Match report: St Johnstone U18s 0-3 Livingston

Our under-18s were defeated 3-0 by Livingston in the Club Academy Scotland Performance League on Friday night.

The visitors started the game strongly and goalkeeper Roan Flanagan was called into action twice in the opening exchanges.

He first showed a safe pair of hands to comfortably grasp hold of a powerful hit before, moments later, reacted well to tip a deflected effort over his bar.

Saints did break forward shortly after and it was Callan Hamill who was bursting down the right flank and into a dangerous position.

He broke clear of his opposite number and sent the ball across the face of goal. There was no taker in a Perth jersey on this occasion. 

Livi would take the lead on 13 minutes when their forward latched onto a long ball over the top and kept his composure to find the bottom corner.

The lead was doubled on 25 minutes after defender Ryan Carling had been punished for a trip inside the box. No mistake was made from the penalty spot.

Saints battled on and did have the ball in the back of the net through striker Jacob Fleming, although the flag had been raised for offside earlier in the attack.

Captain for the night Murray Binnie then powered into the box and, when halted, Fleming picked up the scraps and saw his goal-bound shot blocked.

Into the second half and there was little goalmouth action to speak of as the clock ticked beyond the hour mark.

A dangerous corner was soon causing problems for Livi, with substitute Jack Robertson swinging a leg at the ball from deep inside the box. The visitors managed to clear.

Another substitute, Adam Shaeb, forced a great save out of the goalkeeper in the 73rd minute then, seconds later, Binnie glanced a header wide of the post. Not long after he threatened again but still there was no home breakthrough.

Livingston wrapped up the win in the final minutes when their striker showed pace and strength to break clear and finish.

Saints: Flanagan, Hamill, Didcock, Ashworth, Carling, Miller, Binnie ©, Muir (Voy 59), Fleming (McAdam 45), Cord (Robertson 50), Glasgow (Shaeb 69).