Hamilton 0 Livingston 3: Accies well beaten as ravenous Lions take title bid to final day

Daily Record

26-04-2025

Rock-bottom Hamilton Accies couldn't derail Livingston's late Championship title-charge, as they were swept aside by ravenous Lions. The Lanarkshire side are in limbo over the fate of their season with the club appealing a 15-point deduction from the SPFL that is set to relegate them. And they could do nothing to cheer up their beleaguered fans with a disappointing defeat in their final home match of the season, where they watched former player Lewis Smith turn in a fine showing, being involved in all three Livi goals. Robbie Muirhead hit a first-half double before Tete Yengi got in on the act after the break to seal Livi's 20th win of the season. The dominant victory for the Lions pulled them level on points with the Falkirk at the top of the table, but eight goals worse off, going into Friday night's Championship finale. But Hamilton can still have a huge say in the destiny of the title with John Rankin's men travelling to the Bairns to finish their campaign. Accies will learn the outcome of their appeal to the SFA just 24 hours before the final round of fixtures are played. They are now eight points adrift of Airdrieonians afterthe Diamonds drew 0-0 with Dunfermline. After a turbulent week, the hosts made two changes from last week's 0-0 draw with Queen's Park. Injured duo Reghan Tumilty and Charlie Telfer dropped out, with Ricki Lamie and Stephen Hendrie coming in. The Lions named the same side which thrashed Ayr United 5-0 in their previous outing. Buoyed by Falkirk losing late on to Partick Thistle on Friday night, the Lions roared out of the blocks looking to sink their teeth into their hosts early on. Three minutes in, Livi's Lewis Smith broke in behind the Accies defence and honed in on goal, but as the former Accies man got the six yard box he opted to cut the ball across goal instead of having an attempt himself. There was nobody in a black shirt at the back post and Hamilton escaped. A few minutes later, Smith got to the byeline and fired a ball across the face of goal but an Accies defender was able to get a touch on the cross to clear the danger. Down the other end, Accies came inches away from breaking the deadlock in nine minutes. A ball over the top found the run of Scott Robinson. He attempted to lob the out-rushing Jerome Prior and his effort landed on the roof of the Livi net. In 19 minutes a whipped free-kick from ex-Lion Steven Bradley towards the front post found Nikolay Todorov, but the Bulgarian could only power his header narrowly wide from a great position. Accies were enjoying a good period of pressure at this point. However, the Lions took the lead in 27 minutes. Stephen Kelly's long ball over the top found the run of Smith. The winger took the ball down, potentially with his arm, and as he burst into the box, goalkeeper Lynes took him out. Muirhead stepped up and converted with aplomb, sending the keeper the wrong way with a fierce, low strike into the bottom corner. Moments later, Danny Wilson got a vital, last-ditch challenge in on Todorov when the ball bobbled about in the box and broke to him for a strike six yards out. And that proved to be a big moment as Livi doubled their advantage in 36 minutes. Smith danced his way into the box and tried to beat Lyness at his near post with a low strike. The Accies No.1 spilled the shot and it fell right into the path of Muirhead to scoop a strike high into the net from all of two yards for his 18th goal of the season. Barry Maguire had the chance for an immediate response when the ball was nodded back to the edge of the box for a strike, but a deflection really took the sting off of it and Prior comfortably collected. At the break, Accies tried to shake things up with a triple substitution, bringing on Tony Gallacher, Euan Henderson and Jamie Barjonas in place of Maguire, Todorov and Sean McGinty. However, seven minutes into the second half Livi increased their lead through substitute Tete Yengi. Smith continued to terrorise the Accies defence and when he worked space inside the box, he lofted the ball to the back post to find Yengi unmarked. The Australian powered home a header into the bottom corner and Accies would have gladly taken the final whistle at this point. Stevie May almost added a fourth in 62 minutes when he raced through one-on-one with Lyness, but the Accies shot-stopper stood up well and turned the shot away with an outstretched leg, while a Cristian Montano effort whizzed past Lyness' far post in 69 minutes as Livi looked to boost their goal difference. Dylan McGowan woke Prior from his second-half slumber in 73 minutes with a low drive that forced the keeper into a good stop down at his right-hand corner. Nine minutes from time, Montano crossed for May and he flicked the ball millimetres wide of the far post with Lyness at full stretch. Oli Shaw's header brought out a fingertip save from Prior in the 89th minute but the Lions walked away with a clean sheet. HAMILTON: Lyness, McGowan, Lamie, McGinty (Barjonas 45), MacDonald, Maguire (Gallacher 45), Bradley, Hendrie (Longridge 61), Robinson (O'Hara 79), Todorov (Henderson 45), Shaw. Scorers: Bookings: Robinson Subs not used: Albinson, Kilday, McKinstry, Smith, O'Hara. LIVINGSTON: Prior, Brandon (Finlayson 63), Wilson, McGowan (Nottingham 63), Fraser (Yengi 45), Tait, Kelly, Pittman (May 54), Smith, Montano, Muirhead (Shinnie 45). Scorers: Muirhead 27 (pen), 36, Yengi 52 Bookings: Fraser, Muirhead Subs not used: Hamilton, Clarke, McAlear, Lawal. HT: 0-2 Ref: Iain Sneddon Att: 1,155