THERE can be fewer thankless tasks in football than occupying a lone striker role when your team has been reduced to 10 men – unless you are St Mirren’s Gavin Reilly.

In need of a hero following Gary Irvine’s 33rd minute dismissal, the front-man delighted a noisy away contingent with two second-half strikes to give Saints an unlikely victory at the Tony Macaroni Arena, ending Livingston’s 17 game unbeaten run.

There has rarely been a dull moment with the Paisley men this campaign and the addition of demoted whistler Craig Thomson into the mix did nothing to dilute the drama.

Saints manager Jack Ross clashed with the referee in the second period and found himself taking in the last 20 minutes from the stands, but still, he couldn’t hide his delight at full time.

“We showed massive character in the second half,” he said. “It was a really important win for us, psychologically. To win a game of football with 10 men is very difficult at any level, never mind having to do it for so long. I think we deserved to win just for the amount of courage we showed.”

Livingston’s Craig Halkett scored at both ends to first put his side behind and then drag them level with a bullet header, shortly before Irvine saw red for a lunge on Dale Carrick.

The effervescent Reilly then tore up the second-half script as he fired the 10 men to a crucial away win with two typical striker’s finishes.

Livingston boss David Hopkin cut a frustrated figure as his side huffed and puffed but never looked like recovering the game.

He said: “The goals we conceded were embarrassing, it was school-boy stuff. In the first half we should have been a few goals up, but that’s the Championship – if you don’t take your chances you’ll get punished.

“Fair play to St Mirren, they’ve defended well and put their chances away.”