Stenhousemuir 0-3 Livingston: Muirhead double denies Warriors top spot
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Livingston won 3-0 away at Stenhousemuir in the Scottish Championship on Friday, October 30.
- Robbie Muirhead scored twice. He is now the division's top scorer with nine league goals.
- The defeat cost Stenhousemuir top spot. Livingston rose to fifth place.
Livingston beat Stenhousemuir 3-0 at Ochilview Park on Friday night. Robbie Muirhead scored two of the goals. Scott Pittman got the other.
The win lifted Livingston to fifth in the Scottish Championship. Stenhousemuir had the chance to go top of the league. Instead, their poor run of form got worse.
Livingston now have back-to-back league wins. It is their first such run this season. Confidence is growing in the squad.
What happened
The game started in the worst way for the home side. Livingston scored within the first two minutes. Bruce Anderson pulled the ball back from the right.
Scott Pittman hit it low into the bottom-left corner. The goal came on a fast break, according to Sky Sports. Pittman is one of Livingston's most experienced players.
He made no mistake with the finish. Stenhousemuir tried to hit back at once. Sam Young had a free header at the back post.
Young could only nod the ball toward a Livingston defender. Scott Bright then got through on goal in the 33rd minute. His shot was saved well by goalkeeper Jerome Prior.
Livingston stayed the more dangerous side. Jordan Doherty hit the post with a fierce shot. Muirhead then tried his luck from near the halfway line.
His effort just cleared the crossbar. Five minutes before half-time, Livingston got their second. Stevie May took a corner from the left.
Muirhead rose high at the back post. He nodded the ball home to make it 2-0. It was May's 100th game in a Livingston shirt.
Four minutes after the restart, Muirhead struck again. Livingston broke quickly up the pitch. May played the ball across the edge of the box.
Muirhead took it in his stride. He smashed it into the top corner with his left foot. The goal took him to nine league goals this season.
That makes him the top scorer in the division, according to the Press Association. Muirhead nearly got a third minutes later. This time his shot was blocked for a corner.
Stenhousemuir kept pushing but found no way through. Michael Anderson tested Prior twice from long range. The goalkeeper saved both efforts.
Hamzad Kargbo had a late chance blocked. May and Muirhead both picked up yellow cards. The match was watched by 836 fans at Ochilview Park.
Why it matters
This was a big missed chance for Stenhousemuir. A win would have taken them top of the William Hill Championship. Instead, they stay second behind Partick Thistle.
The form guide makes painful reading for the Warriors. They won seven and drew one of their first eight league games. That was after winning promotion from League One last season.
But they have now lost four of their last five winless games. The early-season momentum has gone. The players must find their scoring touch again.
For Livingston, the picture looks much brighter. The 3-0 win was their second league win in a row. It is their first back-to-back win of the season.
The three points lifted them one place to fifth. They have 20 points on the board. They sit three points below Stenhousemuir and five behind the leaders.
Muirhead's form is the big story. His two goals settled the game. With nine league goals, he leads the scoring charts.
Scottish football often throws up tight races. Dundee's 2-2 draw with Rangers and Hibernian's clash with Celtic showed that this season. This Championship campaign looks no different.
A handful of points separate the top five clubs. Every game now carries real weight. Friday's result reshaped the race at both ends.
What happens next
Livingston will try to make it three league wins in a row. Their front three of May, Anderson and Muirhead is causing problems. Defences are struggling to cope.
Muirhead will want to keep his scoring run going. He is the man the whole division is watching. Teams will plan their defences around stopping him.
Stenhousemuir need a quick response. Their early-season form made them promotion favourites. Four defeats in five winless games has changed the mood.
One result can change everything in this league. Wrexham's late comeback win at West Brom proved that momentum matters more than the table. Stenhousemuir will hope their next game brings a turning point.
The title race remains wide open. Partick Thistle lead the way. Stenhousemuir are close behind in second.
Livingston have closed the gap and now sit just five points off the top. The next round of fixtures could shuffle the order again.
For now, Friday belonged to Livingston. Pittman's early strike set the tone. Muirhead's double finished the job.
Stenhousemuir's dream of top spot must wait. Their fans will demand a reaction. The next game cannot come soon enough.
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