McPake, McCaffrey, Griffiths, Makel, Walker, Fox (Malone 76), Dorrans, Snodgrass.
Subs not used: Lunn, Jacobs, MacDonald, Tinkler.
St Johnstone: Main, Irvine, Anderson, McManus, Morris, Craig, Wilson (Moon 58), Quinn, Sheerin, Jackson (Milne 65), MacDonald (Weatherston 84).
Subs not used: James, Cuthbert.
Referee: Steve Conroy.
Attendance: 1,543.
Peter MacDonald in the thick of the action. |
Rocco strikes for his 2nd. |
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