Livingston's bid to succeed in the knock-out phases of the Premier Sports activities Cup suffered a significant blow after the 10-men hosts missed a late penalty as they fell to a 2-1 dwelling loss to Championship aspect Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
The Lions might really feel considerably unfortunate to have been a aim down on the break after Austin Samuels tapped dwelling on the again submit seven minutes earlier than the interval.
However the turning level got here simply earlier than the hour mark when keeper Max Stryjek raced from his aim and clattered into the Thistle scorer and was promptly proven crimson.
Livi had been rattled by that and had been shortly additional behind when the energetic Daniel MacKay blitzed past his marker and fired into the far nook halfway via the second half through a deflection from the unlucky James Penrice.
To their credit score, they did no less than present loads of battle and it was recreation on six minutes from time as Jason Holt splendidly turned his marker on the sting of the field earlier than caressing the ball past Mark Ridgers.
They usually had the right alternative to dramatically take the tie to penalties three minutes later when referee Alan Muir pointed to the spot - just for Holt to fluff his traces and sky harmlessly over the crossbar.
The hosts began the brighter of the 2 aspect and confirmed the higher attacking risk from the off. Dylan Bahamboula was inches away from connecting on a Nicky Devlin cross earlier than Esmael Goncalves noticed his point-blank effort saved by Ridgers after Joel Nouble had waltzed his means contained in the field underneath strain earlier than teeing up the striker.
Having didn't threaten, Inverness nearly took the lead towards the run of play on 20 minutes when a Robbie Deas header from a free-kick was tipped onto the bar by Stryjek. The Polish stopper could be referred to as into motion once more seven minutes later when he palmed away a MacKay curling effort after the on mortgage Hibs man had sprinted past Jack Fitzwater.
A two-minute spell simply earlier than the break noticed Livi inches away from scoring what absolutely would have been aim of the season - solely to then promptly fall behind.
After intercepting a shortly taken free-kick, Devlin noticed Ridgers off his line and tried an audacious effort from 5 yards inside his personal half. The scrambling keeper was capable of get again in time sufficient to dive again and tip the ball onto the bar.
Virtually immediately, the Championship guests had been in entrance as a Thistle counter-attack left the house aspect's defence outnumbered with Samuels available to fireplace dwelling on the again submit on 37 minutes after MacKay rolled the ball throughout aim.
Martindale launched Bruce Anderson on the break in a bid to get again into the competition however the hosts would dig themselves into an excellent deeper gap simply earlier than the hour mark as they had been diminished to 10 males.
A protracted ball excessive led to a miscommunication within the Livi back-line with Stryjek racing out of his aim and clattering into Samuels and promptly being proven a crimson card.
Again-up Ivan Konovalov did not have to attend lengthy to be referred to as into motion as he tipped the ensuing free-kick from Cameron Harper over the bar.
The Russian was helpless minutes later, nonetheless, when the spectacular MacKay waltzed his means past Pittman huge on the left and fired dwelling Caley's second throughout aim and into the far nook.
It gave the impression to be recreation firmly over at that time however the hosts fought again when Holt curled dwelling from the sting of the field. And the previous Hearts man had the possibility to rescue the tie three minutes later when George Oakley was adjudged to have dragged down Scott Bitsindou contained in the field however he would blaze his effort over the bar and go away the Lions' hopes of a last-16 place doubtful.
Livingston: Stryjek; Devlin, Cancar, Fitzwater, Penrice; Kelly (Bitsindou 74), Holt, Pittman; Nouble (Shinnie 74), Goncalves (Anderson 46), Bahamboula (Konovalov 61). Subs not used: Longridge, Montano, Brandon, Mullin, Omeonga.
Purpose: Holt (84).
Crimson card: Stryjek (58).
Missed penalty: Holt (87).
Inverness CT: Ridgers; Carson, Delaney, Deas, Harper; Allardice (Oakley 77), MacGregor, Hyde (Boyd 63), D. MacKay (Doran 71); Shaw (McKay 63), Samuels. Subs not used: C. MacKay, Cairns.
Objectives: Samuels (37), MacKay (67).
Do not miss the newest information from the West Lothian Courier. Signal as much as our free publication right here