A WHOLE decade had passed since Livingston last had to contend with the mischievous enigma that is James McFadden.

Not much has changed. May 24, 2003 was arguably McFadden's finest performance in claret and amber, the gallus 20-year-old recording a marvellous hat trick, courtesy of a tap-in, chipped penalty and a 60-yard meandering run and bullet finish high beyond Julian Maidana. His efforts that day were rewarded with the captain's armband from manager Terry Butcher before he was whisked away by Everton.

Last night, the former Scotland internationalist rolled back the years in the only way he knows how - by being as audacious as possible. It took 71 minutes for the 30-year-old to show Livingston what they had been missing as he reacted quickly to Lionel Ainsworth's bulleted cross by cheekily backheeling the ball into the net to put Motherwell 2-0 ahead.

It has been a season of frustration so far for the Fir Park poster boy. A radical change in personnel has done him few favours as he attempts to find his feet in midfield but he was given a more prominent role last night, and one which Stuart McCall, the Motherwell manager, believes he will have relished.

"The park was really wet and in the final third for everyone it wasn't coming off, so I'm delighted he's managed to score," said McCall. "He's desperate to do well; he's not a slacker and puts everything into his training and games. He gets frustrated with himself. But at the moment we have a good combination upfront who are scoring goals. We've tried him out wide but I'm sure he's more happy down the middle."

McFadden got his wish last night as he joined Bob McHugh at the apex of the attack for the first time this season as McCall made five changes from the team who drew 2-2 with Dundee United on Sunday. It proved to be an inspired decision as both men scored their first goals of the season to put the game beyond Livingston.

The opener arrived after 16 minutes. Ainsworth, on his first start, swung in a corner from the right which was met by the head of Simon Ramsden, with McHugh applying the final touch just a yard off the line. A well-worked goal, but he was to be outdone by McFadden's neat flick.

John McGlynn's men occupy second-bottom place in the SPFL Championship, just one berth above lowly Morton, but there was only a brief threat of replicating the Celtic Park heroics of the Cappielow club. Substitute Danny Denholm turned the ball over the line from a Martin Scott corner as the game ebbed away into injury time, and a late cavalry charge failed to yield an equaliser.

Livingston enjoyed large swathes of possession throughout the game. Scott, Burton O'Brien and Stefan Scougall zipped the ball about with pace, purpose and poise on the slippery surface to carve open space for the hosts against disciplined opposition. Indeed, it could have been a more uncomfortable evening for last season's SPL runners-up if it had not been for Jason Talbot's red card for a lunge on Steven Hammell in the second half. Shoddy finishing did not help the Livingston cause either. Andy Barrowman's header after an hour just beyond Gunnar Neilson's near post was their best effort, while the only thing Marc McNulty threatened with his first-half effort was the life expectancy of a floodlight bulb.

"There was a lot of good play," said McGlynn. "Anything could have happened but the sending-off killed it. It's hard enough playing 11 versus 11 against a team of Motherwell's quality without being a man down. I'm sure if our boys continue to play like that we will climb up the table."

For some of the Motherwell support, however, it was not to be a happy ending. As the raucous travelling contingent celebrated at full-time, the scenes of jubilation were cut short upon the news over the tannoy that their bus had been vandalised beyond repair and a train to Airdrie beckoned.

There was also a bizarre half-time announcement for some poor fellow in the stands, presumably from his "better half", apologising for "what happened earlier today" and asking him to get in touch.

Let's hope, for her sake, he's not still in Airdrie.