Livingston 1 Hearts 0

High-flying Hearts suffered their first setback of the season with a shock 1-0 defeat by Livingston in their CIS Insurance Cup third-round tie at Almondvale.

After a dreadful first half played in driving wind and rain, former Jambos striker Ramon Pereira got the decisive goal in the 53rd minute when he slid home a Derek Adams cross from just inside the penalty area.

The visitors, who began with a weakened side, responded by bringing on the free-scoring Rudi Skacel but even the Czech international - who has scored in every Bank of Scotland Premier league game this season - could not shake the Gorgie side out of their slumber.

Nobody could have begrudged Livi boss Paul Lambert some respite - although on this evidence the visitors' championship prospects may now have to be dampened down a little.

The SPL leaders had won all eight competitive games so far this season and manager George Burley felt confident enough to give a debut to striker Jamie Mole.

He also gave outings to fringe players Lee Wallace, Stephen Simmons, Deividas Cesnauskis and Brazilian Samuel Camazzola - who was making his first start after coming on as a substitute at Inverness last weekend.

The swirling wind and driving rain did not help the general malaise which gripped the match in the first half and the first real chance did not arrive until the 27th minute.

Pereira played in Paul Dalglish with an astute defence-splitting pass, catching Wallace out of position, but the former Newcastle player dragged his angled shot from 20 yards wide of the far post.

With a couple of minutes to go before the interval midfielder Paul Hartley sent Mole clear on the half way line but the 17-year-old's first touch was cumbersome, allowing Livi defender Emmanuel Dorado to recover and clear the danger.

A minute after the interval, the home side threatened first with a Derek Adams snapshot from 30 yards but Jambos keeper Craig Gordon positioned himself perfectly to smother.

But in the 53rd minute the Scotland international keeper was beaten when the home side took the lead with a fine strike by Pereira.

As Livi pressed, Derek Adams curled a cross into the penalty area from wide on the right and the Spaniard was first to react, sliding his volley from 16 yards past Gordon.

Moments later, with the Gorgie men all over the place, Simmons almost turned a corner from Livi substitute Richard Brittain, on for Neil Barrett at the interval, just inches past his own post.

It was the first time the visitors had been behind all season and Burley introduced free-scoring Skacel and Calum Elliot for Camazzola and Mole on the hour.

The visitors started to impose themselves on the game but were leaving gaps and Dalglish almost capitalised when his lobbed shot from the edge of the Hearts penalty just could not find the height to clear Gordon.

There was an increasing sense of desperation amongst the visitors with defender Andy Webster pushed up into attack but as the game drew to a close it was Livingston who looked more likely to get a clincher.

In injury time Skacel found some space but his close range drive was saved by Livingston goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie before Simmons' drive from the rebound failed to find its way past a packed penalty area.

Teams

Livingston McKenzie, Pereira, Dorado, Strong, Mackay, Neil Barrett (Brittain 45), Walker (Vincze 79), Adams (Scott 90), Dair, Dalglish, Graham Barrett.

Subs Not Used: Roy, Boyd.

Booked: Walker.

Goals: Pereira 54.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Wallace, Cesnauskis (Berra 73), Camazzola (Skacel 60), Hartley, McAllister, Simmons, Mole (Elliot 60).

Subs Not Used: Mikoliunas, Banks.

Booked: Cesnauskis, Pressley.

Att: 3,805

Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com