Date	Saturday, 18 December 2021
Competition	Scottish Premiership
Fixture/Score	Livingston 1:1 Ross County
Venue	Tony Macaroni Stadium,
Attendance	2,554
Referee	Grant Irvine
Comments	Match Report Report by Thomas Duncan for the BBC. Livingston 1 Ross County 1 Livingston manager David Martindale says he told Ayo Obileye to stay up front moments before the centre-back scored to snatch a late Scottish Premiership draw against Ross County. The defender nodded in at the back post in the 89th minute to deny County a fourth win in eight games. It cancelled out David Cancola's stunning 25-yard strike. "We'd had a set play before the goal and I said to big Ayo 'just stay up front'," Martindale said. "Fair play to them, I think the boys answered my concerns at half-time. We started the second half better, got the goal and got a point." County were heading three points clear of St Johnstone at the foot of the table before Obileye's intervention but edge just one in front instead ahead of Wednesday's trip to McDiarmid Park. Livingston are five further ahead in eighth place despite being denied a third straight victory. County also came into the game in good form, having registered 11 points from the last 21 available and pushing Celtic until the 97th minute on Wednesday, when Anthony Ralston's winner sunk them. Cancola's spectacular curling effort on the stroke of half-time had them in control despite a scrappy opening 45 minutes and they were the width of the bar away from going two goals up in the second half. But substitute Ross Callachan's strike cannoned off the woodwork and did not drop in, which left them defending their own box late on from a Livingston side who shelled in crosses, with Nicky Devlin and Alan Forrest testing Ashley Maynard-Brewer. Jack Fitzwater passed up three good chances with his head across the 90 minutes, and Obileye missed another, before the Londoner charged in at the back post to head in James Penrice's high, hanging delivery to cruelly punish the visitors. And Livingston almost snatched a winner at the death when Jason Holt's 20-yard drive flicked off the cross bar with goalkeeper Maynard-Brewer beaten in stoppage time. County have been in good form recently and have generally performed well this term. Even when they've lost only Celtic, Rangers, and Hibernian have managed to beat them by more than one goal. But they seem to fall on the wrong side of tight margins. Livingston probably deserved a draw for their second-half display, but seeing these games out could be the difference between survival and relegation for the Highlanders. Vokins performed well for County down the left, Blair Spittal was influential once more, and Cancola worked hard in midfield as well as scoring a magnificent goal. But ultimately this will feel like a defeat. If County struggle to battle for points, then Livingston are the masters. They ended the game the stronger side - and their ability to get down the sides of County was effective as the crosses rained in, finally to good effect when Obileye headed in. Martindale's decision to keep the defender up top proved decisive. In two meetings this season, County have been the better team the majority of the time. Yet it's Livingston who have taken four points from six. Livingston manager David Martindale: "I think we dominated large spells in the game. At 1-0, Ross County caught us on the counter a few times." "Over the piece I think a draw is a fair result. First half, not great. Second half I thought we were better and deserved the equaliser." Ross County manager Malky Mackay: "I don't think anyone finds it easy coming here. I don't think we've won here for eight or nine years. "Disappointed it's the last minute again but they've come on leaps and bounds since the start of the season and I'm really proud of them at the moment, the way we're playing."
Ross County
Manager	Malcolm (Malky) Mackay
Starting 11	31: Ashley Maynard-Brewer, 2: Connor Randall 1, 3: Jake Vokins, 4: David Cancola 1 1, 5: Jack Baldwin 1, 7: Blair Spittal, 10: Dominic Samuel, 17: Regan Charles-Cook 1, 20: Harrison Clarke, 22: Jordon Tillson, 26: Jordan White
Bench	1: Ross Laidlaw, 8: Ross Callachan, 9: Alexander Samuel, 15: Keith Watson, 18: Jack Burroughs, 23: Joseph Hungbo, 24: Benjamin Paton
Livingston
Manager	David Martindale
Starting 11	Max Stryjek, Nicky Devlin, Jack Fitzwater, Ayo Obileye 1 1, James Penrice 1, Jason Holt, Jack McMillan, Stephane Omeonga, Craig Sibbald, Alan Forrest, Andrew Shinnie
Bench	Jackson Longridge, Scott Pittman, Bruce Anderson, Odin Bailey, Harry Panayiotou, Sean Kelly, Gary Maley