Just In Time || Livingston 1 - 2 Motherwell

When thinking over the game that just unfolded before our eyes, I cannot help but think of that old, slightly pixelated meme of Rodney from Only Fools and Horses flying the birdie.

This was far from a simple smash-and-grab from the Well though. It was a story of failure and redemption within 90 minutes. A game of nearly almosts that, thankfully, concluded in an injury time of jubilation, despair, and jubilation once again.

Motherwell came flying out the traps, looking like a team with a point to prove. Given the way we slipped to defeat against Falkirk with a sickener - with a somewhat flat second half performance to boot - it made total sense that there would be a fire in the belly.

But something felt off.

The left-sided dominance with Longelo and Said felt… stilted. They’d work the ball very well to the final third, but from then on it felt… toothless.

Longelo, usually a driving force for goals, assists and chances - he’s STILL our third top goalscorer, behind Tawanda and Ap Stam - felt like he was a shadow of the player he usually is. He looked…awkward, unsure of himself, and almost disinterested. We’ve no idea why this is the case, but it is worth reminding that he limped off with an injury against Falkirk. Furthermore, with Ewan Wilson being shipped to Raith until January, you’d be forgiven for thinking JBA played him more out of necessity than want. Either way, his performance epitomised a… strange day at the office for the Steelmen.

“Elijah is a very good player, who has started very well for us, and hopefully that continues. It was good to see Slatts [Slattery] back, we've missed him. There was some moments of light for us today, and the win is massive” - Jens Berthel Askou

After a brief opening period of control, sloppy mistakes and almost constant poor decision-making in all departments allowed Livingston a route into the game. A calamitous comedy of errors on the edge of our penalty box climaxed with Liam Gordon clumsily bundling over Jeremy Bokila in the area, leaving Nick Walsh no choice to point to the spot.

The penalty emphatically dispatched by Bokila, this began a period of utter dominance for the home side. They could’ve very easily been two ahead moments later, with Muirhead and Sylla both coming up with near misses, although at least one would’ve thankfully been ruled out by the offside flag.

JBA's post-match thoughts, his face giving an insight into his thoughts about the way the game panned out. Still plenty reason for hope and optimism though, despite the poor middle portion. Very much focused on where we could improve and very level-headed, I'm certainly very happy with that.

Half time couldn’t come quick enough for the boys in sky blue. Though no substitutions were made, it seemed like a few had to remove JBA’s boot from their backsides at the break. 

Motherwell came out of the traps sharpish again, and were rewarded for their efforts less than 10 minutes into the second half when - after a lengthy review by both VAR officials and the referee - Motherwell were given a lifeline as Macauley Tait was judged to have handled the ball inside the box. Despite the shenanigans from both Livingston goalkeeper and scorer Bokila - who inexplicably was allowed to stand in front of the ball on the penalty spot, taunting Ap Stam - the ball was rifled home.

Then, the tide really began to turn. With the introduction of Callum Slattery on the 60th minute, the Motherwell attack seemed to FINALLY kick into gear. Although needing a second to remember where he was playing - having made the same run as Lukas Fadinger at one point with the two then quite unceremoniously bumping into each other - Slatts looked every bit the player we know and love, who’d take the game by the scruff of the neck. 

And take it, he did. 

With Just moved to the right wing, and Stephen O’Donnell - a player reborn under JBA - marauding forwards on his outside, the three of them gave the Livingston defence all sorts of issues for the rest of the afternoon. (I never thought in all my days as a Well fan would I hear "oh, Stephen O'Donnell" from Block E)

Motherwell were probing. A long ball dropped just behind the Livi backline to Eli Just resulted in a tap-in for Ap Stam, however he was judged to be offside, if only by a fraction. But the story of the final quarter of the game was starting to take shape.

Just was back to doing what he does best. Dropping into pockets, picking up the ball in space and linking defence to attack. And who better to do this with than deep-lying playmaker extraordinaire, Callum Slattery.

We thought we had the winner at the onset of injury-time. 

Callum Hendry’s rebounded effort was nodded home by Just, but by some margin that I couldn’t see when I watched it live - and I can’t lie I'm still not convinced after watching it back - Hendry was adjudged offside by a fingernail and it seemed that we weren’t in for the electrifying finish we craved.

But we got our Just desserts, didn’t we?

(okay, I’ve avoided almost every possible pun with his name, give me this one)

A darting run through the heart of the Livi midfield by Slattery gave him the space to find Just on the left wing. A great touch by Just to get the ball out his feet and then smashed home past Prior.

Limbs. Jubilation. Joy unrestrained.

It’d been a slog, it’d been a tough game made even tougher by our own hand. But who cares. Second three points secured, first win away from home, and a hell of a lift going into the biggest week of the season so far.

This fantastic graffiti can also take you to the club's ticket information page... Neat, eh?