St Johnstone 2-0 Livingston

Aug 3 2008 Ewan Smith At Mcdiarmid Park

PETER MacDONALD and Paul Sheerin combined to floor new-look Livi after the break and help 10-man Saints live up to their title favourites tag.

Hitman Peaso popped up in 55 minutes to beat keeper Pierre Martini from a tight angle and put Derek McInnes' men on course for an important opening-day win.

Saints were then forced to play the last half hour a man down after Liam Craig was red-carded for a professional foul but Sheerin's last-minute penalty sealed the points.

Against a revamped Livingston side the league's notorious slow starters were never going to find it easy.

Keeper Euan McLean, Chris Millar and Collin Samuel all made their debuts for the Perth men but all eyes were on what Livi's new Italian boss Roberto Landi would do.

His side had five debutants - including ex-Celtic kid Anthony McParland plus Frenchmen Pierre Martini and Jean Cuenca - yet their open, attacking style made it look like they had been together for years.

Landi was also a great source of entertainment on the touchline with his animated gesticulations.

There was plenty of early action for Landi and McInnes to get excited about as both teams created several clear-cut chances.

MacDonald was first to have a go when he tried his luck with an 18-yard drive that deflected safely into the hands of Martini.

Moments later Cuenca's cross was controlled brilliantly by Murray Davidson who turned and volleyed from six yards only for McLean to produce a superb fingertip save.

Saints striker Martin Hardie then shot wide from 20 yards before Kevin Rutkiewicz looped a header on to the roof of the Livi net.

MacDonald was the real threat and in 22 minutes he almost made the breakthrough, picking the ball up from Samuel and firing in a low drive that Martini parried.

But the last chance of the first half fell to Livi hitman Leigh Griffith in 30 minutes as the youngster dashed past Kevin James before seeing his low effort well saved by McLean.

McInnes brought on summer signing Gavin Swankie for Samuel at the break and his team immediately looked more of a threat.

They would have been 1-0 up in 47 minutes had it not been for another top stop from Martini who beat away a powerful 25-yard strike from Hardie.

But for all Martini's heroics the keeper was shaken and stirred by a horrendous cock-up in 54 minutes.

Chris Innes headed back to Martini who completely misread the flight of the ball and was forced to scramble back and clear.

Within 60 seconds he was picking the ball out of his net after MacDonald stole a yard inside the the box to smash home a fierce front-post volley. But Saints' joy lasted just four minutes before they were rightly reduced to 10 men following a last-man challenge from Craig on the lively Griffith.

However, for all the pretty football Livi displayed at times, they lacked a killer instinct when they needed it most to rescue this game.

And their misery was compounded just before the end when Jason Talbot brought down Chris Millar to earn Saints a penalty that Sheerin put away.

MoM: Griffith (Livingston)