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Callum Carson

Livingston defender bemoans lack of luck as top six bid takes a hit

A frustrated Jack Fitzwater says it feels like everything is going against the Lions in their bid for the top six.

But the centre-back, who returned from suspension in their 3-0 away loss to St Mirren at the weekend, admitted their slow start meant they got what they deserved in Paisley.

Livi got off to the worst possible start when they conceded a penalty in the opening few seconds for a handball on Luiyi de Lucas. Mark O’Hara converted the spot-kick and did so again just before the break following another handball - this time from Jason Holt.

Tony Watt calmly slotted home a second in between after a mistake from de Lucas to send David Martindale’s men into seventh place with just three games remaining before the split.

While the 25-year-old said both penalty calls were correct, he was bemused by decisions that went against them - insisting Andrew Shinnie’s effort in first-half injury-time should have counted while the Lions were perplexed that Stephen Kelly wasn’t awarded a penalty after seemingly being tripped inside the box midway through the second-half.

Fitzwater said: “At the moment it seems like nothing is going for us. Everything that went to VAR went against us. You’re thinking how’s your luck? But we can’t blame that. We made such a poor start.

“After that, it’s about trying to stay in the game but, when the second goal goes in, it’s so sloppy. Then the third one again is another handball.

“We had one where Shinnie had a shot off the bar that we thought went in but the ref said they didn’t have the angle to check VAR then the follow-up we thought could have been a penalty.”

He added: “We actually had chances and when you come to a place like St Mirren you have to take them.

“The goals are poor but they’ve not really created a lot. They’ve put pressure on us and put a lot of ball in the box and capitalised but they didn’t really carve us open. We just need to stick together and go again next week.”

While admitting that both penalty decisions against them were the right call, the former West Brom man says he’s somewhat baffled by the current handball rules.

He said: “I don’t really know what the rule is because they seem to be changing it all the time. If they’re going to be given every week that’s what it’s got to be.

“I thought they’d take into account the distance of where the ball’s come from. With Luiyi’s, it’s been about a yard away and his arm is down by his side.

“It just seems like decisions are going against us everything is going against us but we’ve got to do better in the build up.”

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