Despite taking the lead in under 50 seconds we had to settle for a point in our final home game of 2012.
Despite the torrential rain in the build- up to the game a gallant effort by volunteers and youth players ensured that the game went ahead after referee William Collum had inspected the surface three times.
There was one change to the side which had went down to St Johnstone the previous Monday with Colin Cameron recalling himself for his 75th appearance for the club with Lewis Milne dropping to the bench, Jamie Stevenson who missed the cup tie also returned to the bench.
The game was barley a minute old when we opened the scoring. A corner from Brett was cleared by a Livi defender back into his path and he crossed the ball back into into the visitors’ box.
Keeper McNeil then parried the ball into the path of O’Brien at the far post and his fierce shot deflected off Booth to Marc McKenzie who bundled the ball over the line.
With 18 minutes gone Coult saw a 25 yard shot go narrowly past the post while at the other end a similar effort from Fox went wide.
In 25 minutes a cross from the right from McKenzie was met by Coult whose shot came off the upright and three minutes later Fox blasted over from the edge of the Cowden box.
Three minutes into the second half Miller worked his way into the visitors’ box and his fierce shot was parried by McNeil and eventually cleared by Keaghan Jacobs.
Then at the other end a low 22 yard shot from McNulty went inches wide as Livi looked to get back into the game.
With 69 minutes gone McKenzie came agonisingly close to grabbing a second goal when he beat Jacobs but sent his shot just past the left hand post.
However later a minute later it was the visitors who scored an equaliser when Morton sent a perfect pass across the face of the Cowden six yard box to Stefan Scougall who was waiting to fire home a low shot into the net.
Seven minutes later the Scottish under 21 internationalist should have given his side the lead but he somehow managed to shoot wide from five yards.
At the other end O’Brien saw a 30 yard shot crash off the Livingston crossbar and soon after an Armstrong header from a Stevenson corner came off the post.
As the game wound down Russell set up Morton, but a superb sliding tackle from Armstrong, denied the former Central Park loanee a shot on goal.