Millennium Champions: On we go

Last updated : 25 November 2009 By Stuart Gillespie

It's funny how things turn out. If you'd tipped one of the two keepers from this game to go on to big things it would have been Ludo - yet it's Neil Alexander who has had the better career after playing for Cardiff and Rangers. It took him just over 10 minutes to be beaten after a trademark strike from Steven McGarry. It usually went something like this - we get a throw in, Steven runs along beside it then smacks it into the top corner. It wasn't the first, or last, time he would score a goal like that.

We continued to control things but couldn't get a killer second, Barry Lavety having the best of the chances.

The roles were reversed in the second half with Livvy taking control, Ludo dealing with everything that came his way in spectacular style, with the Saints defence clearing what little he wasn't able to cope with.

The goal finally arrived with a quarter of an hour remaining, but it came at the other end when Barry McLaughlin thumped home a corner. For most teams that would have ensured a comfortable victory, but we decided to give Livvy a helping hand when Tommy Turner did what the home players couldn't by turning a cross past Ludo.

It set up a grand stand finish but Saints held out, Ludo once again doing what was required to keep Livvy at bay.

We were a free scoring team, but this win was all about what happened in our own penalty box for once. Coming in the middle of my Standard Grade prelims, this result gave me great cheer. Could I celebrate the end of them with a win over Falkirk a week later?