Livingston 4 - 3 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, May 1st, 1999, 3:00 PM at West Lothian Courier Stadium, Livingston
Attendance: 6,013
Referee: W Young
Livingston Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Charlie King (8, 10)
Paul Deas (16)
Brian McPhee (22)
Mark McCulloch (37)
Charlie Christie (61)
Iain Stewart (67)

Team Managers
Ray Stewart Steve Paterson

Starting Eleven
McCaldon
Boyle
Deas
Goughlan
Watson
McManus
King
Millar
Bingham
McPhee
Fleming
Les Fridge
Richard Hastings
Ross Tokely
Mark McCulloch
Bobby Mann
Charlie Christie
Mike Teasdale
Barry Wilson
Paul Sheerin
Scott McLean
Duncan Shearer

Bench
McCormick
Robertson
Bennett
Andrew Allan
Iain Stewart
Martin Glancy

Substitutions
McCormick -> Bingham (46)
Robertson -> McPhee (73)
Bennett -> Fleming
Iain Stewart for Duncan Shearer (65)
Martin Glancy for Scott McLean (89)

Bookings
Watson
McManus
Bennett
Richard Hastings
Ross Tokely
Barry Wilson

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Les Fridge (GK) 31 apps -
Richard Hastings 153 apps2 goals
Bobby Mann 12 apps -
Ross Tokely 75 apps3 goals
Mark McCulloch 72 apps7 goals
Mike Teasdale 134 apps12 goals
Barry Wilson 114 apps29 goals
Charlie Christie 156 apps26 goals
Paul Sheerin 58 apps16 goals
Scott McLean 66 apps30 goals
Duncan Shearer 60 apps19 goals
Iain Stewart (sub) 126 apps74 goals
Martin Glancy (sub) 12 apps3 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (20 years 59 days)
Oldest Player:Duncan Shearer (2000 years 272 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 199 days
Domestic Players:10 (90.91 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (20 years 59 days)
Oldest Player:Mark McCulloch (2000 years 272 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 336 days
Domestic Players:13 (92.86 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

This amazing game will be remembered for a long time by the record 6013 crowd. Livingston raced to a 4-0 lead in 22 minutes and it looked like a rout. The home sides superiority was such that no one would have been surprised if they had gone on to score 7 or 8. All credit to Caley Thistle who stormed back into the game, dominated the second half and could have taken a point. 2500 fans made the trip down the A9 and they helped to create a tremendous atmosphere. The game started at a frantic pace and in 3 minutes a Mike Teasdale run into the Livingston half was only ended when he was brought down by John Millar. The home side swept into the lead in 8 minutes when Charlie King took a pass from Jimmy Boyle on the edge of the box before hitting it past Les Fridge despite the keeper getting a hand to it. At the other end Grahan Coughlan headed away a dangerous Tokely cross from the right then Ian McCaldon saved a Scott Mclean header. In 10 minutes it was King again. He sped past 3 defenders before running into the penalty area and scoring with a low shot. Five minutes later King again raced through but was upended by Richard Hastings 19 yards from goal. A minute later it was 3-0. David Bingham sent a neat ball along the 18 yard line to the unmarked Paul Deas lying on the left edge of the box and he found the net with a low drive. In 19 minutes Fridge came out of his area to boot the ball away as Brian McPhee closed in and a minute later he took it off the feet of Paul Deas. In 22 minutes Charlie Christie had a chance to pull one back but McCaldon saved his 16 yard shot. Livingston immediately ran upfield and scored another. Bingham strode towards the Caley Thistle goal then slipped it to McPhee on his right. McPhee volleyed past the outrushing Fridge from 12 yards. Caley Thistle had no answer to Livingston's speed and in 29 minutes it was nearly 5-0. Bingham ran through the middle and tried to chip Fridge - to the visitors relief it slipped just past. This was the end of Livingston's dominance as Caley Thistle staged a remarkable comeback. In 33 minutes a Tokely header went close then in 37 minutes Mark McCulloch played a captains part when he volleyed home from 10 yards with the aid of a deflection. The last 5 minutes of the half saw severe Caley Thistle pressure and good work by keeper McCaldon. This gave the visitors hope and they totally controlled the second half. In 47 minutes McLean chested it down for McCulloch and he volleyed just past the post from 16 yards. In 55 minutes McLean shrugged off two defenders on the bye-line before sending a ball past McCaldon but the angle was too acute and it went harmlessly past. On the hour mark a melee in the home goalmouth only ended when a Duncan Shearer shot was blocked. A minute later a Barry Wilson corner reached Christie on the 18 yard line and he steadied himself before hitting it low past McCaldon's outstretched left hand. Substitute Iain Stewart was only on the field for 2 minutes before he made it 4-3 in 67 minutes. Wilson passed it into the box from the right and Stewart drove it low past McCaldon who could only help it on its way. The last 20 minutes were frantic as Livingston struggled and Caley Thistle fought for an equaliser. Livingston's Gregg Watson was lucky to stay on the park in 70 minutes when he fouled Scott McLean. A minute later Paul Sheerin sent in a cross from the right and Stewart headed narrowly past. In 82 minutes McCaldon made a rare mistake when he dropped a Sheerin cross but Stewart's shot was blocked. Substitute John Robertson eased the pressure on his defence with runs upfield and in 85 minutes he was unlucky when he slipped it past Bobby Mann and keeper Fridge from an acute angle only to see it run along the front of the goal. With the rest of his team committed to defence there was no one to finish off the move. Fridge took the ball off Robertson's feet a minute later. Caley Thistle's last effort came 4 minutes into injury time when Tokely sent a fierce cross into the side netting. Their tremendous comeback had been in vain and Livingston now just need one point from their last game to secure the Championship. The home players took a standing ovation from their fans. For Caley Thistle there were only regrets that they were caught so cold in the first 22 minutes and the knowledge that they had restored their pride. They must now beat Alloa next week and hope that Livingston slip up.

Match report written by Ian Broadfoot



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Livingston 35 21 11 3 64 34 30 74
2. Inverness CT 35 21 8 6 79 47 32 71
3. Clyde 35 15 8 12 45 40 5 53
4. Queen of the South 35 13 8 14 48 43 5 47
5. Alloa Athletic 35 13 6 16 64 55 9 45
6. Arbroath 35 12 8 15 36 50 -14 44
7. Partick Thistle 35 12 6 17 34 43 -9 42
8. Stirling Albion 35 11 8 16 48 62 -14 41
9. East Fife 35 11 6 18 40 63 -23 39
10. Forfar Athletic 35 8 7 20 47 68 -21 31