Livingston

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Macaulay Tait hopes his impressive form at Livingston will result in a Scotland Under-21 debut against Gibraltar at Dens Park on Thursday.

Tait has started 12 matches in all competitions for David Martindale's side this season, after struggling to establish himself in the first team at parent club Hearts.

"It's been exactly what I wanted when I left Hearts, so to make that step up into the top flight and to be playing every week's been brilliant," Tait said, who also spent the second half of last season on loan at Livingston.

"I wanted to take the confidence from last season into this and continue to push myself and I'm really enjoying it and I think now I'm starting to grow in confidence and I believe that I can actually play at this level."

Martindale has praised Tait's impact in West Lothian and the midfielder himself is pleased to be rewarded with a call-up to Scot Gemmill's squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Gibraltar and Azerbaijan.

"It was really nice to get that recognition," Tait said. "It's something I've not really been involved with so it's been nice. It was something I had in the back of my mind, to try and get into the squad, but to finally do it, it's been really good.

"Hopefully I can play as much as I can and help the boys win these two games and get us on track."

Livingston defender Cammy Kerr says leaving Dundee earlier this year was the hardest thing he has ever done. (Courier - subscription required), external

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Stuart Barrie
Fan writer

In the four games between international breaks we have played really well. We've been on the front foot and played some really good football.

However, a welcome point, albeit against high-flying Dundee United, is all we have to show for the past few days.

At least we came away with a point at Tannadice after somehow snatching defeat from Dundee a couple of weeks back.

Against United, Livingston were electric in the first half and good value for the lead.

However, the hosts came out all guns blazing after the break and were probably the better team. I'd have snapped your hand off for a point prior to the game but somehow felt disappointed not to get the win.

I have to take a moment to salute Scott Pittman. Livingston's Mr Quiet but also Mr Reliable. Since joining in February 2015 from Bo'ness United he's gone on to be our all-time appearance record holder, surpassing fellow local lad Keaghan Jacobs.

Pitts famously scored a key goal in one of our most revered wins back in 2018, which helped us through the play-off final, and the rest is history as Thistle fans will testify.

He scored and shone again on Saturday and shows no signs of slowing down.

I thought Pitts' best days were maybe behind him in the season we were relegated and I'm delighted to see him back on top form this term.

He's got an incredible engine, plays so unselfishly for the team and has a knack of scoring too. You will not find a humbler, less self-assuming footballer anywhere.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Livingston held Dundee United to a 1-1 draw at Tannadice on Saturday afternoon and they've got one player in my team of the week.

Jerome Prior has had an outstanding start to the season and has narrowly missed out on selection for team of the week more than once. Takes his place between the sticks this week after more sterling work, this time away to Dundee United.

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Livingston manager David Martindale praised "brilliant" stand-in centre-half Mo Sylla after his side's 1-1 Premiership draw at Dundee United.

Martindale played the midfielder in the heart of his defence last week against Rangers and again on Saturday at Tannadice, as Ryan McGowan is still not available.

Sylla made a vital goal-line clearance as Livi pushed for a winner and Martindale says he was delighted with the 31-year-old's contribution.

"Ryan McGowan better watch himself," the Livi boss said.

"I used Mo in pre-season for half an hour. Something told me to try him there and he wasn't too bad.

"When Ryan got his illness, the boys in the office got a shock when I said I'd play Mo there. I think he has been brilliant and again today [Saturday] he was very good.

"On the ball in the first half everyone was really good but the back four, midfield four and goalie were tremendous against the ball - Mo being a big positive within that."

The wind that followed Storm Amy played a big part in the game at Tannadice but Martindale believes his team coped well with the conditions

He added: "Speaking to the players, we were with the wind in the first half and we were well worth the goal and maybe could have had another.

"We forced United into a change. Second half, you could probably understand why we had a lot of territory in the first half.

"The wind was swirling and it made it really difficult to defend your final third but the players did that well.

"We lost the goal from a set-play with an individual not doing their job but we defended our 18-yard box really well."

Watch all the highlights as Dundee United and Livingston play out a 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Danny Wilson says Livingston have "got a lot to prove" at Scottish Premiership level, but they won't ditch the style that brought them back to the top tier.

Livi have six points from their first eight league games after bouncing straight back up from a season in the Championship.

And defender Wilson assures David Martindale's side are not aiming to abandon the approach that delivered such success.

"The manager's been quite vocal about saying he didn't want to change too much from last season," Wilson said after Livi picked up a point at Dundee United.

"We had a good season last year and there was a definite shift in the way we wanted to play, so we're trying to continue with that.

"We have to factor in we're playing a higher level this year, against better players, better athletes, so we take all that into account.

"We'll make the adaptations we need to, but we'll try to play in the meantime."

The West Lothian club held on for a potentially pivotal point at United, bucking the recent trend of conceding late goals, and head into the international break with a spring in their step.

"I think you try not to think about it, but it is a fact we have conceded goals late on and it has cost us points," Wilson added, alluding to games against Rangers, Dundee and Hearts.

"We would probably have a slightly better points total if we'd been able to brush up on that.

"So it was important we didn't do that again and we managed to put a point on the board.

"We're a team that's still got a lot to prove at this level."

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Livingston manager David Martindale: "First half, we were very, very good. Second half, Dundee United, they kind of pinned us in a wee bit. We could've done a wee bit better on the counter. Overall, a point was probably fair for both teams.

"We got a lot right in the first half. I didn't realise how difficult it was [in the first half] for Dundee United because I had that in the second half. The weather probably made it difficult for Dundee United.

"We were very, very good in terms of our press, our use of the ball and our shape. The home team changing their shape's testament to us."

Krisztian Keresztes' first goal for Dundee United secured a Scottish Premiership point after Scott Pittman's strike gave Livingston a deserved first-half lead.

Read the match report here.

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Dundee United have Kristijan Trapanovski back in contention but Isaac Pappoe (knee), Owen Stirton (ankle), Ross Graham and Max Watters (both hamstring) remain out.

Livingston could include new signing Joshua Brenet but are expected to be without Ryan McGowan, Cristian Montano, Cammy Kerr and Aidan Denholm.

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Livingston manager David Martindale is learning that "no game is the same" as his side continue to ride the rollercoaster of the Scottish top flight.

Rangers' stoppage-time winner last weekend consigned the West Lothian outfit to a fifth defeat in six outings.

But Martindale is hopeful his squad depth can help end a run of six games without a win as they travel to face Dundee United on Saturday.

"Last year, you won a game of football and it was quite easy to keep the same starting XI," he said of their season in the Championship. "We only lost five games in the league, so there was a lot of continuity and momentum coming into this season.

"One of things we're learning as a group is that no game is the same.

"Players coming in and out the team, it's not always going to be related to form, it's what I think the game needs offensively and defensively."

Livi suffered a 2-0 defeat on their last outing to Tannadice, but much has changed since May 2023.

"I'm expecting a side that's used to the demands of the Scottish Premiership," Martindale said. "He's [Jim Goodwin] brought in a lot of players, but I think they've recruited well and they've got some stability in the club now.

"We've just came up from the Championship, so there are to be some reality in there and that is what United has over us is having the past year in the Premiership.

"Everything is new to us again, so it will be a tough game. We need to start the game a lot better and we did that on Sunday.

"Performance-wise, that's the level we need to get to every week - not just some weeks."

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Livingston have signed Curacao full-back Joshua Brenet on a contract until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old, who has 12 Curacao caps, was a free agent after leaving Qatari side Al-Rayyan in the summer.

Brenet began his career at PSV and went on to make 150 appearances for the Dutch giants as well as playing two games for the Netherlands before later switching international allegiance.

He joined Hoffenheim in 2018 for a reported fee of £3m and had a loan spell with Vitesse before returning to the Netherlands to join FC Twente in 2022.

His Livingston move is subject to a work permit and international clearance.

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• No side has faced more shots in the Scottish Premiership this season than Dundee United (95, level with Dundee), while opponents Livingston have faced the highest expected goals total of any side (12.4).

• None of Dundee United's past 13 home league games have been drawn, with the Tangerines winning five and losing eight since a 0-0 stalemate with Celtic in December last season.

• Livingston have won seven of their past 11 top-flight meetings with Dundee United (D2 L2), including four of their latest six (D1 L1).

• Dundee United have only won one of their past 10 Premiership games against newly-promoted opponents (D5 L4), a 4-0 victory win over Kilmarnock in November 2022.

• After picking up four points in their opening two league games this season (W1 D1), Livingston have since earned just one point from the last 15 available (D1 L4) and could lose three consecutive Premiership matches for the first time since January 2024.

Livingston first team coach Marvin Bartley revealed "there was a bit of an argument" between the dugouts during Sunday's defeat by Rangers. (Clyde 1 via Sun, external)

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Livingston first team coach Marvin Bartley revealed "there was a bit of an argument" between the dugouts during Sunday's defeat by Rangers. (Clyde 1 via Sun, external)

Former Rangers defender Arthur Numan is still upset about the red card he received when the Ibrox side lost to Sturm Graz in 2000, with the sides facing each other again in Austria this week. (Record), external

Forward Josh Gentles, 18, is confident he can score goals on loan at Raith Rovers and press his case for game time at parent club Rangers. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Stuart Barrie
Fan writer

Another week, another point snatched away from us in the closing stages of a game.

It's also another week where we can take lots of positives. We gave Rangers quite a game and made them work very hard for their first win of the season.

Our goalkeeper Jerome Prior was rightly the man of the match, pulling off some fantastic saves, including a great stop from James Tavernier at Rangers' obligatory penalty.

Prior's fellow Frenchman Mo Sylla was also outstanding. The big midfielder dropped deeper into central defence and had a cracking game and notched a goal too. Even when switched to right-back, he was still assured in defending after our equaliser.

There was a fair bit of Rangers pressure on our goal towards the end, but that was nothing compared to the pressure from the away fans on their manager.

I've never seen a team score a winning goal, have some of their supporters jubilantly run on the pitch and then sing for the manager to get sacked. Bizarre stuff. Even more strange that Rangers have now overtaken us in the league with the victory.

The disappointment of dropping points again was balanced by an absolute belief in the efforts of this team to start turning these games into points on the board.

We're playing well and learning every week, so it's only a matter of time before things go our way again. We head to Dundee United this weekend with strong belief we can get a result.

Watch highlights as Rangers earn their first Premiership win of the season thanks to Max Aarons' late goal at Livingston.

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Rangers found a dramatic stoppage-time winner to finally secure their first Scottish Premiership win of the season at the sixth attempt, with substitute Max Aarons' late strike enough to down Livingston.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on Livingston's performance via this link

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Livingston manager David Martindale: "I'm not happy with the decision in the middle of the park that lead to the corner and the goal.

"I'm disappointed because I don't think the challenge on Nicolas Raskin is a foul. Yes we've got to be better from the set play but I'm really proud of the players.

"It took us to half time to get used to Rangers' shape. At half-time we told them how we needed to change and I thought in the second half we were the better team.

"I'm just really proud of the players. There's nobody on that park today that didn't put a performance in. It's about me now finding that consistency in the players because they've shown they can do it."

"I genuinely came to this thinking we could take something from the game because I know what I've got in the changing room.

"It is a learning curve as a group. This is a new team that's just come up from the Championship, I've got two 20-year-old midfielders and I don't think there will be any other team that have that profile of players.

"I thought it was one of our better performances we've had against Rangers in the last seven years and I think we're hard done by not to come away with something.

"Last week we only had ourselves to blame, and VAR, but this week I think the majority of the performance was there against a good side. I feel for the players today."

On the performance of goalkeeper Jerome Prior, the boss added: "Fantastic, I could go through everybody but I thought Jerome was one of the standouts.

"I thought Mo Sylla was incredible for us as well. Man to man all over the park, bar the two goals we could do better at those, I'm proud of the players but Jerome did that all last year with me it just wasn't on the telly.

"I'll be lucky if Jerome is still at this football club next year. on the ball he is incredible and he's a great shot stopper."

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Cammy Kerr, Cristian Montano and Aidan Denholm are set to remain sidelined for Livingston.

Rangers defender Max Aarons returns after being suspended for the Europa League defeat by Genk on Thursday night. Midfielder Lyall Cameron should be back next week and long-term absentees Rabbi Matondo (knee) and Dujon Sterling (Achilles) are in training but will not be involved any time soon.

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David Martindale is urging his Livingston players to get used to the "unforgiving nature" of the Scottish top flight.

The West Lothian club have picked up five points from their opening six Premiership matches having conceded stoppage-time winners in two of their last three matches.

Martindale is hopeful his players will learn from their mistakes as they prepare to welcome Rangers on Sunday.

"If we had got the two points from those games we would have been sitting third on the table last Saturday night," the Livi boss said.

"But that's the unforgiving nature of the Premiership. That's the fine margins at this level and I feel as a group, we need to understand that very, very quickly.

"If we play like we did against Dundee in the Championship last year, we'd have probably won 2-0 or 3-0. It's just different levels, different players and the unforgiving nature of the Premiership."

But Martindale isn't looking to change much about his side when Rangers visit.

"We'll just treat it like any other game, really," he added.

"If we were going away to Ibrox we'd potentially approach the game slightly different, but we're at home and I think we've got to kind of stick to how we want to play.

"I don't want to play here and shut up shop. I want to stick to as many of the principles that we're trying to force into the players this year, so we want to go and try and get the three points."

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David Martindale is hoping his Livingston side can capitalise on any fatigue in Rangers' ranks after their Europa League defeat by Genk on Thursday.

The Glasgow side, who sit second bottom of the Scottish Premiership after failing to win any of their five games so far, lost 1-0 at home to their Belgian visitors while playing more than half the game with 10 men.

"You're playing against a team that's played like 72 hours previous," Martindale told Sky Sports. "So I think that's always good when you've not played.

"Whether it's Europe or just a domestic game, I think it's always difficult. But they've got a big squad, there's a lot of international players within that squad, so they're capable of handling those demands."

Martindale played down any notion that this is a good time to play Rangers despite the perception that they are in turmoil under new head coach Russell Martin.

"No, not at all," he said. "I'm trying not to comment on other clubs, if I'm honest.

"I just want to come up this year and focus on Livingston. I don't really buy into the narrative that they're not in a good place.

"I think they're in a transitional period. We'll still need to be at our very, very best if we want to try and get anything from the game."