Peterhead v Livi

9 points clear of Alloa, decent result that but torture only reading the Twitter updates.

From what I read on twitter and from a Livi fan at the game we made hard work of it and should've won by 2 or 3 goals. And it was Buchanan through on goal from a Peterheid pass back for the absurd offside decision, not Mullen.

If you take the missed pen and the offside decision that would've been 2 more goals but we had a few other ones we could've added to that and won the game 6 or 7-2, which I suppose is a good sign that we created the chances and looked dominant in attack.

Millar seemed involved a lot too, and Dec getting a goal from a corner gives us another goal threat.

Still not sure on Crighton, Lithgow & Gallagher all starting though, would be more balanced just having 2 of them with Longridge as LB.

Firstly great result for the Lions today.Secondly much kodos to the the lions faithfull who made it up there today.For what its worth watch the away support between now and the end off the season.The stamp has now been truely put on this division .Lets put this to bed.Back where we belong IMO!!!.

Two offsides leading to two goals which were both disallowed. I can't really comment on the first early in the first half because I was at the other end of the stand but it looked close. The second though exposed our officials for the incompetents they are. A clear pass back was interrupted by Buchanan who rounded the goalie. The ref was closer than me and must have known it was a pass back. The linesman who was a lot further away flagged for offside and the ref disallowed the goal. Unbelievable!!
Peterhead worked hard and were good at pressing our players. There were some good saves made too by their goalie. I couldn't believe we missed another penalty. I thought we did ok given we had two new players slotted in.
Rafa was substituted after a knock so hopefully it wasn't too serious. Cadden was a nuisance to them when he came on and Carrick got a bit of game time too.
Re Gallagher it was almost as if he had never been away. All looking good.

Any Livi fans NOT celebrate his goal?

Bertie Bassett wrote:Any Livi fans NOT celebrate his goal?

I can think of one who wouldn't have been pleased about it, prob had a rant about it all the way home from the match.

orco wrote:Two offsides leading to two goals which were both disallowed. I can't really comment on the first early in the first half because I was at the other end of the stand but it looked close. The second though exposed our officials for the incompetents they are. A clear pass back was interrupted by Buchanan who rounded the goalie. The ref was closer than me and must have known it was a pass back. The linesman who was a lot further away flagged for offside and the ref disallowed the goal. Unbelievable!!
Peterhead worked hard and were good at pressing our players. There were some good saves made too by their goalie. I couldn't believe we missed another penalty. I thought we did ok given we had two new players slotted in.
Rafa was substituted after a knock so hopefully it wasn't too serious. Cadden was a nuisance to them when he came on and Carrick got a bit of game time too.
Re Gallagher it was almost as if he had never been away. All looking good.

Millar seemed to be involved a lot on the twitter updates, how did he look to you, did he fit in well and add to the quality of our team?

Tbh I wasn't focusing on any of them. I thought everyone played well today. Should only get better once they get to know each other.

Bertie Bassett wrote:Any Livi fans NOT celebrate his goal?

I didn't notice but the travelling support chanted his name quite loudly after his goal.

orco wrote:Tbh I wasn't focusing on any of them. I thought everyone played well today. Should only get better once they get to know each other.

Awrighty, cheers.

Bet you were focusing on the officials performance though.

Liviforever wrote:

Bet you were focusing on the officials performance though.

Too right I was. Mr Lowe should be feeling rather embarrassed tonight. He knows what he did. The Livi players surrounded him and the more vocal of the Livi support made a pure fool of him for the rest of the game.  There were multiple cries of "offside", "penalty" etc

It was one of those really feel good wins. After being pegged back twice, the missed penalty and the disallowed goals you felt it was going to be another one of those days then up popped Byrne with the winner. Exhausting to watch especially the last 15 minutes.

orco wrote:

Bertie Bassett wrote:Any Livi fans NOT celebrate his goal?

I didn't notice but the travelling support chanted his name quite loudly after his goal.

Not surprised by that but it would suggest the mockrage over in the Den by 2 or 3 claiming to be the moral majority is exactly that but is a smaller group than they believe themselves to be.

Delighted with that result yesterday, I thought it would be a tough one up North. Reading the twitter updates it seemed like it had it all (well in the second half).

One of the most annoying thing about league one football is the far flung stadia with absolutely nae transport links. Looking forward to our run of home games.

Can anyone enlighten me on the formation we played? Seemed very strange starting four centre backs.. I still hope we can sign McMillan, to give us a proper RB.

sunderland wrote:Delighted with that result yesterday, I thought it would be a tough one up North. Reading the twitter updates it seemed like it had it all (well in the second half).

One of the most annoying thing about league one football is the far flung stadia with absolutely nae transport links. Looking forward to our run of home games.

Can anyone enlighten me on the formation we played? Seemed very strange starting four centre backs.. I still hope we can sign McMillan, to give us a proper RB.

Can just see Hopkin going with McMillan on the right, Longridge on the left, and Halkett, Crighton, Gallagher, Lithgow in the centre, nobody would be scoring many goals against us.

sunderland wrote:Delighted with that result yesterday.
One of the most annoying thing about league one football is the far flung stadia with absolutely nae transport links. Looking forward to our run of home games

I got the supporters' bus up. £12

orco wrote:

sunderland wrote:Delighted with that result yesterday.
One of the most annoying thing about league one football is the far flung stadia with absolutely nae transport links. Looking forward to our run of home games

I got the supporters' bus up. £12

Ideal and pretty good value if you live in or around Livingston. Unfortunately I don't.

sunderland wrote:Delighted with that result yesterday, I thought it would be a tough one up North. Reading the twitter updates it seemed like it had it all (well in the second half).

One of the most annoying thing about league one football is the far flung stadia with absolutely nae transport links. Looking forward to our run of home games.

Can anyone enlighten me on the formation we played? Seemed very strange starting four centre backs.. I still hope we can sign McMillan, to give us a proper RB.

A reliable Livi poster on P&B said we played Crighton at RB, Gallagher & Halkett as CB's, Lithgow at LB. Crighton did well at RB but Lithgow wasn't up to much at LB.

De Vita on the wing isn't as good as having Mullin or Cadden playing there either, but Hopkin has a tendency to do that, playing players out of position so he doesn't have to drop them. With Millar, De Vita and Pittman all attacking midfielders we only really need 2 of them starting, but I doubt he will drop one. Pittman tends to get dropped further back now too, and plays more of a holding midfielder that wins the ball back than an attacking one, who was scoring for fun earlier in the season playing further up the pitch.

We're top of the league by 9 points though so we're doing well, i'd just prefer seeing a balanced team with players in natural positions.

Sky app had Halkett & Gallagher wide with Crighton & Lithgow central. This was how I envisaged it as Halkett has been predominantly used at RB & Gallagher has played as a wide defender for us in the past, having said that, Crighton has also been used wide right and can cross effectively, so who knows?

Bertie Bassett wrote:Sky app had Halkett & Gallagher wide with Crighton & Lithgow central. This was how I envisaged it as Halkett has been predominantly used at RB & Gallagher has played as a wide defender for us in the past, having said that, Crighton has also been used wide right and can cross effectively, so who knows?

Well a Livi fan who were at the game knows.

I think i'll take Andylivi's word over sky app, i'm sure he's the fella that writes the fan blog for the Courier. Another poster who was at the game also confirmed Crighton was RB.

Here's a quote from his post:

I have to say I questioned the selection of the back 4 as well yesterday, Halkett and Gallagher as expected played together at CB, Both are comfortably our best players for that position, I was even quite impressed by how Crighton played at RB but Lithgow really struggled at LB, I'd bring Longridge back in to replace Lithgow, again that's his position, play your players in position

And another Livi poster replying to him:

I really find it unlikely that Hopkin will drop Lithgow. He's his player that he signed for the first team. Crighton was excellent at right back I thought and had a smile on his face all game rather than his usual sour puss.

I was there yesterday as well and can also confirm that Crighton started at RB with Lithgow at LB. I thought both did OK but it's obvious to see that they could only get away with playing in those positions at this level. If that back four played against a decent Championship side next week, we'd get beaten. I'd quite happily stick with Halkett and Gallagher for the rest of the season because they are our best central defenders and I'd be more than confident that they would keep more clean sheets than Crighton and Lithgow.

The first half was definitely flat from us and I'd agree that Buchanan should be taken off penalty duty with some of the failed attempts he's made this season, I'm sure there are others in that team who start and put a lot more power into it rather than trying to place it with minimum effort.

Second half of the game opened up and we certainly looked like the team that would win it but for some poor defending for Peterhead's goals and a shocker of a decision from the officials, we made it difficult for ourselves. Credit to the team though for not losing their bottle for a third game in a row when we've went ahead and the opposition have gone on to turn the game around.

Going forward, I would like to see a more balanced side. Hopkin seems to have a thing for fitting square pegs into round holes just for getting the more talented footballers into the starting line up. We've got good, direct players in Cadden and Mullin and it would be disappointing to waste their talents just to try and fit four midfielders who are individually decent.

Most of the team are now Hoppy signings, so he needs to pick his best xi and by that I mean the best players for each position in each position.

Cadden & Mullin are our best wide players but they can be hot or cold. I'd be inclined to use them as impact subs to change things up but that leaves us lacking width. Playing Longridge would address that to some extent, which means we either go 3 at the back with Longridge as a wide man in midfield but then De Vita has to shift, so he either comes inside with Byrne or he moves to "the hole" behind Buchanan & Mullen. Either way that probably puts Millar on the right of midfield & Pittman into "the hole" or alongside Byrne depending on DeVita's role (or vice versa). Carrick is then another impact sub and/or an alternative starter up front if/when either of the first choice front men lose form.

Or we go flat back 4 with Longridge as orthodox left back and the rest as above.

Either way it means either Crighton or Lithgow have to be dropped to the bench. At the start of the season I rated the former more than the latter but I have since decided that the former plays better alongside the latter. I don't think I've seen Lithgow without Crighton. Of course dropping Crighton means dropping the captain which is unlikely but not unthinkable.

Who'd be a manager eh?

With regard to my "who knows?" earlier...

LF you would think that a Livi fan at the game would know & I'm happy to accept that but just because someone is at a game doesn't mean they see it correctly. I know someone who attended the 2-1 win over Rangers back in SPL season 1. They swore blind that David Fernandez scored the overhead kick, I had to find a video of it to prove I was correct (I wasn't even at the game) in attributing it to Stuart Lovell.

Bertie Bassett wrote:With regard to my "who knows?" earlier...

LF you would think that a Livi fan at the game would know & I'm happy to accept that but just because someone is at a game doesn't mean they see it correctly. I know someone who attended the 2-1 win over Rangers back in SPL season 1. They swore blind that David Fernandez scored the overhead kick, I had to find a video of it to prove I was correct (I wasn't even at the game) in attributing it to Stuart Lovell.

Yeah that's why I said it was a reliable poster/Livi fan, he's pretty fair minded when posting an account of the game too and wouldn't make a mistake like that. The next again post backed him up too so I felt confident saying Crighton was playing at RB on here. You know what it's like on forums, if someone makes a mistake it gets picked up on right away, esp with the pedantic feckers like yourself.

you know me so well

I liked this pic on the SPFL twitter site.