Livi v ICT

[Snooky]

Even game in first half and ICT were the better team in the second and created a few really good chances. We will be the happier with a point but not a huge amount between the teams.

 

[LiviLion]

Couple of brilliant saves from Alexander to get us the point. First time this season we haven't scored in a game. Weird tactics from Hoppy today, leave our 2 tall strikers on the bench and lump the ball up to Mullen, bypassing the midfield that we had about 6 players crammed into. I think if we had Todorov on from the start instead of Longridge with Penrice in his place we would have had a lot more joy with those long balls.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Played not to lose and we got a boring 0-0 draw, mission accomplished for Hoppy today.

 

Felt a bit meh watching that, far too negative playing 1 up front for 80 mins at home, we didn't really deserve anything more than a draw but if ICT had scored and come away with 3 points i'd have had no complaints, other than our tactics allowing them to have so much of the ball coming forward.

 

Prob a good point for us but just feels disappointing that we gave up on a chance to go top of the league.

[Whitburn Vale]

Well what can i say.....,will start with being happy to get a point,alexanders one on one save with 10 to go gained us the point.

It was a pretty scrappy,tousy goaless draw,even first half with Caley being the better team in the 2nd half.

Didnt agree with hoppys tactics either but fair play to him it got us a vital point in what was a very tough fixture against a rejuvenated caley side.

Big downside was we rarely threatened,especially 2nd half,would have been interesting to see what would have happened if we had opened up more?

[Afro]

Can't help but feel that starting line-up from ourselves today was a direct reaction to our recent defeat to Dunfermline. ICT weren't too dissimilar to the Pars in that they broke on the counter with pace out wide; obviously McMillan's absence at RWB has created a problem within the side, I really don't think Penrice and Longridge worked together well at all and I was stunned when the former was taken off in the second half. Bonkers subs as well, it has to be Mullen with either Mackin or Todorov; the latter pair cannot play together and offered nothing when they came on. Just highlights our lack of strength in depth up front. Alexander was absolutely our man of the match; definitely the first game since his return that he has single-handedly won us a point.

ICT had plenty of pace, and didn't look too bad a side, but for all their dominance in the second half they had very little to show for it. Mulraney certainly is your typical tricky winger at this level; plenty of pace to get past people, but very little end product. Disappointing that we didn't put any pressure whatsoever on the centre half pairing for any real stretch of time, Donaldson still looks like Bambi on ice the majority of the time and McKay is a fairly limited footballer. That said, 6 clean sheets on the bounce is outstanding stuff at any level of football and I'll be surprised if Caley aren't in or around the play-offs come the end of the season.

Would've taken a point before the game, so not a bad result. Probably worth bearing in mind that if we were struggling like the majority of folk were predicting, a point at home to ICT would be a good result. Previous form doesn't really change that IMO, especially given how decent they've been defensively.

Word on the ref - really unsure how he can book Mullen in the first half and not Mulraney a minute later. The less said about the Donaldson incident, the better.  Guy is still a big fairy, somehow, 4 years after we magically got a fee for him. Wasted talent so far with no signs of that changing. 

[LIVIFOREVER]

Just now, Afro said:

Can't help but feel that starting line-up from ourselves today was a direct reaction to our recent defeat to Dunfermline. ICT weren't too dissimilar to the Pars in that they broke on the counter with pace out wide; obviously McMillan's absence at RWB has created a problem within the side, I really don't think Penrice and Longridge worked together well at all and I was stunned when the former was taken off in the second half. Bonkers subs as well, it has to be Mullen with either Mackin or Todorov; the latter pair cannot play together and offered nothing when they came on. Just highlights our lack of strength in depth up front. Alexander was absolutely our man of the match; definitely the first game since his return that he has single-handedly won us a point.

ICT had plenty of pace, and didn't look too bad a side, but for all their dominance in the second half they had very little to show for it. Mulraney certainly is your typical tricky winger at this level; plenty of pace to get past people, but very little end product. Disappointing that we didn't put any pressure whatsoever on the centre half pairing for any real stretch of time, Donaldson still looks like Bambi on ice the majority of the time and McKay is a fairly limited footballer. That said, 6 clean sheets on the bounce is outstanding stuff at any level of football and I'll be surprised if Caley aren't in or around the play-offs come the end of the season.

Would've taken a point before the game, so not a bad result. Probably worth bearing in mind that if we were struggling like the majority of folk were predicting, a point at home to ICT would be a good result. Previous form doesn't really change that IMO, especially given how decent they've been defensively.

Word on the ref - really unsure how he can book Mullen in the first half and not Mulraney a minute later. The less said about the Donaldson incident, the better.  Guy is still a big fairy, somehow, 4 years after we magically got a fee for him. Wasted talent so far with no signs of that changing. 

Yep, was thinking that too, we set up to nullify the ICT wingers at the expense of our own attack.

 

Decent point but just felt frustrating as you couldn't really see us scoring a goal with only having Mullen up front so isolated. Was hoping Toddy or Mackin would've come on around 65 mins to give Mullen some support but Hoppy was obv not wanting to risk us conceding a goal.

 

Results elsewhere have really tightened up the top half of the league now too, only 2 points separating the top 5 teams.

[SandyCromarty]

Not an impressive game by any manner of means but we got the draw when I felt we did edge it in the second half and only stopped by two brilliant saves by Alexander, I can't comment on Bell's disallowed goal as we were well away from the action.

For me Vigurs was our MoM though he did have a couple of wayward passes, Polworth worked well but lost concentration a couple of times, earlier on this thread Donaldson was rubbished but I have seen a vast improvement in his game since Dumbarton and he proved today that he could boss and hold his position well, he's young but Hopkins did say in his after match that the Caley defense had improved since our last game and to me Donaldson is part of that improvement. Baird and Oakley put in a hard running shift but thats it, Bell works his wee socks off and always threatens, I like the wee fella.

Another fine display by Mulraney who made a total arse of Longridge time after time who reacted in a childish and petulant manner on a few occasions which eventually earned him a yellow.

Mullen had a real dramatic fit in the first where he was badly fouled and then fell writhing on the ground holding his head and rocking back and forth, the foul was clearly into his back! when he eventually got up he continued rubbing his head and then checking his hand for blood, clownish behaviour which the ref totally ignored. Anyway he picked his game up in the second and I would say that he was one of the best on the park for Livi.

Like I said this was not football at it's best and it resembled rugby at times with the amount of hoofing up the park, it was my first visit since the memorable 4-3 match and today was a mere shadow of that great game.

Great vocals by a big part of the Caley support, well done to them.

Two moans - why with such a large away support were we herded into that small space at the end of the stand and what a feckin cheek they have charging £5.00 for parking which I refused to pay and parked on the street. Other than that it is still a very impressive stadium.

[Livi_Lad]

Playing 1 up top against the likes of Donaldson and McKay was criminal. Those 2 donkeys are there for the taking, playing Mullen and Todorov up top would have been a completely different game.

It wasn’t the greatest of games but think a draw was a fair result, both teams lacked cutting edge up front.

[Livilion28]

Draw probably fair result. Alexander made a brilliant save near end. Ict much improved defensively since last game , think there one of better teams in league. Was a good battling display from us and a good point. Halkett had really good game along with byrne , Lithgow bit shakey at times but still solid. League is very tight not much in it at all , all teams can beat anyone in league on there day

[LiviBoy2603]

Match day experience

[RiG]

Probably should have won that today. Mulraney and Bell had guilt edged chances to put us in front and both passed them up / saw their efforts well saved by Alexander. The chance from Bell came from some quite fantastic build up play through the middle but it was one of the few moments of real quality. Whilst most of the players did fine they didn't quite hit the same heights as they had done against Falkirk and Dundee United (thinking Polworth and Vigurs here). 

At the back we were solid but we didn't create a lot of good chances like we did against the Bairns a few weeks ago and we missed that clinical edge that we had at Tannadice. Ridgers barely had a save to make and that says a lot about how we did today - defence seldom troubled albeit we lacked a bit up front ourselves. The subs seemed to disrupt us a wee bit. Baird off for Oakley made sense but he struggled to hold the ball up and link with his team mates as Baird had been doing previously. 

Mulraney continued his good form and whilst I don't agree that his end product was there today that's probably being a bit harsh as he did put in a couple of decent crosses though I still think he was a wee bit wasteful at times and again threw himself to ground a bit too often. That said, he really seems to be on a good run just now and I see no reason why, based on his current form, he couldn't go on to perform to a similar level to Hayes when he was with us at this level several years ago.

Great support down backing the side today, plenty of noise, just a shame there wasn't a goal to celebrate.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Hopefully when ICT play St Mirren they'll beat them and then this'll be a point gained rather than 2 dropped. Got a feeling we'll set up the same as this when we next play Dunfermline too, although if McMillan was available I think he'd have allowed us to go 2 up front.

[ATLIS]

Good point, would've taken it at the start of the season and it keeps us in the mix.

Donaldson still shite  

[sophia]

This Donaldson stuff  ..... I think the laddies doth protest too much!

[Snooky]

22 minutes ago, sophia said:

This Donaldson stuff  ..... I think the laddies doth protest too much!

Indeed! He was a young lad breaking into our team and played more at full back from memory. I thought the Caley defence was very good today - quietest I’ve seen Livi in a long while in terms of clear chances created and Donaldson must take some of the credit for that.

 

[LiviLion]

It's bad enough that we somehow managed to get a fee for Donaldson, but Man United took him on trial a couple times as well - which is probably the only reason QPR wanted him. Couple years time he'll be slugging it out against the likes of Elgin and Montrose.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Good to see Cadden coming on and getting to the final whistle without being troubled by his old shoulder injury.

[SandyCromarty]

7 hours ago, sophia said:

This Donaldson stuff  ..... I think the laddies doth protest too much!

I would agree with that, I'm surprised by the amount of negativity against Donaldson by Livi fans who probably lauded his skills when he brought their club  some much needed money.

In all honesty Donaldson, if in a Livi shirt yesterday, would have dealt with Mulraney way ahead of the poor efforts Longridge made, when Mulraney took on Longridge it was like watching him walk through an open door. 

By the way a noisy night for me above a bustling bar here in Livingston, the fireworks were quiet in comparison, Livi fans will know where I'm at. 

[SandyCromarty]

8 hours ago, ATLIS said:

Donaldson still shite  

Couldn't agree with you more ATLIS.

Six games without conceding a goal and Donaldson was absolute shite in every game.

Waitrose is selling really sweet grapes just now, you should try some.

[Hen Broon]

Hopkin got his team wrong yesterday. Longridge should never start a game. Todrov and Mullen should have both been up front from the start. Alexander's saves gained us a point.