MX23RW : Friday, March 29 05:25:18| >> :600:1149403:1149403:
[monks data]
Livingston logo
Scottish League Cup | Final
Feb 28, 2021 at 2pm UK
Hampden Park
St Johnstone logo

Livingston
0 - 1
St Johnstone


Bartley (80'), Serrano (90')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Rooney (32')
Gordon (82'), Kane (89')

Livingston 0-1 St Johnstone: Shaun Rooney nets winner in League Cup final

Shaun Rooney scores the decisive goal.

Shaun Rooney's first-half header proved enough to earn St Johnstone their second piece of major silverware.

Rooney headed home from a 32nd-minute corner to secure a 1-0 Betfred Cup final victory over Livingston at Hampden.

The Perth side held on without any scares to become the first club outside Celtic to win a major Scottish trophy since Hibernian triumphed in the 2016 Scottish Cup final.

The goal came from St Johnstone's first real opportunity and there were few others. Livingston had created a couple of half-chances to take the lead but could not carve out anything of note in response to Rooney's goal.

The wing-back scored in the two previous rounds and also in St Johnstone's recent league win over Livingston, which was the West Lothian's first defeat in David Martindale's first 15 games in charge.

Much of the media focus ahead of the final was on Martindale's incredible journey from a six-year prison sentence to a flying start to life in football management.

But opposite number Callum Davidson is also in his first season as a boss, having been assistant to Tommy Wright when Saints won the 2014 Scottish Cup.

The only down side for Saints came before the game when long-serving midfielder Murray Davidson failed to overcome a calf injury, having also missed the final through injury seven years ago.

Saints came into the final on form, having only lost to Celtic and Rangers in their previous 11 games, and fresh from a 3-0 win at Motherwell.

Livingston manager David Martindale
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson (left) bumps fists with Livingston manager David Martindale (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Manager Davidson made one change, leaving out striker Guy Melamed despite his Fir Park double. Wide player Craig Conway, who had impressed in the 3-0 semi-final win over Hibernian, came in.

Martindale brought back the fit-again Scott Robinson and Marvin Bartley, who lined up on the left of midfield opposite Rooney, while Steve Lawson came into the anchor role in midfield.

Rooney overlapped early on and got a low cross which was deflected into goalkeeper Robby McCrorie's hands, but Livingston had the bulk of the early pressure from set-pieces and high balls into the box.

One of the latter fell kindly for Efe Ambrose, who volleyed well over from 14 yards, and another dropped for Josh Mullin, who produced a stylish strike from 20 yards which drew a one-handed stop from Zander Clark.

There was little football played in the opening half and Saints in particular struggled to get men forward.

But they made the most of their first corner in the 32nd minute. Rooney shrugged off the close attentions of Jon Guthrie to head Conway's outswinging delivery in off the post.

Livingston had a chance on the break but Nicky Devlin's pass was too strong to put Scott Robinson in on goal, and Rooney had a 30-yard strike saved before the interval.

Saints started the second half with the best piece of football of the game.

Conway's reverse pass sent Ali McCann to the bye-line and he cut it back for David Wotherspoon, whose first-time shot was stopped by McCrorie. Chris Kane could not readjust his body in time to force the rebound on target from close range.

The Perth side enjoyed a good spell of possession and Jamie McCart saw a header blocked by Ambrose after beating McCrorie to a corner.

Martindale brought on a succession of attacking substitutes after the hour mark. Craig Sibbald, Alan Forrest, Gavin Reilly and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas came on to join striker Robinson.

Livi forced more of the play into the opposition half but could not engineer a chance and Saints squandered some opportunities to hit their opponents on the break.

ID:437215: cacheID:437215:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8061:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
General view of McDiarmid Park, home to St Johnstone, from 2015
Read Next:
St Johnstone's David Wotherspoon fit for Betfred Cup final
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1Ayr431010
2Stirling431010
3St Johnstone41033
4Stenhousemuir41033
5Alloa41033

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
1Partick32107
2Falkirk32016
3Dundee Utd42026
4Spartans42026
5Peterhead40131

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
1Livingston33009
2Hamilton22006
3Cove Rangers32016
4Brechin41033
5Clyde40040

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1Ross County33009
2Morton43019
3Kelty Hearts32016
4Stranraer41033
5Edinburgh40040

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
1Airdrieonians440012
2Dundee43019
3Dumbarton31023
4Inverness41033
5Bonnyrigg Rose30030

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
1Kilmarnock33009
2Dunfermline32016
3Raith Rovers22006
4Albion Rovers41033
5Annan40040

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
1Motherwell33009
2QotS22006
3Queen's Park41124
4East Fife31114
5Elgin40040

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
1St Mirren43019
2Forfar43019
3Arbroath31023
4Montrose31023
5Cowdenbeath20020


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!