Hibernian held to goalless home draw by basement side Livingston

Hibernian struck the woodwork twice as they were left frustrated in a goalless draw with William Hill Scottish Premiership basement side Livingston.

The Leith side closed the gap on fourth-placed Motherwell to six points, but will be disappointed the deficit was not smaller ahead of next weekend’s trip to Fir Park.

Hibs dominated possession of the ball and Jamie McGrath hit the frame of the goal either side of the break.

Substitute Josh Campbell was also guilty of wasting a good opportunity in the second half.

It was a fourth straight draw for the Lions, who survived late VAR penalty drama, but they remain without a league win since August.

The visitors made five changes for the trip to Easter Road and those alterations looked like a good call by manager Marvin Bartley after Livingston created the first chance of the game after eight minutes.

Macaulay Tait fed the ball into Stevie May on the edge of the box and the striker’s stinging drive was unconvincingly beaten away by goalkeeper Rafa Sallinger, with Rocky Bushiri was on hand to clear the danger.

Hibs dominated the rest of the half and created several chances to open the scoring.

The best of those came from a well-worked corner routine in the 24th minute.

Nicky Cadden found McGrath after the Irishman peeled away from the pack inside the box.

After the Irishman’s first effort was blocked he got another shot away and this time it came back off the crossbar.

Owen Elding and Warren O’Hora then both missed the target with headers from inside the box before Lions goalkeeper Jerome Prior got down to McGrath’s low drive.

It was the visitors who finished the half with another chance of their own. Cristian Montano laid the ball off for Joel Nouble and his shot across goal was pushed away by the outstretched Sallinger.

Livingston failed to make the most of a good chance after the break when they broke in a two-on-one counter led by Nouble, but his pass to Tait was poor and Bushiri was on hand to snuff out the danger.

Hibs continued to look dangerous at the other end and Cadden came within inches of getting on the end of Dan Barlaser’s deep cross to the back post with the goal gaping.

The woodwork then came to Livingston’s rescue for a second time in the 55th minute.

Cadden found McGrath inside the area, but his right-footed drive clipped the outside of the post.

Livingston substitute Robbie Muirhead came close to breaking the deadlock in the 81st minute with a curling shot which sailed just past Salinger’s far post.

Moments later, Hibernian midfielder Campbell fired over with the goal at his mercy after Prior could only parry Dane Scarlett’s close-range effort.

There was late drama when referee Lloyd Wilson pointed for a Hibs penalty and then overturned his decision after a VAR review, with Mo Sylla winning the ball in a tackle with Martin Boyle.