Return of the Livi dread

Aberdeen 2 0 Livingston

McNaughton 45, Whelan 59

RICHARD GOUGH may have been told he has the remainder of the season in the Livingston job but his management threatens to run out of breath with the grim inevitability of a funeral march.

Allan Preston was sacked in November when Livingston lost seven consecutive games, and defeat at Pittodrie yesterday was Gough's seventh on the trot in the SPL. Now six points adrift at the foot of the table, his prospects grow weaker with every passing match.

Gough declined to discuss his future last night, but at least sounded more positive about the club's fight for survival compared to his perceived acceptance of probable relegation last weekend, which almost tempted prospective owner Pearse Flynn to sack him.

"We are going to have to start picking up points soon sothese games are going to be vital, " he said.

But upbeat comments will be rendered irrelevant by the quality of his team. Livingston have become the worst side in the division by a margin.

Aberdeen had not won in the league since December but did so with something to spare yesterday in a match watched by their lowest home crowd of the season.

Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston is much maligned, but had he been a spectator at Pittodrie he would have lapped up the irony of his artificial pitch coming in for so much criticism when the real thing in Aberdeen yesterday was a genuine danger to the players' health.

Richard Brittain and Gus Bahoken were both lost to the game in the first 35 minutes - Brittain having to be stretchered off and Bahoken limping - after suffering injuries which may have been exacerbated by the state of the Pittodrie pitch.

Brittain twisted his ankle as he landed after intercepting an Aberdeen pass. The injury may have occurred even if the surface had been pristine, but it was not difficult to imagine that the rutted, muddy pitch had contributed.

"You could say that, " said Gough. "But it was the same for both teams. The state of the pitch probably helped us more than Aberdeen. It was surprising because Pittodrie is normally in good nick."

It was not only the Livingston players who suffered from the pitch, which was damaged by crayfly larvae as a result of overuse of the undersoil heating system while Caledonian Thistle were also using the stadium.

Aberdeen and Livingston's passing was so poor that the players did not deserve any great sympathy, but there were clearly occasions where the risk of the ball bobbing away from them forced rushed passes which were frequently overhit or inaccurate.

"That is the worst I have seen it in my four or five years here, " said Aberdeen's Kevin McNaughton.

When Stephen Adam fell over his feet attempting to clear a ball near the touchline, succeeding only in conceding a corner and embarrassing himself, it added to the general sense of mediocrity. All of it contributed to a yawn of a match.

Scott Morrison was a surprise inclusion in Aberdeen's defence at the end of a week in which he had criticised manager Jimmy Calderwood for omitting him in preference of a team of "hatchet men".

After conciliatory talks the manager disproved Morrison's suspicions by playing him from the start at left-back in preference to new signing Richie Byrne. Morrison almost rewarded him with an opening goal in the 10th minute.

Gathering a ball on the edge of the penalty area after a John Stewart corner, Morrison tried a drive which Burton O'Brien - an Aberdeen transfer target during the January window - cleared off the line.

A Darren Mackie "goal" disallowed for offside was the only other meaningful chance until Aberdeen took the lead in first-half stoppage time. In a flash of quality which had been hitherto absent in the match, McNaughton gathered possession just inside the Livingston half and made an unchallenged run to the edge of the penalty area before stroking a left-foot shot into the corner. It was only the second goal of his career, both coming against Livingston.

Neither side's play elevated beyond the ordinary, but the goal at least reflected the greater sense of danger and urgency from Aberdeen. The side have badly missed Scott Severin, who is a week or two away from returning but unlikely to face Dundee United in the Tennent's Scottish Cup next weekend.

Livingston were bereft of imagination, and when Ferenc Horvath did attempt to improvise, with an instinctive attempt to lob goalkeeper Ryan Esson from 30 yards, his effort was screwed hopelessly wide.

Without Esson having a save to make, the contest was put out of its misery when Whelan scored from Mackie's inviting right-wing cross after an hour. The move was replicated a few minutes later, this time Whelan crossing for Stewart, but Stewart's header lacked conviction and flew over the crossbar.

Livingston's travelling support - so small a couple of buses could have taken them all up the road - saw Horvath strike the crossbar with an overhead kick. It was a paltry crumb to sustain them on the journey home.

Esson Hart Diamond Anderson Morrison McNaughton Winter Heikkinen Mackie Whelan Stewart

Subs: Byrne for Morrison 69, Clark for Winter 69, Foster for Whelan 82.

Not used: Blanchard, Craig, Adams.

Meldrum Bahoken Deloumeaux Strong McNamee Brittain Wilson Hand O'Brien Horvath Lilley

Subs: Adam for Brittain 21, Stanic for Bahoken 35, McMenamin for Hand 69.

Not used: McKenzie, Rubio, Easton, McPake.

Referee: J Rowbotham.

Attendance: 9,214.

FAST FOOTBALL

Fair result? Aberdeen and Livingston both won a league game on December 4 but, until yesterday, neither had won since. Aberdeen took their chance, showing a little more menace and nous than Livingston and deservedly ending a run of eight SPL matches without a victory.

Entertainment value? There was an improvement in the second half, and Pittodrie enjoyed the two goals, but in general it was a barren, dreary afternoon.

Talking point: Aberdeen had waited a long time for a Noel Whelan goal. He had not scored since a game against Dunfermline six months ago, but he doubled his season's total with an assured header which finished the game off with half an hour left.

Man of the match: Kevin McNaughton's impressive solo goal was the highlight of an accomplished performance, although he was hardly troubled by a great deal of competition for the accolade.

Jimmy Calderwood: "I thought the win was well merited but we can play better. We should have gone on and scored more goals."

Richard Gough: "I was disappointed last week with the attitude and determination, but I thought there was a lot of effort today. I thought for long spells of the game the lads did well, although defensively we are not dealing with things as well as we should."

Copyright 2005 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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