Motherwell extended their unbeaten league run to eight games with what became a comfortable win over a dogged Livingston. And it was a fourth consecutive clean sheet for Callum Ward, who produced a couple of great saves to keep his goal intact.
A measured strike from Elliot Watt after 18 minutes steadied the Steelmen before an Apostolos Stamatelopoulos penalty on the hour settled the game. When Emmanuel Longelo rolled home a third two minutes from time, it rewarded Well with three points and lifted them clear to third place in the league.
With Motherwell looking to stretch their unbeaten run to eight games in the league, manager Jens Berthel Askou made seven changes to the starting 11. This takes the total of changes to the starting 11 to 19 in the last four matches.
Stephen O’Donnell, Liam Gordon, Johnny Koutroumbis, Elijah Just, Regan Charles-Cook, Elliot Watt and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos all came into the side, with Emmanuel Longelo, Stephen Welsh, Tom Sparrow, Oscar Priestman, Callum Slattery, Callum Hendry and Ibrahim Said dropping to the bench.
Livingston arrived at Fir Park, looking for their first win in North Lanarkshire since October 2002. David Martindale’s side were tidy in possession and eager to get the gangly Tete Yengi involved at the other end. After 16 minutes, neat footwork from the striker gave him a glimpse of Ward’s goal, only to steer his shot well off target.
Two minutes later, Well were more precise when they opened the scoring.
Another quick break on the left found Charles-Cook racing on to Stamatelopoulos’ flick. And when the Grenada international cut the ball back from the byline, it found Watt five yards outside the box. One touch, one look at the goal before the midfielder curled a superb finish beyond the keeper and inside his right-hand post.
Two minutes later it might have been 2-0 when Maswanhise curled a low ball across the six-yard box with Stamatelopoulos unable to get a touch.
Three minutes from half-time the Australian striker got his head to the ball, as the ‘keeper came to claim Watt’s free kick, but the ball drifted over a vacant goal.
One minute after the break, another free kick from Watt almost found the back of the net as Scott Pittman’s outstretched foot sent the ball spinning over his own keeper and narrowly over the bar.
Four minutes later only a terrific save from Ward prevented the West Lothian side from grabbing an equaliser. When a corner found Mahamadou Sissoho lurking outside the box, his fierce rising shot seemed destined for the net until the Well keeper at full stretch palmed the ball away and kept his goal intact.
That gave the visitors a bit of belief, and suddenly Ward became more involved in the game.
A second goal was needed to kill off the lively Lions, and it arrived just before the hour mark.
Paul McGinn lofted a ball over the Livi rearguard for Koutroumbis to take a touch and power into the penalty box. Lewis Smith’s trip sent him to the ground, and from the resultant penalty, Stamatelopoulos sent the ‘keeper to the ground before confidently rolling the ball into the net and making it 2-0.
Having just secured his seventh goal of the season, Stamatelopoulos was immediately replaced by the waiting sub, Callum Hendry.
The substitute should have grabbed his first league goal nine minutes later when O’Donnell’s cross found him unmarked eight yards from goal, but Hendry screwed his header wide.
With 20 minutes remaining, the Well boss made a triple substitution, bringing on Priestman, Slattery and Longelo.
To their credit, as Well tried to keep possession and probe for a third, Livingston never gave up the game, and Ward and his defence had to remain alert to make sure the visitors didn’t claim a consolation goal.
However, it was the Steelmen who netted a late goal. Charles-Cook raced into the box, drawing the keeper from his line before unselfishly squaring the ball to provide Longelo with the simple task of knocking the ball over the line.
In added time both keepers produced wonderful saves; Ward denied Yengi before Prior prevented Slattery from making it 4-0.
Motherwell Team: Ward, O’Donnell, McGinn, Gordon, Koutroumbis, Charles-Cook, Watt, Fadinger, Maswanhise, Stamatelopoulos, Just.
Motherwell Subs: Connelly, Sparrow, Welsh, Longelo, Priestman, Slattery, Ross, Hendry, Said.
