ROSS COUNTY manager Stuart Kettlewell saw red in every sense of the word on Saturday evening but Jon Guthrie was not in the mood for dispensing sympathy.
The 28-year-old defender was the catalyst for Kettlewell’s barney with referee John Beaton that saw him sent off at the full-time whistle – the officious manner of the referee just as infuriating to the Ross County boss as the foul that led to the only goal of the game – but Guthrie could not have cared less.
His goal that gave Livingston their first win of the season and took them into the international break without the pressure of propping up the table was gleefully welcomed, regardless of the circumstances in which it came.
When informed that Kettlewell thought he had fouled Ross Stewart when using the shoulders of the Ross County player to convert Julien Serrano’s cross, he found it difficult to suppress his mirth.
“Of course he did!” he said. “I can’t really remember. The ball came in and I was just doing what I could to get my head on the end of it. It is a physical game and, especially when balls are coming into the box, you’ve got to use your body to get there. I will have to see it back but I don’t really care. The goal was given and a goal is a goal. So I’m happy.
“Those are the sort of games we always speak about, where if we can keep a clean sheet then you might nick it at a set-piece. That’s what we did and it doesn’t matter how you win or how many goals you win by, the three points is all that matters.
“Coming up to the break, you don’t want to be going into it with a negative mindset. We wanted to get that first win before we headed into the international break and we were confident going into the game. We felt that our performances have been improving in the last few games but we needed that win and we’re really happy.”
It was the only real moment of note in a game that was brutal on the eyes. It had started so promisingly when Nicky Devlin, Livingston’s most creative player of the afternoon, had sent an inviting ball to the back post only for Scott Pittman to fail to convert.
Hopes that it would set the tone for an entertaining tussle were short lived. New Livi forward Lars Lokotsch crashed a header off the woodwork but still looks as though he will needs games to get up to speed. It was one of precious few highlights.
By the time Ross County full-back Carl Tremarco was dismissed for a second booking when he clipped the heels of Devlin, the momentum was swaying towards the hosts.
Guthrie’s goal came when Alan Forrest worked a short corner before Serrano swung in his deep cross but County keeper Ross Laidlaw echoed his manager’s sentiments about the winner.
“Ross Stewart has said he got shoved in the back and Guthrie has headed it into the net,” he said. “I think we are more frustrated with that one rather than the sending off. But we didn’t manage the game well.
“Livingston are always the same – especially at home. They like to get long throws and long balls into the box. We were prepared for it and I thought we actually handled it okay. When you come here you know it’s not going to be a pretty game of football. It was exactly that – it was a horrible game to play in. The AstroTurf isn’t great for playing football on but it suits their style and fair play to them. That’s how they get points at home and do well.
“It’s up to us to come here and do better against them.
“We’ve got to bounce back. We’ve got a couple of tough games coming up, with Celtic being the next one. We need to dust ourselves down and get going for that.”
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