A late penalty denied Hibs all three points in West Lothian this afternoon.
David Gray made three changes to his starting XI that lost to Rangers in midweek.
Kieron Bowie and the Cadden brothers dropped to the bench whilst Jordan Obita, Miguel Chaiwa and Martin Boyle all started.
David Martindale made two changes. Mahamadou Susoho and Lewis Smith both started with Macaulay Tait and Robbie Muirhead listed amongst the substitutes.
Hibs opened the scoring after only 17-seconds when Thibault Klidje laid off ta long ball from Rocky Bushiri into the path of Jamie McGrath, who thundered a first-time strike off the inside of the eft-hand post much to the delight of the travelling support,
Moments later Livingston keeper Jerome Prior nearly gave away a free-kick on the edge of his area but just managed to stop himself from leaving his box with the ball in his hands.
Prior then did well to stop a low strike from Boyle as Hibs looked to increase their lead.
At the other end a poor attempted pass from Raphael Sallinger was intercepted by Jeremy Bokila who then went to ground under challenge from Rocky Bushiri but the referee waved away the penalty appeals.
Stevie May then fired the ball past Sallinger but the ‘goal’ was ruled out by referee Calum Scott seemingly for a foul by Jeremy Bokila on Grant Hanley that allowed May the freedom to shoot.
Hibs also had the ball in the net when a Bushiri volley flew into the net but his effort was correctly ruled out for offside.
Bushiri was then shown a yellow card for a foul on Stevie May.
Scott Pittman almost equalised with a toe-poke from a couple of yards out, but he was under pressure and the danger was cleared.
Then in the 37th minute Livingston did equalise when the impressive Pittman rolled the ball into the path of Bokila who slotted it home past Sallinger.
Pittman who picked up a knock just before the break was replaced by Samson Lawal for the start of the second-half.
Hibs started the second-half on the front foot after Gray’s team talk,and Boyle stung the palms of Prior with a powerful effort.
At the other end Lewis Smith cut inside on his favoured left foot and fired in a low shot which was comfortably saved by Sallinger.
In the 55th minute, Chaiwa pulled the ball back to Josh Mulligan on the edge of the area.
Mulligan then slidit across to Boyle in the middle who flicks it onto his left before slotting home.
Gray then made a triple substitution with Nicky Cadden, Bowie and Junior Hoilett replacing Klidge, McGrath and Jack Iredale.
Hoilett was in action right away with two chances.
The first was from a brilliant cross from Boyle but his header was saved by Prior.
Then in a counter-attack Hoilett found space outside the box, but his shot from range was just wide of the post.
A whipped in free-kick from the left by Cadden found the head of Bushiri, but the centre-back’s header goes well wide of the post.
Bushiri then did well with a last ditch tackle to deny Bokila who was through on goal.
Bowie thought that he had wrapped things up when he swiveled and fired the ball into the net but the flag was raised and a VAR check confirmed the decision.
In the dying minute Livingston were awarded a penalty when the ball struck Cadden’s arm and Graham Carey converted the spot kick confidently.
The point moves Hibs into third place.
After the final whistle both managers spoke to BBC Sportsound. Martindale said: “It was a good game for the neutral, if not the two managers. It felt like we were playing the referee at times, it felt like ‘wee club’ syndrome again.
“The players are pressing, they’re hungry, they want to win games of football. We just need to manage games better.”
Gray added: “We were way below where we needed to be. We know we need to be miles better.
“We came up short in a game we were twice ahead in and had chances to win. If I’m honest, we didn’t do enough to win the game. That’s a reflection on me and my team. I set the team up; it’s my responsibility.”
Livingston: Prior, Brenet, Finlayson, Wilson, Montano, Susoho, Sylla, Smith, Pittman, May, Bolila.
Substitutes: Hamilton, Tait, Carey, Muirhead, Robinson, Shinnie, Yengi, Lawal, Culbert.
Hibs: Sallinger, Iredale, Hanley, Bushiri, Barlaser, Chaiwa, McGrath, Mulligan, Obita, Boyle, Klidge
Substitutes: Smith, Youan, Bowie, N Cadden, C Cadden, Hoilett, Mitchell, Megwa, Campbell.
