Partick Thistle 2-1 Livingston report

LIVINGSTON boss Gary Bollan bemoaned his Lions side’s defending as Partick Thistle inflicted a third league defeat in four outings on the West Lothian outfit.

On what was a wet and windy afternoon in Glasgow, Bollan saw defensive errors again cost his side – and he knows there is no respite for Livi as they travel next week to bottom of the table Raith Rovers.

Conrad Balatoni and a Kenny Deuchar own goal gave the home side a 2-0 lead before Deuchar popped one in at the other end for Livi just before the break, but despite a better defensive effort in the second 45 the Lions couldn’t find an equaliser.

Bollan said, “I though we started the game well enough, but again we gifted two goals to our opponents For the first one we’ve not defended crosses coming into the box, and on the second one with the swirling conditions Kenny’s gone up for the header and turned it into his own net.

He added, “It’s disappointing, but it’s important we pick ourselves up and go to Raith next week for what will be an important game.”

Livi started the match brightly, with Kyle Jacobs heading a Mark Fotheringham cross just over the bar, before Jacobs saw his turn and shot cleared off the line.

Deuchar then twice came close with headers of his own, but Thistle found themselves ahead soon after. A Paul Cairney cross from the right wasn’t defended well, and Balatoni blasted home from ten yards.

Andy McNeil then had to react quickly to deny Christie Elliot at the near post, but the Jags got their second when Deuchar was caught out by the flight of the ball in the wind and inadvertently headed into his own net from a corner.

The big striker redeemed himself before the break, however, scooping the ball high into the next from six yards after the Thistle defence scuffed two attempted clearances.

Cairney nearly added a third for Thistle before the half time whistle, but his twenty-yard effort sailed wide.

Bollan’s men came out on the front foot early in the second half, but despite Bobby Barr twice drilling low balls across Scott Fox’s six yard box, on neither occasion did a Livi foot manage to turn the ball home.

Thistle saw the remainder of the half out without much difficulty, although there was a late scare for Jackie McNamara’s side when Bobby Barr broke free in stoppage time, but after finding Russell the striker couldn’t engineer a shot on goal. 

First published in the Edinburgh Evening News on 05/12/11