Livingston 3-1 East Fife

Kevin Smith had pulled one back for the Fifers.

Jonathan Page was sent for an early bath last weekend against Airdrie with his second yellow during that game picked up for using abusive language towards the ref.

At Livingston on Saturday afternoon 'keeper Mark Hurst was shown a straight red after racing off his line and clattering into Danny Mullen.

He was joined in the showers early by sub Paul McManus who had barely been on the park a few minutes.

Disappointingly, his red, like Page's, was given after using foul language towards the official.

Fife gaffer Gary Naysmith made allowances for Hurst's red, the kind given to 'keepers up and down the country on a weekly basis for rash challenges.

But the boss had no excuses for that given to McManus, and agreed the nature of it was not acceptable.

He said: "Mark’s I can accept because that happens in football that you make the wrong decision to go for the ball.

“But I won’t tolerate the foul and abusive language.

“There are fines in place at the club for that and the players know that.

“I’ve spoken to them again though and we’ve agreed that it will now be significantly more.”

Before the sendings off, East Fife had looked more than likely to take something from a game they had impressed in.

Tony Wallace saw a decent effort blocked before Kevin O'Hara rifled over the bar from eight yards.

They were suckerpunched on the stroke of half-time when former Fifer Liam Buchanan put Livi ahead when he tapped home a Mikey Miller cut-back.

It was 2-0 just a few minutes after the re-start when Miller got on the scoresheet himself when he fired a fine free-kick past Hurst.

To their credit East Fife were swift to regroup, and pulled one back within just a few moments.

Kevin Smith showed some neat footwork inside the box and raced in on Liam Kelly's goal where he beat to Livi no 1.

But that's when it all started to unravel for East Fife.

Hurst was first to go after he brought down Mullen inside the area.

Buchanan rubbed salt in the wounds by putting away the resultant penalty.

McManus was next to be ordered off after directing abuse at the ref.