Livingston 1 - 0 Hearts

CIS Cup

George Burley tasted defeat for the first time as Hearts manager thanks to a striker who was deemed surplus to requirements at Tynecastle during the summer.

Ramón Pereira's second-half goal took Livingston into the quarter-finals of the CIS Cup and had the additional significance of providing Paul Lambert with his first win over Premierleague opposition since taking charge of the club.

After seven straight league victories, and a win over Queen's Park in the previous round, few expected the Burley bandwagon to be derailed at Almondvale just three days before they face Rangers at Tynecastle in an eagerly anticipated showdown.

Hearts' weakened side, though, could not muster enough energy or incisiveness to break down Livingston, and their 100% record for the season was no more. Whether the same will be said about their league stats come Saturday afternoon is difficult to gauge on this performance, as Burley would hope to have several significant selections restored to his line-up for that game.

What the performance did display is that there is barely puddle-splashing depth within the Tynecastle squad. Vladimir Romanov will have to open his bank vault again in January if the club are to maintain a title push.

A spate of injuries meant this was not the Hearts line-up that has stormed to such a commanding league position. Rudi Skacel, who has a perfect SPL scoring record, was left on the bench, while Takis Fyssas, Edgaras Jankauskas, Roman Bednar and Julien Brellier were among those missing from the 16-man squad.

That allowed a number of fringe players the opportunity to enhance their claims for a place against Rangers, but none rose to challenge.

A 4-1 thrashing of Livingston less than a fortnight ago contributed to their perfect SPL sequence, but Almondvale was a different beast last night thanks to a swirling wind and the driving rain.

The first half was as drab as the weather and it was a mercy that a pitiful attendance of 3805 was there to witness it.

Having expressed his understandable disappointment at the leniency of the punishment doled out to Neil Lennon by the Scottish Football Association, Stuart Dougal returned to refereeing duty and was forced to admonish the Livingston technical area for their voluble disagreements.

Lambert was in a state of near-apoplexy throughout the match, as he anxiously sought respite from a torturous start to his managerial career.

His side almost snatched the lead after half-an-hour when Pereira slid a diagonal pass for Paul Dalglish and his first-time effort sneaked just wide of Craig Gordon's post. Burley's side then sparked briefly into life when Stephen Simmons swivelled on the edge of the penalty area before cracking a shot off target.

Jamie Mole, the 17-year-old striker drafted in by Burley, should have opened the scoring moments before half-time when Paul Hartley's incisive pass left the youngster clean behind the defence.

Roddy McKenzie was left untroubled, though, as Mole trod awkwardly on the ball and collapsed to the turf. Not a moment to be recorded for posterity in the secret diary.

Eight minutes into the second period and Hearts had a new experience to confront this season – going behind. Derek Adams was afforded space on the right flank to size up a cross which he bent along the edge of the six-yard area. The Tynecastle defence stood static as Pereira slid the ball beyond Gordon.

Simmons then came within a whisker of heading into his own goal before Burley made a double change. On came Skacel for Samuel Camazzola, the underwhelming Brazilian, with Calum Elliot replacing Mole.

However, there remained little structure to their play, and it was a sign of their desperation that Andy Webster was waved forward into attack when Cristophe Berra replaced the disappointing Deividas Cesnauskis.

It seemed more likely that Livingston would add to their lead and Dalglish whacked an attempt narrowly wide before Gordon was forced to claw out a cross from Adams that was dipping underneath his bar.

In the final minute, Skacel saw a shot saved by McKenzie's foot before Jamie McAllister battered the rebound straight into Hartley.

Livingston McKenzie; Mackay, Dorado, Strong, Dair; Walker (Vincze 80) N Barrett (Brittain 46), Adams, Pereira, G Barrett; Dalglish. Subs: Roy, Boyd, Scott

Hearts Gordon; Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Wallace; Camazzola (Skacel 59), Simmons, Cesnauskis (Berra 72), Hartley, McAllister; Mole (Elliot 59).

Subs: Mikoliunas, Banks

Referee S Dougal

Taken from the Herald