Match ends, Livingston 2, Hibernian 1.
Ayo Obileye's late header secured victory for Livingston in a breathless and at times bad-tempered Scottish Premiership tie against Hibernian.
Joel Nouble waltzed straight through the Hibs defence after six minutes.
The hosts dominated the remainder of the first-half but Hibs hit back five minutes into the second when Nohan Kenneh nodded in from close range.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but it was Obileye who found it when he rose unmarked at the back-post.
David Martindale and Lee Johnson were both booked during a second half which had its fair share of flash points, with referee Craig Napier doing extremely well to keep things from boiling over completely.
Livingston now leapfrog their visitors in the table, climbing up to fourth.
It was Livingston who came flying out the traps in a baking hot West Lothian. It didn't look like there was much on when Nouble received a square ball in the Hibs' half, but he made a dart for the goal, dancing past Paul Hanlon to put himself one-on-one before finishing off the post.
The big striker almost made it two when he robbed Chris Cadden in a dangerous area, slipping the ball past Ryan Porteous and bearing down on goal - but David Marshall was able to get a hand to it this time.
At half-time, Hibs had only had one shot on goal and didn't look like scoring. Five minutes into the second-half, they had. A corner was whipped in, pinballing around the Livingston six-yard box before cannoning off the head of Elie Youan, straight to Kenneh who nodded in at the back-post.
That goal, and Boyle's introduction at half-time, boosted the visitors' confidence and they pinned Livingston into their own box for the next half-hour. Boyle would also go down in the Livi area at one point, but the referee waved away his shout.
Martindale's claim that the Hibs winger dived infuriated his opposite number Johnson, and referee Napier stopped the game to show yellows to both managers. It was kicking off on the pitch, too. Porteous twice had to be hauled away from a Livingston mob.
Nouble and substitute Bruce Anderson started to link up as Livingston threatened a winner - but it was centre-back Ayo Obileye who got it, nodding in unmarked at the back-post from a curled free-kick.
Hibs wouldn't lie down, though. Youan forced a fantastic save from Shamal George with a fiery shot from the edge of the box, and Momodou Bojang squandered a huge opportunity when Boyle squared, but the Gambian striker skied his shot over the bar in Hibs' final chance for an equaliser.
Man of the Match - Joel Nouble
Lively in West Lothian as Lions find late winner
The epitome of a game of two-halves, but what a game it was.
It really had it all. A fantastic first half from Livingston, a spirited second-half from Hibs, chances and challenges aplenty.
Livi were magnificent prior to the break. Jason Holt and Stephane Omeonga were terrier-like and Nouble ran riot up top.
But Hibs hit back well in the second half. They look a completely different side with Martin Boyle. Their confidence was non-existent before the winger came on, but as soon as he was introduced there was a feeling they could score with any attack.
The late winner summed up Martindale's Livingston side, though. Entertaining and gritty in equal measure. They're great value.
What they said
Livingston boss David Martindale: "I couldn't guarantee anything. I knew last year we had enough. Do I think we do this year? Of course I do. I'm not going to say I can guarantee, but I'm 99.9% sure. I need to give myself a bit of room here.
"The boys are capable of going on and having a fantastic season, but we need to be bang at it every game. We've not got any superstars in our team. The superstar in our team is the collective, not the individual.
"I'm still trying to cool down and bring my heart rate back down."
Hibernian manager Lee Johnson: "I was just disappointed in two or three of our lads, athletically and mentally, going into the game. It's being able to be at your best when it matters most. You've got to be the best player at 0-0. It's easier to be a good player at 1-0 down.
"There's some good players out there who didn't do enough today, it's as simple as that."
What's next?
Livingston travel to Motherwell next Saturday (15:00) as Hibernian host Rangers at Easter Road (12:30).
Player of the match
NoubleJoel Nouble
Livingston
Avg
- Squad number19Player nameNoubleAverage rating
7.63
- Squad number18Player nameHoltAverage rating
6.62
- Squad number24Player nameKellyAverage rating
6.52
- Squad number5Player nameFitzwaterAverage rating
6.48
- Squad number9Player nameAndersonAverage rating
6.44
- Squad number33Player nameOmeongaAverage rating
6.43
- Squad number12Player nameBrandonAverage rating
6.40
- Squad number11Player nameCristian MontañoAverage rating
6.31
- Squad number22Player nameShinnieAverage rating
6.30
- Squad number6Player nameObileyeAverage rating
6.29
- Squad number8Player namePittmanAverage rating
6.25
- Squad number1Player nameGeorgeAverage rating
6.11
- Squad number25Player nameCancarAverage rating
6.00
- Squad number2Player nameDevlinAverage rating
5.96
Hibernian
Avg
- Squad number77Player nameBoyleAverage rating
5.29
- Squad number1Player nameMarshallAverage rating
5.04
- Squad number6Player nameKennehAverage rating
4.74
- Squad number12Player nameCaddenAverage rating
4.72
- Squad number23Player nameYouanAverage rating
4.59
- Squad number3Player nameCabrajaAverage rating
4.50
- Squad number5Player namePorteousAverage rating
4.32
- Squad number20Player nameMelkersenAverage rating
4.24
- Squad number11Player nameNewellAverage rating
4.23
- Squad number18Player nameHendersonAverage rating
4.22
- Squad number10Player nameJair TavaresAverage rating
4.02
- Squad number4Player nameHanlonAverage rating
3.95
- Squad number34Player nameMcClellandAverage rating
3.56
- Squad number9Player nameDoidgeAverage rating
3.53
- Squad number8Player nameDoyle-HayesAverage rating
3.52
- Squad number17Player nameBojangAverage rating
2.78
Line-ups
Livingston
Formation 4-3-2-1
- 1George
- 2DevlinSubstituted forBrandonat 89'minutes
- 5Fitzwater
- 6Obileye
- 11MontañoBooked at 52minsSubstituted forCancarat 64'minutes
- 33Omeonga
- 18Holt
- 24Kelly
- 22ShinnieSubstituted forAndersonat 75'minutes
- 8Pittman
- 19Nouble
Substitutes
- 3Longridge
- 7Bahamboula
- 9Anderson
- 10Esmael Gonçalves
- 12Brandon
- 14Mullin
- 20Bitsindou
- 25Cancar
- 31Konovalov
Hibernian
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Marshall
- 12Cadden
- 5Porteous
- 4HanlonSubstituted forMcClellandat 82'minutes
- 3CabrajaBooked at 80mins
- 6KennehSubstituted forBojangat 89'minutes
- 11Newell
- 20MelkersenSubstituted forDoidgeat 22'minutes
- 10Vieira TavaresSubstituted forBoyleat 45'minutesBooked at 52mins
- 18HendersonSubstituted forDoyle-Hayesat 82'minutes
- 23Youan
Substitutes
- 2Miller
- 8Doyle-Hayes
- 9Doidge
- 17Bojang
- 21Dabrowski
- 24McGregor
- 34McClelland
- 37MacIntyre
- 77Boyle
- Referee:
- Craig Napier
- Attendance:
- 3,854
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home36%
- Away64%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away23
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away5
- Corners
- Home3
- Away14
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Livingston 2, Hibernian 1.
Post update
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Sean Kelly.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Momodou Bojang (Hibernian) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Post update
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Jack Fitzwater.
Post update
Attempt missed. Momodou Bojang (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Martin Boyle.
Post update
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Shamal George.
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Attempt saved. Thody Élie Youan (Hibernian) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ryan Porteous.
Post update
Attempt saved. Joe Newell (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Kyle McClelland (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Hibernian. Momodou Bojang replaces Nohan Kenneh.
Substitution
Substitution, Livingston. Jamie Brandon replaces Nicky Devlin because of an injury.
Goal!
Goal! Livingston 2, Hibernian 1. Ayo Obileye (Livingston) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sean Kelly with a cross following a set piece situation.
Post update
Foul by Marijan Cabraja (Hibernian).
Post update
Nicky Devlin (Livingston) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Phillip Cancar (Livingston) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ayo Obileye with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
Post update
Foul by Martin Boyle (Hibernian).
Post update
Stephane Omeonga (Livingston) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Attempt saved. Bruce Anderson (Livingston) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joel Nouble.
Substitution
Substitution, Hibernian. Kyle McClelland replaces Paul Hanlon.