Latest news with #LewisSmith
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Ex-Hamilton Accies ace played key role in Livingston promotion win
Lewis Smith scored the goal that sparked a Livi fightback to beat Ross County and regain their place in the top flight Play-off king Lewis Smith bagged the goal that breathed new life into Livingston's Premiership play-off final win at Ross County and said it's am unbelievable feeling. Smith, 25, has been in play-offs in each of the last three years, winning promotion at Livingston and Hamilton, but also being relegated to League One at Accies, and is delighted to have played such a big part in reclaiming Premiership football next season. The former Hamilton star said: 'I've been in the play-offs for three years in a row, now, so it's nice to get some time off. 'We'll be working hard, but it has been a while since I've been in the Premiership, so I'm excited to get back to it. 'It's unbelievable. It has been a long season, but to get promotion at the end of it makes it all worth it. 'When I signed for Livi, the gaffer was very clear in his aims to get straight back into the top flight, and that's part of the reason I joined. 'He has had full belief all season that we could do that, whether it was by winning the title or through the play-offs, and it was good to finally get it over the line.' On his goal, Smith said: 'When I got the ball I hurdled a couple of challenges, and it opened up for me, so I kept going. I knew I had to shoot low and hard across the face of the goalie, and thankfully it went in the bottom corner. 'I think we had to find a bit of a spark before half-time, because if you go in still 2-0 down, it becomes a really hard second half. "Thankfully I was able to provide something. The boys were unbelievable, the goals were brilliant, and it was great."
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Livingston ace delighted to play key role in Premiership promotion
Lewis Smith sparked an epic comeback in Dingwall as Livi bounced back from 2-0 to win 4-2 and seal top-flight return Play-off king Lewis Smith bagged the goal that breathed new life into Livingston's Premiership play-off final win at Ross County and said it's an unbelievable feeling. Smith, 25, has been in play-offs in each of the last three years, winning promotion at Livingston and Hamilton, but also being relegated to League One at Accies, and is delighted to have played such a big part in reclaiming Premiership football next season. He said: 'I've been in the play-offs for three years in a row, now, so it's nice to get some time off. 'We'll be working hard, but it has been a while since I've been in the Premiership, so I'm excited to get back to it. 'It's unbelievable. It has been a long season, but to get promotion at the end of it makes it all worth it. 'When I signed for Livi, the gaffer was very clear in his aims to get straight back into the top flight, and that's part of the reason I joined. 'He has had full belief all season that we could do that, whether it was by winning the title or through the play-offs, and it was good to finally get it over the line.' On his goal, Smith said: 'When I got the ball I hurdled a couple of challenges, and it opened up for me, so I kept going. I knew I had to shoot low and hard across the face of the goalie, and thankfully it went in the bottom corner. 'I think we had to find a bit of a spark before half-time, because if you go in still 2-0 down, it becomes a really hard second half. "Thankfully I was able to provide something. The boys were unbelievable, the goals were brilliant, and it was great."
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Livingston boss David Martindale had no doubt his side would win Premiership play-off
The Lions gaffer says they were still in the game even at 2-0 down in Dingwall David Martindale insists he thought Livingston were still very much in their Premiership play-off against Ross County, even while 2-0 down. The Lions were up against it in Dingwall, with goals from Josh Nisbet and Ronan Hale putting them 2-0 ahead inside 24 minutes. Lewis Smith went on a mazy run to score a brilliant individual goal in 39 minutes, and Danny Wilson eventually levelled in 57 minutes, with Livingston having numerous shots blocked beforehand. Robbie Muirhead curled in a contender for goal of the season in 61 minutes to give Livingston a 3-2 lead on the night, with Tete Yengi adding a fourth late in stoppage time to seal the deal. Martindale insists the tie was never in doubt, and said: 'People think I'm sitting here telling lies, but at 2-0 I genuinely didn't think the game was away from us. 'That sounds a bit strange, but we were all saying, at no point did we feel we were out of this. 'We were really disappointed to find ourselves 2-0 down. The first one you take on the chin, the second one is a mistake. 'I knew if we got the next goal we could put them under real pressure, and then wee Lewis Smith comes up with an unbelievable solo goal. It's a great solo effort, and he has been fantastic for us in the last three or four months. 'Wee Smithy comes up with a big moment, we get into the changing room at 2-1, and we knew that if we got the next goal we will win this game. 'The boys go and get a goal. I've seen it countless times in football: shots from the edge of the box, a free kick from the edge of the box. You put it over the bar, hit the wall, don't really make anything of it. 'Robbie Muirhead came in, made the keeper make a big save, so he's done fantastically well with his free kick. 'We've got on the end of it, I think it was Gowser [Ryan McGowan] who tries to score, there's another block, and then Danny Wilson does score and we take it back to 2-2. 'Muirhead again comes up and, watching that goal back, I didn't appreciate in real time what a goal that was – what an incredible finish to then give us the lead. 'I felt from that moment onwards we had real momentum behind us, and then we kill the game at the death to cement the place in the Premiership. 'But Muirhead's goal was the one that got us over the line, or gave us huge belief to take it over the line.' Martindale added: 'I think 11 years at the club, we've had some big moments. There has generally been something every year, whether that's fighting relegation, getting promotion, fighting top six or in cup finals.'
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
'We've built this business up over 6 years but now I fear I'll have to watch it being torn down'
'We've built this business up over 6 years but now I fear I'll have to watch it being torn down' Samantha Theron's popular coffee shop business might be in the way of a plan to bring the town's bus and rail services together in one location Samantha Theron outside her coffee shop in Neath (Image: Lewis Smith ) A business owner in the heart of a Welsh town says she fears having her popular coffee shop demolished in the coming years after proposals to create a new multi-million pound transport hub were released. Samantha Theron, who runs Brew&Co in Neath town centre, said she had spent the last few months in "limbo" over the plans, which could see the relocation of the town's bus station from its spot in Victoria Gardens to a new site outside the train station. If approved, this could see the creation of the hub based at the front of Neath Train Station in Station Square, designed with the aim of bringing bus and rail services together in one location to make journeys easier. Images of a how the proposed transport hub could look have recently been released by the local council, along with a public consultation and drop-in sessions to get feedback from residents. You can read more about the plans here. However, in order to make way for the plans which would also include a new canopy shelter and passenger concourse, Samantha said her family-owned shop could eventually be demolished, with no clear offers or negotiation for the building so far brought forward. Station Square Neath (Image: Google Maps ) Article continues below Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service she said she was now asking for clarity over the "stressful" situation in order to plan accordingly for the future. For the latest Neath Port Talbot news sign up to our newsletter here. She said: "We have a lovely little business here with the coffee shop in Neath and it's consistently busy, but we've built that up over the last six years with hard work from myself, my family, and my staff. "We've worked really hard on market research to adapt and evolve to what people in the area wanted, making it dog friendly, and even with the specific brunch meals that we serve. "It's a family-run business with a mix of regular customers who come in every day and footfall from people using the train station to commute. We also employ eight members of staff who are like a second family, and to be told it could be taken away is very upsetting. "While it doesn't specifically say we will be demolished in the recent release, from the images we've seen these buildings are no longer there, and we've been told about this possibility verbally as well. "The stress we've gone through has been unfair as I've got staff asking about their jobs, and even members of the public asking when it will be knocked down, though so far I've not been able to give them any answers. "I feel I'm working in limbo, when what I need are facts about if this could actually happen, when it could happen, and where I'm going to go if it does - but we just haven't had that so far." The dog friendly coffee shop has been open in the town for six years (Image: Lewis Smith ) Samantha added that a further concern came from the approval of a match-funded grant for refurbishment works to the building, with fears over spending this plus thousands of her own money only a few years before it is potentially knocked down. She added: "We found out we were awarded this on social media after a lengthy application process. It's stressful thinking about this aspect on top of everything else because it's a lot of money for us especially with so much uncertainty. "We're not against making these sorts of plans in general if they will improve the town and benefit all of us, but as a business we just want there to be more communication so we have a clear picture of where we stand and what we can do moving forward." The new town centre plans were also mentioned by a Neath Port Talbot county councillor in recent weeks, after discussions at the authority's annual general meeting in May, 2025. An image of how the proposed Neath Transport Hub could look (Image: Neath Port Talbot Council ) This came when Green Party member for Coedffranc Central, Cllr Nathan Goldup-John, said he would be stepping back from his place within the authority's governing coalition, naming the proposals for the transport hub as one of the reasons. Addressing the chamber at the meeting he said: "The proposals remained unchanged despite early and detailed feedback I offered grounded in professional expertise over two years ago. "The concerns I previously raised are now being echoed by others and I want to be clear, this is a flawed plan that lacks strategic direction and is unlikely to achieve its goals, destroying business place and the environment at the same time." A Neath Port Talbot Council spokesperson said the plans for the new integrated transport hub were currently out for public consultation, with the feedback to be reviewed before any final decisions were made. They said: "The proposals for a new transport hub at the front of Neath Railway Station are currently a matter for public consultation. "Feedback from the consultation will be used to inform further design development which will then be provided to council members for consideration before any decision is made. "Project images, maps and videos are available on the council's website and we welcome continued public feedback. "There have also been a number of drop-in sessions at which plans could be viewed and questions asked of the project team. Article continues below "Regarding the issue of a match-funded grant, the potential for future demolition of the building was explained clearly to the business when applying for funding. "Any decision made by a business operator to progress with the grant would have been with knowledge of the council's proposals for a scheme in this location."
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Martindale reveals half-time talk that helped Livingston to promotion
But Lewis Smith, Danny Wilson, Robbie Muirhead and Tete Yengi all scored to earn Livi a 4-2 win on the night and 5-3 aggregate victory that clinched their place back in the top tier next season. And Martindale revealed he had told his players at half-time that if they scored next, they would go on to win the tie. 'It was a very good play-off game, one for the neutral,' Martindale said. 'It was great come full-time for Livingston and Livingston fans. 'It was an interesting game. They went 2-0 up, but it was early enough that I felt we still had a chance, and Lewis Smith comes up with a great individual goal. 'The message at half-time was to get the next goal, because we thought if we did that we would be playing in the Premiership next year. 'That's easy to say afterwards, but we had massive belief in the players and that's what happened, so I'm happy for them.' Ross County manager Don Cowie was understandably disappointed with the outcome as his side's six-year spell in Scotland's top flight came to an end. 'When you're winning the tie by two goals in the first half you should never have not seen it out,' he said. 'Credit to Livingston. They put us under a lot of pressure and they deserved to get back to the Premiership over the two legs, if I'm being honest. 'We didn't respond well enough after conceding the first goal tonight and looked vulnerable. 'I'm never going to make excuses. I just think momentum is a big thing in football and for whatever reason we lost one or two games and it seemed to set us back. 'We didn't respond well enough in that period to get back to winning games of football. I think that was evident tonight, from a really commanding position we found a way to lose the tie.'
