David Martindale is excited by the “game changers” Livingston now possess after Lewis Smith scored a stunning goal to help defeat Falkirk 3-1 in the battle of the William Hill Premiership’s two newly-promoted teams.
The winger, who joined from Hamilton last summer, fired home a magnificent strike from the edge of the box in first-half stoppage time to add to Scott Pittman’s 18th-minute opener.
After Robbie Muirhead saw a penalty saved by Bairns goalkeeper Scott Bain early in the second half, the visitors hit back through Ross MacIver before substitute Jeremy Bokila sealed the Lions’ win late on.
“Boys like Robbie Muirhead and Smithy came into the club last year and it took them a wee bit of time to hit the ground and adapt to how we work and what we’re wanting as a group,” said Martindale.
“But the two of them around December time just kind of kicked on and the two of them have got moments like that in the game.
“The amount of goals I’ve seen wee Smithy score like that is incredible.
“I feel from maybe the previous years in the Premiership, the last season especially, we’ve probably now got game changers on the park. There’s boys with real moments of quality and that’s what wins you games of football.”
Falkirk boss John McGlynn, who was waiting learn the extent of an ankle injury sustained by Ethan Ross, was disappointed his side were unable to capitalise when they were on top before Livi’s opener.
“They scored in 18 minutes and I thought, up to that point, their goalie had a couple of really good saves,” he said. “In the opening 18, 20 minutes or so I was fairly happy.
“I think we lost our way a little bit after that, because in the opening 20 minutes or so I thought we passed the ball really well, we were winning second balls, we were winning a lot of things, going towards their goal.
“And then after the goal it got a little bit untidy and we gave the ball away too much. We lost the control in the game and then we were hit with a worldie and we found ourselves two down at half-time.
“We got control back in the game, Scotty made a great save with a penalty and then we get the goal back, we get a boost from that. We were pushing and pushing, but then we left a big gap in defence and we lose the third goal that kind of killed us.”
