Arbroath's search for points was ended by a stoppage-time goal in a 1-0 defeat away to Livingston. R. McGowan scored the only goal of the Championship contest in the 92nd minute at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday.
The result leaves Arbroath eighth in the table with 11 points from 11 games, having lost their last four league matches. Their record of three wins and two draws from those 11 games leaves them 12 points behind league leaders Stenhousemuir. They now face a quick turnaround before hosting Raith Rovers, who sit third, at Gayfield Park next Saturday.
Disciplined display undone
The visitors had matched their hosts for much of the game, but their task became significantly harder in the final moments. Midfielder McKenna was shown a second yellow card in the 90th minute, reducing Arbroath to ten men just before McGowan struck the decisive blow. McKenna had been booked earlier, along with teammates Paterson, Stewart and MacIntyre.
Livingston's L. Polworth was also cautioned early in a match where chances were scarce. Arbroath made two changes in the second half, with Winter replacing O'Brien on 70 minutes and Daly coming on for Reilly ten minutes later.
Looking ahead
The narrow loss continues a difficult run of form for the Lichties, who have scored just seven goals all season while conceding 17, giving them a goal difference of minus 10. Their next opponents, Raith Rovers, won the previous meeting 4-0 in September. The team will need to find a response quickly to halt their slide down the standings, with the home fixture against Raith Rovers scheduled for Saturday 31 October. Finding goals remains a particular concern, with the club's top scorer this season, R. Callachan, yet to find the net.
