Hearts 1 Livingston 3

Spanish striker David Fernandez was the two-goal hero for Scottish Premier League new boys Livingston as they cruised to a comfortable away win against Hearts.

This win cements the West Lothian side's third place position in the league with Aberdeen facing a tough trip away to Rangers tomorrow.

Livingston have now completed a double over Hearts after they defeated the Edinburgh side 2-1 at Almondvale on the opening day of the season.

No-one could have predicted that Livingston could have started life in the SPL as well as they have done with their early season form a breath of fresh air.

Many had claimed the bubble had burst after they lost at home to Rangers last week but this performance was the perfect reply.

Two first-half goals from the deadly Fernandez in the space of four first half minutes were added to by a magnificent Barry Wilson clincher with 18 minutes to go.

Hearts' counter from Kevin McKenna on 76 minutes was nothing more than a consolation as Craig Levein's side sunk to their third league defeat in a row in a disappointing run which has seen them win just one of their last eight league games.

The first few minutes of this match suggested that we were going to be in for an evenly-fought battle.

McKenna was proving a handful for the visitors in the early stages and he met a promising Stephen Simmons cross from the right in the eighth minute with a header which Nick Culkin held.

At the other end Livvy's John Anderson shot just over from the edge of the Hearts' penalty area.

Stevie Tosh tried a magnificent 25-yard effort which seemed destined for the top corner but for a brilliant fingertip save from Antti Niemi.

At the other end Alan Maybury sent over a curling cross for Ricardo Fuller and his header brought another fine save from Culkin.

The visitors then seemed to step up a gear with Dario Aurellio seeing his shot cannon off the crossbar and then Wilson missed a gilt-edged chance.

The pressure paid off for Livvy on 22 minutes when Fernandez pounced to give them the lead from Phillipe Brinquin's cross.

The Spaniard ran over to the touchline to salute boss Jim Leishman.

Within four minutes Fernandez headed the visitors two up when he met a beautiful cross from the right from Tosh.

Hearts appeared shaken by the two goals in that four-minute spell and it now looked as though the visitors could run up a similar scoreline to their 5-1 and 6-1 away victories they have enjoyed at Kilmarnock and Aberdeen respectively.

Jamaican Fuller was trying hard to unlock the visitors' defence but he was thwarted by a brilliant penalty box tackle from Anderson.

The first half ended in frustration for Hearts, with Maybury booked on 40 minutes for a late challenge on Fernandez, then Fuller had a free-kick charged down by the Livvy defensive wall.

Fuller and Livingston defender Oscar Rubio were involved in a nasty clash of heads just after the break but fortunately both players recovered.

McKenna drove a 20-yard free-kick towards the roof of the net but the increasingly impressive on-loan Manchester United keeper Culkin tipped over.

Hearts' new signing Tommi Gronlund had an 18-yard shot charged down by the visitors defence as Hearts failed to find a way back into this match.

The home side had a real let-off when Aurellio linked up with Fernandez but then shot straight at the Hearts goalkeeper from only seven yards out.

Fuller went close as yet again Culkin denied the home side and again he saved from a McKenna header.

At the other end Fernandez tried a spectacular effort from 25 yards which nearly brought him his hat-trick with the effort scraping past the left post.

Stephen Simmons went close from the edge of the penalty box with a rising shot which appeared to have Culkin beaten.

Gary Wales came on as substitute for Fuller on 68 minutes and within two minutes he tested Culkin with a good shot from outside the box.

All Hearts' efforts were to no avail though when the visitors grabbed the killer third goal through Wilson on 72 minutes.

The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle player latched on to a pass from Tosh before turning and rifling powerfully into the net to seal the points.

Hearts managed to get one goal back through McKenna who finished with ease from an unmarked position with 14 minutes left.

It was a case of too little too late and the visitors nearly added to their lead with Anderson and Wilson both going close.

Two-goal hero Fernandez went off on 85 minutes to great acclaim from the Livvy supporters when Nathan Lowndes replaced him.

Teams:

Hearts: Niemi, Maybury, Pressley, Webster, Mahe, Simmons (Davidson 85), Gronlund, McKenna, Fulton, Adam (Weir 81), Fuller (Wales 68).

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, McCann.

Booked: Maybury, Webster.

Goals: McKenna 76.

Livingston: Culkin, Brinquin, Rubio, Anderson, Santini, Tosh, Lovell, Aurellio (Quino 79), Wilson (Caputo 90), Fernandez (Lowndes 85), Bingham.

Subs Not Used: Del Niro, Trialist.

Goals: Fernandez 21, 26, Wilson 72.

Att: 12,173

Ref: K Toner (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com