Change suits Scougall as Livi roll on

LIVINGSTON’S Stefan Scougall admits he’d never played at left-back before in his life until last week at Falkirk.

But after repeating the feat in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Partick Thistle – and helping the Lions make it six points out of six from the two games – all the midfielder’s worried about is making sure the team keeps up the good form.

Livi fell behind to an early Paul Cairney goal at Firhill but a Rory Boulding double and Iain Russell strike put the game beyond the Jags, who pulled a goal back through Aaron Sinclair.

On a rugby-trodden pitch, both sides persevered with passing football to offer up entertaining fare, and Scougall insists it was a hard-fought and deserved win for John Hughes’s men.

He said: “Left-back’s pretty alien to me. I’ve never played there in my life, but the gaffer just told me to go in there as a wing-back, really, and when we’re not defending try to get forward as much as possible.

“It’s a great result. It was hard work towards the end, but I thought we passed the ball really well in the first-half and at the start of the second-half – and at that point I thought we were the better team.

“Hopefully, we can just keep winning, we’re on a good run and hopefully we can keep it up until the end of the season.”

Cairney slotted past keeper Andy McNeil with only seven minutes gone after an exquisite flick on the edge of the box from Chris Erskine, but the Lions levelled when Boulding’s low effort squirmed under Thistle stopper Ryan Scully.

Scully had already denied Russell and Bobby Barr at that point, and had to look sharp again to thwart Boulding from six yards, while at the other end, McNeil did well to turn Sinclair’s volley over the bar.

Boulding did get his second on 47 minutes when he rounded Scully after a Marc McNulty dummy on the edge of the area, and three minutes later the lead was extended when Russell brilliantly lobbed home a loose ball from 18 yards after Boulding and Scully collided.

Thistle’s Sinclair curled a magnificent effort into the top corner from 20 yards on 54 minutes, but despite late pressure from the home side, Livi held on to the points.