Late show points to Livingston's ambition

Motherwell 0 Livingston 0 Brown Corrigan Forrest Ready Hammell Leitch Lasley Dow McFadden Adams Kelly Broto Hart Andrews Rubio Deas Quino Lovell Bingham Wilson Fernandez Xausa Subs: Pearson for Hammell 23, Twaddle for McFadden 45, Martinez for Leitch 67.

Not used: Woods, Elliott.

Referee: B Orr Subs: Lowndes for Wilson 74, Caputo for Xausa 74, Tosh for Quino 78.

Not used: McEwan, McCulloch.

Attendance: 4,828 The Tannoy blasted out the theme tune from Star Wars beforehand, but the only war in evidence at Fir Park yesterday was one of attrition. Yet such has been the swelling in status that has accompanied the Almondvale side's barnstorming start to the season that it was they who took to the field as many observers' favourites to win and left it having felt the onus to launch a last- gasp onslaught on the home goal.

Although that elusive strike never came, Livingston manager Jim Leishman has been in the game long enough to know the value of another away point. Afterwards, he said: "We're disappointed in some ways, but we've maybe been getting a wee bit cheeky. We need as many points on the board as we can."

Motherwell, for whom a David Kelly 64th-minute header that rebounded off the inside of Javier Sanchez Broto's left-hand post was as close as they came, also had a point to make, after last week's humbling at the hands of Aberdeen.

This they did, but brief flashes of promise aside, that first league win must seem as far away as ever. Those last 10 minutes must have felt like an eternity for the home fans, as Livingston peppered Mark Brown's goal. First, an acrobatic overhead kick from Nathan Lowndes was touched over by the youngster, following a delicate cross from his fellow substitute Steve Tosh. Then David Fernandez slithered his way past a couple of defenders only for the former Rangers keeper to block his strike from 12 yards.

Further chaos ensued when Brown was forced to tip a Tosh effort from the edge of the area to safety, and when Massimilano Caputo, another second- half substitute, dribbled tantalisingly along the six- yard box only for a Motherwell toe to finally prod the ball to safety.

In the end, as a flood of corners were forced, the example of Livingston defender Marvin Andrews - playing with blood streaming from a repeatedly patched-up head wound after a clash with David Kelly - told its own story. Andrews was continuing to challenge for headers with his usual impressive success rate in both penalty boxes.

"I was still winning headers, and once blood is there you have to come off to get it cleaned up," he said. "But there was no way I was coming off for good. These are just small beatings, I am used to them."

Despite his head knock, Andrews will now travel to meet up with the Trinidad and Tobago international team for the World Cup qualifying matches with Costa Rica and Mexico.

The game's frantic ending, however, was not a reliable indicator of the 80 minutes that preceded them.

The talk all week at Livingston had been about the imminent arrival of Carlos Aurelio, another player linked with Livingston via their growing ties with Italian side Brescia.

Yesterday's focus, however, was merely on the strength of the Almondvale outfit's existing squad, with Paul Deas - one of the club's longest serving players - being introduced in place of the suspended Gary Bollan.

Motherwell, deprived of Greg Strong through a medial knee ligament injury, put their faith in youth in the form of James McFadden and Keith Lasley.

In front of a disappointing crowd, and with a cagey, tactical opening period serving only to remind why chess is not a spectator sport, moments of interest were few and far between. A fracas between Fernandez, who started as part of a three-man front line but was willing to drop deeper for possession, and Scott Leitch, who had seemingly been detailed to contain his threat, ended with the former Swindon player appearing to head-butt the Spanish striker.

The home support were also on their feet after 23 minutes, when a chorus of boos greeted Billy Davies' move to withdraw Steven Hammell in favour of Stephen Pearson and switch to a more orthodox 3-5-2 shape.

"I thought we needed Pearson's energy in the middle which would cause them more problems" the manager said afterwards. He was pretty much spot on.

The visitors had bossed the game up to that point, although a Francisco Quino header that flashed wide was all they had to show from it. With the addition of Pearson's rangy running style, the game turned somewhat. First, it was his run and Keith Lasley's cross that set up James McFadden only for the onrushing wing-back's shot to be saved by Broto, before a posse of Livingston defenders cleared.

Then, in the second half, Pearson almost got on the score- sheet himself. Galloping on to an Andy Dow pass down Livingston's right flank, he fed Derek Adams, before inadvertently receiving the ball again after a ricochet. His instant volley was fierce and only just wide.

Then came Kelly's header, which Davies later admitted was the game's "turning point", allowing Livingston to subsequently regain the upper hand. They could not, however, get that priceless goal. ::::::::::::::smt26p3::::::::::::::

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