Livingston No.2 hopes fans can savour win over Dunfermline after lows of last season

Livingston assistant boss Brian Rice hopes supporters can savour their opening day win over Dunfermline after all the lows of last season.

The Lions got off to a perfect start in their bid to bounce straight back from last season’s relegation from the Premiership with a 2-0 victory in their Championship curtain-raiser on Saturday.

It took second half goals from Scott Pittman and Stephen Kelly to see off the Pars – a side Livi also narrowly defeated 1-0 in the Premier Sports League Cup group stages – and Rice hoped the result and performance gave fans a spring in their step.

”There are a few things we need to tidy up on but, overall, we’ve got to enjoy it,” he told the club media.

“The fans went through a lot last season. They’ve been up to Forfar and up to Cove in midweek [in the cup games] and we’ve had a fantastic support behind us.

“We were disappointed last Saturday against Spartans [losing 1-0 to crash out of the cup] but we’ve bounced back and hopefully the supporters can enjoy the result.

“It was a really good, strong team performance. There wasn’t a lot in the game in the first half. Dunfermline came and pressed us in the first half but in the second half we stepped up a gear and scored two really good goals, defended really well.

“Truth be told, we had a few more chances to get more goals so I am really pleased - first game of the season at home and we got three points and a clean sheet.

“The first thing we talk about is winning the game, the second thing is to do that with a clean sheet. It would have been disappointing to lose a goal and the boys deserved their clean sheet.”

Rice says there was no panic at half-time with game goalless and was pleased with how the team responded to the half-time team talk to