Dundee manager Tony Docherty paid tribute to Joe Shaughnessy after the Dark Blues captain’s late double earned the visitors a deserved 2-0 victory at Livingston.

Shaughnessy struck twice as Dundee finally made their pressure count against 10-man Livingston, who had Cristian Montano sent off for violent conduct following a coming together with Malachi Boateng in the 70th minute.

And Docherty was thrilled by defender Shaughnessy’s contribution in the final third.

He said: “I have never seen Joe score two goals in a game before.

“I’ve worked with him since he was a kid and I’ve not seen that in a reserve game, a youth-team game or anything.

“I’m delighted for him, he’s the epitome of what the team is. He was my first signing and leads by example.

“He does that every day and it’s good to see players like him get their rewards.

“I was also pleased for Trevor Carson, that’s four clean sheets now.

“We have good young players but the bedrock is the experience and they’re so important.”

Only two points separate Dundee in fourth and 11th placed Ross County but Docherty is delighted his top-flight newcomers, who face Rangers in midweek, are heading in the right direction.

He added: “Fourth place? That’s good. Before the game we did say that if we can pick up three points who knows where it’s going to take us.

“I’m surprised by that but we won’t get giddy or get ahead of ourselves. That’s us now played nine games and we’re in a decent position but we have a tough game to come on Wednesday night.”

Shaughnessy broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute when he turned in an effort at the front post from Aaron Donnelly’s long throw before then getting on the end of Owen Beck’s corner three minutes later.

Livingston manager David Martindale said: “The sending off definitely does not make the game any easier, it’s a bad decision by Cristian, it’s a red card all day long and I’ll be speaking to him on Sunday about it. It’s a moment of madness really.

“We’re reduced to 10 men but to concede two set plays it does not matter if you have 10 men on the park, you still have 10 men behind the ball.

“We’ve gone and lost two very poor set plays from second contacts, we lost two set plays last week and I think you can see that we miss big Ayo Obileye.

“Did the 10 men have something to do with it? Probably not. I think we have to take responsibility, I’ve got to take responsibility.”

Livingston booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Viaplay Cup with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Ayr United.

The Scottish Premiership hosts avoided a potential banana skin, with goals in each half from Joel Nouble and Cristian Montano seeing off their Championship visitors.

Livingston, defeated 3-0 by Inverness in last season’s Scottish Cup, looked in no mood to allow lightning to strike twice against second-tier opposition.

It took them just 12 minutes to take the lead, with a second goal of the season for Nouble.

Jason Holt lifted a diagonal pass to the edge of the box, where Kurtis Guthrie won the aerial duel to flick the ball into the path of the overlapping Montano.

The wing-back burst to the by-line and his cutback was hammered into the net by the lurking Nouble.

It was just the start needed to settle any nerves as they dealt with the expectations of facing lower-league opponents.

Ayr, who defeated St Johnstone in an unbeaten group stage campaign, recovered quickly from going behind, however, and pushed forward in search of the equaliser.

Aiden McGeady, making his first start since joining in the summer, found space on the left side of the box in the 18th minute and cut back onto his right-hand side with enough room for a curling shot but Livi goalkeeper Shamal George held on.

The match was getting bogged down in a fierce midfield battle with few clear-cut opportunities at either end.

Stephen Kelly did have a chance with a set-piece in the 29th minute but his curling free-kick was saved by Ayr number one Robbie Mutch.

Kelly was also to the fore at the start of the second period as Livi sought a killer second.

In the 51st minute, Nouble could not quite find the room for a shot in a crowded box and laid the ball off to Kelly but the midfielder skied his effort over the bar from 18 yards.

Moments later, the former Rangers youngster threaded a superb pass through for the breaking Montano but Sean McGinty and George Stanger got back to crowd out the Livi man.

However, there was to be no stopping Montano in the 64th minute as the home side doubled their advantage.

The wing-back powered forward on the left side of the area to latch onto a through ball and when his initial shot was saved by Mutch, it rebound back off him and into the unguarded net.

Montano was denied a second with 14 minutes remaining when his low drive from a Bruce Anderson cutback was turned round the post by Mutch.

When Ayr substitute Fraser Bryden failed to get enough on a Logan Chalmers cross nine minutes from time, allowing George to smother from close range, the visitors’ hopes of staging a late comeback slipped away.