Livingston

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David Martindale says he's been leaning on the support of his wife and his backroom staff after a gruelling season with bottom side Livingston.

The West Lothian side have enjoyed an upturn in form in recent weeks however, dramatically progressing past Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup before ending their 17-game winless run with victory over St Mirren last weekend.

During their barren spell, Martindale admits he considered stepping away, but the people by his side have helped him stay in the role despite facing tough times.

"You look in the mirror and you look at yourself," he said. "I've always been self-reflective. Defeats are my lowest points. It's very easy being a manager when you're winning games of football. The enviornment takes care of itself.

"When it's adversity, adversity, adversity, that hole gets a little bit bigger.

"My wife is very, very supportive. I gave off social media months ago because it's a negative and toxic environment. I don't need it in my life.

"You come in and talk to your staff. Who do I look to? We start speaking about training and the next game and that's enough for me. I don't really think I need someone because those people are here, they're in the fight with me."

Livingston travel to relegation rivals Ross County on Saturday, where an away win will leave the sides level on points.

But Martindale says he won't accept a place in the relegation play-off spot and wants to push his team up the table and secure safety.

“I want 10th, I want ninth, I want to try and get as high as we can, he added".

“If you said to me ‘bang on 11th right now, league ends’, no, I wouldn’t be happy with that.

“I think we’ve still got to try and achieve 10th or better. I know it’s a big ask, a huge hill in front of us, but I think we’ve got more than enough in the locker to overcome that.”

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Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport Scotland

Livingston manager David Martindale has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's basement battle with Ross County on Saturday.

Here are the key lines...

• Admits this season has been even more difficult than he had anticipated, despite admitting at the start of the campaign that Livingston were in for the toughest top-flight test of his tenure.

• Reiterates his belief that keeping the club in the Premiership this term would be the most significant achievement of his career.

• Under no illusions of the importance of Saturday's clash with County. A win would move his side level on points with their relegation rivals.

• The mental toll of a gruelling season is being offset by the support given to him by his family and backroom staff at the club.

• The club has endured "three years of hell" in attempting to cope with the ongoing litigation issues, which he says has cost "around £500,000".

Livingston and St Mirren have both condemned an incident following Saturday's meeting between the clubs in which an elderly home supporter had their bag containing club merchandise "snatched".

The West Lothian side say they have since checked in on the male fan, who is said to be doing well despite being "shaken up" after the game.

St Mirren say they offered to pay the costs of replacing the goods for the supporter, but as Livingston already had arrangements to do so in place, the clubs decided the funds would be donated to a mental health charity instead.

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Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

There's wins, there's big wins, and then there's massive wins. Victory over St Mirren on Saturday certainly falls into the latter category.

Shamal George saved a penalty in a pivotal moment, but the key thing to celebrate is a forward player scoring a goal. Tete Yengi has only been here a few weeks and has already made a noticeable impact.

Our attackers have not achieved what the fans crave and what they would expect of themselves. However, big Tete may just be the catalyst to turn the season around. His two goals lead to back-to-back wins, with Livi coming out on top in both the league and the cup.

It may just be time to whisper it, but there may be a bit of momentum building up at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

George and Yengi will have grabbed the headlines but I think stalwarts Holt and Shinnie that have been magnificent for us. They proved their worth again at the weekend with their experience and leadership driving the team forward.

If the St Mirren win was massive, then Saturday's game against County is colossal. Win that and we are on level pegging with our fellow league strugglers. I think it’s going to be a blockbuster!

Interim manager Don Cowie is relishing time on the training ground with his Ross County players before the crucial encounter with Livingston. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip

Jonathan Sutherland, Sportscene presenter

It's been a while since Livingston have had two players make team of the week.

A clean sheet and a crucial penalty save from Shamal George helped Livi seal a massive win against St Mirren.

The entire backline impressed, but Ayo Obileye was a standout.

Livingston goalkeeper Shamal George said the sight of his mum, who is fighting cancer but travelled from Liverpool to watch him, in the stands was the inspiration for his penalty save against St Mirren - and what made him emotional afterwards. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

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On Livi's win against St Mirren:

“Massive, just had to come any way and any shape possible. I think we've played a lot better than that in quite a lot of games recently and lost and have come off saying we played really well but we were on the end of a defeat. So, we just had to grind it out and we managed to do it and Shamal saved the penalty - he was massive for us - and a big three points.”

On what it takes to get through a match like this:

“Just defensive discipline. They put a lot of balls into our box, they’ve got good quality in the wide areas, and we just had to defend our box. We needed our goalie to be there when he was there and we needed to take a chance if it came.

“Ayo [Obileye] hit a shot and the goalie has palmed into Tete [Yengi’s] path and that's probably the luck we've been missing. That could have palmed somewhere else, or the penalty goes in. These little things have been going against us when we've been playing really well in games.

“I think the boys deserved that, we have been working really hard and they showed their character last week in the cup game to come back. We've backed that up this week and are looking to build momentum and keep getting three points.”

On importance of win:

“They're a good side. They have had some great away victories at good venues and we've managed to keep a clean sheet and win the game so it's a good changing room and the boys are buoyant and we're looking forward to the next game.

“Timing is important because there is still time left in the season. We've got quite a lot of games to get us out of the situation, but we had to get a result as soon as possible, we had to get three points as soon as possible and we have done it to stop the rot in the league and potentially try to pick up some momentum.”

On games coming up:

“We’ve got winnable games coming up so it’s totally on us to go and back that up again next week in a very difficult game [against Ross County] and then the games after that are also winnable games for us. So, relief from everyone and obviously the manager as well. We've all been working hard. It's been a tough, tough spell but you go through adversity in your career and you have to fight through.

“We got through to the quarter-finals of the cup with a good win and we have backed up with a league victory so getting a bit of a momentum now and will push on in the season.”

On Ross County next and whether pressure is on them now:

“Yes and no. The pressure is still on us. If we go to County and don’t get a good result it puts us back in the position we’re in so it's a massive game next week, but it gets us within touching distance and we want to reel as many teams back in as we can and put pressure on teams who have been losing games which makes it easier for the teams above us if they're not picking up points, but that's a great win for us.”

Livingston manager David Martindale told BBC Scotland: "We are running out of games but I do believe in the group. I think we have played much better in games this season and come out on the losing end.

"I am just delighted for the group. We had to dig in, they put us under a lot of pressure and we took our chance when it came. Shamal George pulled off a big save to stop the penalty.

"I think I will just let the boys enjoy this one. It is three points in the right direction. Win, lose or draw today we would have gone back in on Monday and looked to win the next game.

"I think St Mirren were good in the game. I think Stephen Robinson has them structured really well and we had to defend our 18 yard box very well and we did that today.

"Shamal has come up with a couple of good saves to keep us in the game. I think Tete [Yengi] should take some accolades for his goal today.

"I think I've been written off most of my life so it doesn't bother me. It gives me fuel, it gives me energy. I am a fighter, if we had got beaten today we would have come back in believing until it was mathematically impossible that we can stay in the league.

"We get written off in most years. Today is only three points, I don't want to get carried away but I think the boys deserve tremendous credit.

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Charlotte Cohen, BBC Sport Scotland

After 17 long games, Livingston finally end their winless streak.

There has been a lot of chatter surrounding David Martindale's side's top-flight future and this victory could be a huge moment as they attempt to avoid relegation.

Coming off the back of that late win against Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup last week, this could be exactly what Livingston need to kick on.

Tete Yengi took his chance for the home side when it mattered most and he and his team showed the attitude required to see out the win.

Despite a couple of late scares, Livi didn't crumble under pressure and now have a flicker of hope that their time in the Scottish Premiership is not over yet.

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It's been bad news on the injury front for David Martindale. Scott Pittman, who had been playing through an injury, had to be subbed off in the first half of last weekend's Scottish Cup tie against Partick Thistle. Shaun Donnellan also had to make way in the first 45 minutes with an injury.

James Penrice is still missing and was sent to see a surgeon on Thursday. Goalkeeper Jack Hamilton is another absentee although Martindale suggested he's not far off a return.

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Livingston first-team coach and analyst Eugenio Sena has left the club.

The 32-year-old Italian joined Livingston last summer, but has quit after just nine months to take a managerial role overseas.

He paid tribute to Livingston manager David Martindale as he bade farewell to Almondvale.

“I will be always grateful to the gaffer for letting me join the Lions," he told Livi's website.

“I have been so lucky to have spent time with the backroom staff, players, medical staff and all the people involved in Livi's family who did not let me miss Italy.

“A part of me is sad for leaving Scotland, but thanks to the gaffer for kindly accepting my request to terminate my job here as I have got a manager opportunity abroad that I am exciting to be embark upon.

Sena, a UEFA A licence holder, had previously coached in Greece, Saudi Arabia and Australia - and worked in academies at clubs including Internazionale, Debrecen amd Juventus - from where he joined Livi.

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• Livingston are winless in 12 league meetings with St Mirren (D6 L6) since a 2-1 victory in February 2020 under Gary Holt.

• After their 1-0 victory in November, St Mirren could win back-to-back league meetings with Livingston for the first time since November 2020.

• Livingston are winless in 17 Scottish Premiership games (D3 L14), the longest run by any side in the top-flight since Hamilton went 22 without a win from November 2010 to April 2011.

• St Mirren have won both of their last two away league matches, which is as many victories as they managed in their previous 14 on the road (W2 D3 L9). They could win three consecutive away matches in the top-flight for the first time since May 2007.

• Mikael Mandron has scored in both of St Mirren’s last two league games; the last player to score in three straight league appearances for the Buddies was Mark O’Hara in April 2023 – whose third such match was against Livingston.