Livi v Dumbarton

Like Alloa last week this is a season defining game, we've been here before this season and lost/drawn those games, when a win would've got us out of the play off spot, this is the last chance to get it right and win this time.

Hard to predict Hopkin, and after not scoring any goals in our last game I wouldn't be surprised to see him make 3 changes. I hope he doesn't though and still sticks with the same starting line up. I really believe getting games with the same players will breed consistency, besides the subs didn't make enough of an impact to warrant a change, Buchanan needs to score when he comes on if he wants to get a start and he didn't.

I'll go for a scrappy 2-1 Livi win (please make it happen) fg 18 mins.

I disagree that the subs didn't do enough; Mullin got in some decent crosses & showed some good skill up the right hand side. Mullen on the other hand did absolutely nothing except set up White only for him to blow it. Mullen took a knock early on & ran about slowly holding his shoulder for most of the first half. Pitman did okay, at least as effective as Stanton was (very disappointed in him last night). Buchanan ran around but didn't affect the game at all, so agree with you on him.

Liv 0 Dum 1 FG 77 mins

Mullen did absolutely nothing but lay it on a plate for us to win the game, aye ok then. Oh and he did more than that, he gets more crap than White from our fans, even heard some moaning at him when he got fouled, and was given the foul, but our fans still moaned about him going down when he was being fouled, couldn't make it up.

Dumbarton really have held the Indian sign over us this season. In the first game we were on top till Hippolyte stupidly got himself sent off and they scored their customary late winner. In the second they grabbed a draw in the 88th minute and a few weeks ago got the winner courtesy of a howling gale helping the ball into the net straight from a corner.
If we had got draws from those two defeats they would have 4 points less and we would be going into Saturday's game 2 points ahead.
Hope it's our turn for the rub of the green for a change. Won't hold my breath though.

3- 0 Livi and first goal 14 mins

Hopefully Hopkin doesn't change the team, this is a big game for us, could be 10 points behind them if we lose this and they win their games in hand.

1-1, FG 23 mins

That's why we will win it Livi Lion
Three games undefeated after Saturday that's what we need and then it's onwards and upwards

Bookies have us favourites to win this, they know their stuff.

Liviforever wrote:Mullen did absolutely nothing but lay it on a plate for us to win the game, aye ok then.  Oh and he did more than that, he gets more crap than White from our fans, even heard some moaning at him when he got fouled, and was given the foul, but our fans still moaned about him going down when he was being fouled, couldn't make it up.

That's what I said...he did nothing apart from that one good thing, but that is simply not good enough. By all accounts he played well at Alloa but he needs to do it more often. He spent most of the first half jogging gently and holding his injured shoulder.

Yeah just found it funny that he produced the move that should've won the game for us but you're slagging him off (reminded me of the what have the Romans ever done for us sketch) , Mullin came on and did a good run up the wing and you're praising him. Personally i'd rather have the Mullen good move to win games. As Smithy says, he links up well with White, the pass he laid on to the big fella was similar to the one he laid on for Stanton for our third goal at Alloa, I think he's doing enough to get another start.

A must win. 3-1 Livingston. FG 6 mins.

Liviforever wrote:Yeah just found it funny that he produced the move that should've won the game for us but you're slagging him off (reminded me of the what have the Romans ever done for us sketch)   , Mullin came on and did a good run up the wing and you're praising him. Personally i'd rather have the Mullen good move to win games. As Smithy says, he links up well with White, the pass he laid on to the big fella was similar to the one he laid on for Stanton for our third goal at Alloa, I think he's doing enough to get another start.

Yeah but the Romans actually did quite a lot when they got into it....as I mentioned that was ALL he did apart from feeling sorry for himself "My poor wee shoulder, mammy kiss it better"

We saw last season that he & White can play together but it wasn't consistent was it...and so far this season its the same old story....I freely confess he laid the chance on a plate for White but sadly the latter made a complete pig's ear of it. The point I'm making is that he needs to do that more often. At the end of the day McCallum saved us from another defeat (albeit with saves you'd expect him to make) but the Morton keeper didn't have to save them from defeat because we didn't work him at all. Despite scoring 3 at Alloa we are not doing well enough in front of goal. Never mind, we're nearly at the point in the season where we turned it around last season..maybe we can repeat it.

1-1. Another fluke from a shite Dumbarton team. FG 27 mins.

The term :must win game: tends to get banndied about a lot these days,surely tommorow must be a prime example for that phrase.If we have any assperations of avoiding an extremely harrowing end to the season as opposed to last season we really must start by putting this mob to the preverbial sword.Form against them this season has been very close as we all know ,they are definatly beatable.Requirement for tommorow a strong defence a solid and creative mid field and strikers who will bury any chances that come their way.We,re always hearing the statement Your Team needs you,well we need our team!.Do it Livi!!!!!.

1-2

Thank feck Nade is slow, Cole kept giving him the ball but he was so slow we got back to block him before he could score. How Cole wasn't subbed is beyond me, dreadful decision making at the back. Taking a free kick on the half way line and giving the ball away was criminal too, couldn't believe we were going in at HT a goal up. Didn't think Buchanan was going to score either with our 3rd time effort eventually going in.



Scrappy poor game but i'll take the points, just about makes up for all the times we've lost after playing better than Dumbarton, for once we managed to stick some away, although should've been 2 up in the first half after robbing the ball and being 1 on 1 with their keeper.



Thought Telfer should've been moved back into midfield when Sheerin came on and Stanton subbed, wasn't Telfer's fault he was played in the wrong position to start with. Most skillful player we have played out of position and then subbed, aye ok Hopkin.



Anyhoo, 3 points and 7 from our last 3 games, can't complain too much, it's about points more than pretty football at this stage and if we can beat St Mirren next we'll not be far away from getting out of 9th place,

Cole was a complete bombscare, but what is worse is that he probably thinks he strolled thru the game. Credit to him for going back to clear away the danger after Gordon slid in to prevent Nade getting the shot away.

Both our goals were good opportunism and persistence.

Halkett, Longridge, Pittman and Gordon were top performers for me, Telfer not far behind and Mullin.

Delighted to get the win and have the other results go our way too

Liviforever wrote:Thank feck Nade is slow, Cole kept giving him the ball but he was so slow we got back to block him before he could score. How Cole wasn't subbed is beyond me, dreadful decision making at the back. Taking a free kick on the half way line and giving the ball away was criminal too, couldn't believe we were going in at HT a goal up. Didn't think Buchanan was going to score either with our 3rd time effort eventually going in.



Scrappy poor game but i'll take the points, just about makes up for all the times we've lost after playing better than Dumbarton, for once we managed to stick some away, although should've been 2 up in the first half after robbing the ball and being 1 on 1 with their keeper.



Thought Telfer should've been moved back into midfield when Sheerin came on and Stanton subbed, wasn't Telfer's fault he was played in the wrong position to start with. Most skillful player we have played out of position and then subbed, aye ok Hopkin.



Anyhoo, 3 points and 7 from our last 3 games, can't complain too much, it's about points more than pretty football at this stage and if we can beat St Mirren next we'll not be far away from getting out of 9th place,

Spot on. Thought Mullin was poor too, and thought Hopkin should have made the subs much sooner. Thought Gordon strolled the game, by far the best player on the pitch.

All in all a poor game, but this time a poor game we won rather than we lost.

I agree that any other striker with the slightest bit of pace would've caught Cole and Gordon out and probably finished their chances but it's that luck we've needed when we've huffed and puffed all game and came away with nothing against this mob. I think Hopkin went through the two of them at half time because in the second half we were much more organised at the back. Don't agree though that Cole should be dropped because Morgyn Neil is just a slightly worse Ben Gordon and he himself isn't exactly perfect either. I'd be more concerned that Marc McCallum is a pretty bad keeper and how he's kept clean sheets this season I'll never understand, but I'll stop complaining if we're getting results like today.

Otherwise, I thought Longridge, Mullin, Pittman and Halkett were the most solid players today but I'm starting to think Stanton is a bit average. Fair play to Shagz with his celebration.

I don't think we'll finish 8th but looking at the remaining fixtures, we have to get points out of every game other than Hibs, Rangers and maybe Falkirk to stand a chance.

Cole was the weakest link in defence, thinks he's a baller when he isn't and tries fancy stuff when he needs to keep it simple. Even after getting away with a few bad mistakes in the first half he near got caught again in the 2nd half when he turned back into the opposition player when he was the last man, but luckily got away with it. He really needs to cut out that shit and also stop trying to put McCallum under pressure with the dodgy pass backs.
He isn't a bad tackler and would be fine in defence if he cuts out the silly stuff, will he though or is he just a bit too cocky to change?

It was never going to be a classic on that pitch but I felt we just about merited it in the end. Dumbarton didn't create much from their own doing, rather potentially horrendous mistakes from us. Gordon and Cole at the back along with McCallum were pretty shaky but luckily everyone else put a shift in and played well. Halkett, Longridge, Stanton and Buchanan did very well throughout as well as White and Sheerin who came on and made an impact.

Can the "come on" woman please stop moaning at the players anytime they are under the tiniest bit of pressure? Annoying as fuck. Also, someone had a go at a guy for criticising Ben Gordon for messing up his clearance and booting the ball in the air when he played himself into trouble. Sometimes criticism is merited and that was some shockingly bad football.

Seven points out of nine in the last three games, that'll do me. Some ugly games but a win is a win and let's face it, beggars can't be choosers.

A mixture of good, bad and very bad today but won't single out any players since we won and no doubt I'd get a a bollocking from the rose tinted glasses fans.

More important than anything though, Airdrie manager taken to hospital at half time after falling ill. All the best Eddie Wolecki Black for a speedy recovery.

I am getting very fed up with our kamicaze defending. It has cost us vital points far too often this season and we were extremely lucky to get away with it today. The main culprit is Cole. He never seems to learn. Seems a bit like arrogance to me.

I don't think Dumbarton ever looked like scoring but given their luck in previous fixtures against us I half expected us to do it for them.

Credit for the win today but a lot of work to do to reach that 8th spot and safety.

Anybody know why we have taken to wearing our away strip at home? It should always be amber and black at Almondvale IMO.

I took it we were playing in the away strip on Tues because we had it advertised on the OS in a sale and were trying to promote it by playing in it. I see both home & away strips are on sale at half price now though so dunno why we played in it today.

We've picked up 7 points from our last 3 games wearing the away strip though so maybe we should keep playing in it.

Liviforever wrote:I took it we were playing in the away strip on Tues because we had it advertised on the OS in a sale and were trying to promote it by playing in it. I see both home & away strips are on sale at half price now though so dunno why we played in it today.

The commercial people at the club should not be dictating what strip we wear at home. IMO of course.