Livingston

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  1. Livingston v Motherwell: Team newspublished at 18:50 27 February 2024

    Livingston hope to welcome James Penrice back after injury, while Steven Bradley and goalkeeper Michael McGovern are back in contention. Shaun Donnellan and Scott Pittman are both unlikely to be fit, while goalkeeper Jack Hamilton still has a groin injury.

    Motherwell have lost Harry Paton to a serious ankle injury to join Andy Halliday, Barry Maguire, Adam Montgomery and Callum Slattery on the sidelines.

    Battle for possessionImage source, SNS
  2. Livingston v Motherwell: Pick of the statspublished at 18:42 27 February 2024

    Livingston v Motherwell last 10 meetingsImage source, SNS
    • Livingston have won just one of their last 12 meetings with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership (D4 L7), a 2-0 home win earlier this season with the Steelmen playing the entire second half with 10 men.

    • Following a 3-1 home win in December, Motherwell are aiming to win back-to-back league games against Livingston for the first time since four straight such wins ending in December 2021.

    • Livingston ended a run of eight home league games without a win when beating St. Mirren last time out at the Tony Macaroni Arena (1-0), and will now be aiming to win back-to-back home games in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since May 2023 (three in a row).

    • Motherwell are winless in their last 11 away games in the Scottish Premiership (D6 L5), last going longer without victory on the road in the top-flight between August 2002 and August 2003 (18 in a row).

    • Livingston are winless in their last 11 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) fixtures in the Scottish Premiership (D5 L6) since a 2-1 home win over Aberdeen in November 2022.

  3. Results must follow improved performances - Devlinpublished at 12:56 27 February 2024

    Michael Devlin during a Livingston training session at the Tony Macaroni ArenaImage source, SNS

    Michael Devlin says Livingston have to capitalise on improved performances if they are to avoid relegation this season.

    The West Lothian side sit bottom of the Scottish Premiership, six points behind Ross County, as they prepare to face Motherwell on Wednesday night

    “I think there were periods earlier in the season when it was tough, we weren’t getting points, we weren’t scoring goals and performances weren’t where they needed to be, but I think more recently they have been better," the Livi captain said.

    “That feeling of knowing we’re not too far away gives us a bit of confidence and belief, but we are running out of opportunities.

    "We can’t continue to say performances are better when we are not getting results.

    “It would be naive to think we don’t have an eye on how cut adrift we are. We need to stay as close as possible to whoever is 11th and then we go and play all of the teams round about us after the split.

    “We’ve probably been a bit lucky that other teams have stalled a bit in their results and they’ve not pulled away. We’ve still got an opportunity if we can go on a run and pick up a few wins.

    “After beating St Mirren [earlier this month], if we’d managed to go on and win the next two or three games after that against the teams closest to us, we could have pulled ourselves right back into the pack and maybe have pulled in a couple of other teams that felt they were far enough away from us.

    “We didn’t manage to do that on Saturday but we still have another opportunity to go and pick up three points against another team that are not too far away from us [Motherwell].”

  4. 'We’re running out of games to get the points we need'published at 11:36 27 February 2024

    Stuart Barrie
    Fan writer

    Livi fan's voice

    They say it’s not over until a certain lady sings, and although we haven’t heard a note yet, she’s definitely doing vocal warm-up exercises. Saturday's clash with Ross County was a big, big game. There were three huge points at stake that could have changed our season and got us back on level terms with County.

    Going into the basement battle with the Dingwall side we had won our last two games and there was a sense of momentum. For the first time in a long time we even had a couple of supporters buses making the long trip up the A9.

    The game got off to the worst start. We have made some calamitous mistakes in defence this season but Mo Sangare’s howler must top that league of shame. Their second goal was a cracker though, and we looked dead and buried at half-time.

    Whatever was said during the interval worked. Bringing on Bruce Anderson had a huge bearing on the game with the wee striker scoring twice. I thought we had fought back brilliantly to take a point - not the best result but not the worst either.

    We then somehow managed to grab defeat from the jaws of getting at least a point. You could tell the players were gutted; we’re all gutted. We’re only six points behind County, the same as we were a couple of weeks ago but we’re running out of games to get the points we need. Its looking grim.

    It’s (another) tough task to pick ourselves up from (another) defeat but the whole club, the staff, the players and especially the supporters need to make sure we get a win against Motherwell later this week. Anything else and that certain lady will be singing for sure.

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  5. Pick your Livi XI to face Wellpublished at 19:43 26 February 2024

    Livingston's mini-revival ended with a late goal in a 3-2 loss to Ross County that means the West Lothian side are six points adrift of the Dingwall side at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

    Now, on Wednesday, they host a Motherwell outfit without a win in four outings but who will themselves feel aggrieved to have lost to reigning champions Celtic thanks to two late goals at Fir Park on Sunday.

    Who would you like to see in your Livi starting XI? Pick your team here.

    Livingston selectorImage source, BBC Sport
  6. 'I wouldn't write Livingston off just yet' published at 18:37 26 February 2024

    Michael Stewart column Image source, BBC/SNS

    I sensed a change in David Martindale this weekend. Ahead of kick-off, you could see he was desperate for the game to start.

    Before the relegation rivals met, I said it would be vitally important that Ross County picked up the three points and put Livingston to bed. However, with the way the game unfolded, I'm not sure it's a closed case.

    They’ve got absolutely huge games to come against Motherwell and then St Johnstone. Now, Ross County are only two points behind the Perth Saints with a game in hand.

    This next week is going to be absolutely huge for all three clubs at the bottom of the relegation tussle.

    Despite losing that big game in the Highlands, I wouldn’t write Livingston off just yet. I saw a bit of the old Livi – and a bit of the old Martindale – on Saturday afternoon.

    That’s not to say they’re going to survive, but even after defeat, I’m just not as certain as I was two weeks ago. It should be a fascinating conclusion to the season.

    Michael Stewart was speaking to BBC Scotland's Sean McGill

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  7. Livingston 'will keep fighting' - McCullochpublished at 15:46 26 February 2024

    Bruce AndersonImage source, SNS

    Former Scotland defender Lee McCulloch admits Livingston's defeat to relegation rivals Ross County is a big blow in their survival hopes.

    The West Lothian side had mounted a comeback to peg Don Cowie's men back from two goals down, but a late Josh Sims winner caused heartbreak in the Highlands.

    Despite avoiding automatic relegation looking increasingly unlikely, McCulloch fully expects David Martindale to keep fighting until the very end.

    "That was a big one, a real big one," he told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

    "The week before beating St. Mirren was their first one in 17. It was an amazing stat.

    "You're thinking if they can go and get a result at Ross County, they'll be dragging them into the relegation battle, but it just wasn't to be.

    "The goals they lost were soft, albeit Brophy's second goal was an unbelievable finish.

    "He'll be very disappointed, but they'll keep fighting until it's mathematically impossible to stay up."

  8. Proving pundits wrong would make survival 'sweeter' - Martindale published at 13:01 26 February 2024

    David Martindale Image source, SNS

    Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport Scotland

    David Martindale says he is unfazed by pundits' predictions that his Livingston side are already destined for the drop.

    The West Lothian side are once again six points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership after their weekend defeat to 11th-placed Ross County, who also have a game in hand.

    But the Livi boss insists his team will continue to fight to stay in the top flight, a feat that would taste "a wee bit sweeter" given how some have written off their chances.

    “I’ve had it from matchday one since the first game in the Premiership. It’s been the same story. That was six years ago. I’ve been pretty vocal that a broken clock is right twice a day so if that was to happen then you will have all these media pundits saying ‘I told you so.’

    “Where were their predictions for the five years previously? It doesn’t really bother me. Will it feel that wee bit sweeter if we can keep Livingston in the Premiership? Probably, yes.

    “We have a chance to get it back in Wednesday night. It’s not done and dusted. We are six points behind with 11 games left to play.

    “I think if we can pick up three points on Wednesday, given Ross County play tomorrow against St Mirren - we can also throw St Johnstone into that mix as well - if we can claw three points back from somewhere it puts a wee bit of pressure on the teams above us.

    “I genuinely believe we have players good enough to stay in this league. I need to make sure the players believe that also."

  9. Martindale on keeping the faith, proving pundits wrong and relegation rivalspublished at 11:36 26 February 2024

    David Martindale Image source, SNS

    Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport Scotland

    Livingston manager David Martindale has been speaking to the media as his side looking to bounce back from a dramatic defeat in the Highlands when they host Motherwell on Wednesday.

    Here are the key points:

    • Accepts his share of responsibility for losing basement battle at Ross County on Saturday, saying the first goal may have "drained the confidence" out of his players despite their comeback from two goals down.

    • Not concerned that some pundits have his side as good as relegated, arguing that he's heard these predictions from the very start of his tenure. Adds it would be "a wee bit sweeter" to prove them wrong and retain Premiership status.

    • Maintains his squad is "good enough" to beat the drop and he must ensure the players believe that themselves.

    • Assessing his relegation rivals, he states St Johnstone can still be thrown "into that mix" if Livingston "claw three points back from somewhere".

    • However, he says Motherwell have "turned a corner" as he praises Stuart Kettlewell for instilling an "attacking threat" and making his team "very good at home".

  10. Sportscene analysis: 'Martindale still getting reaction from players'published at 10:54 26 February 2024

    Media caption,

    (Available to UK users only)

  11. County's Sims strikes 'savage blow' to Livingstonpublished at 09:30 26 February 2024

    Media caption,

    Josh Sims nets in injury time to give Ross County a 3-2 win over relegation rivals Livingston, who are now six points adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. (Available to UK users only)

  12. Livi 'too giddy' in County defeat - Nottingham published at 17:27 25 February 2024

    Nottingham challenges Simon MurrayImage source, SNS

    Michael Nottingham believes his Livingston team got overexcited after they pegged Ross County back to 2-2 only to concede again late on.

    Defeat in the Premiership's basement battle leaves David Martindale's side six points adrift at the bottom again, with nearest rivals County holding a game in hand up their sleeve.

    But the defender insists the West Lothian club can still beat the drop with 11 games still be played.

    "I'm absolutely devastated, disappointed, frustrated," Nottingham said. "It was a poor start. We caused our own problems, they didn't really have to work hard for their goals. We had a mountain to climb.

    "We come out and get the early goal and put them under pressure. We had the momentum. To put all that hard work in and get it back to level, I think maybe we got a little bit giddy going for the win. We maybe didn't realise in that moment how important it was to not lose that game.

    "Every one of us has put in a right shift to try and rectify what has happened and it all comes undone at the end of the game.

    "It's not over yet. We've got to keep fighting and keep believing, but we can't keep making it so hard for ourselves.

    "It's an even bigger game now on Wednesday night. We've got to keep grafting. There's loads of points still to be made, so we've just go to keep going."

  13. 'Fans must support the manager' published at 13:25 25 February 2024

    Your Views

    We asked for your thoughts after Livingston suffered a devastating defeat in dramatic fashion at relegation rivals Ross County.

    Here's a taste of what you had to say:

    Anon: Performances have improved. Fans are fickle and we've had a dig at Davie and the squad, but look at what they've done as a club with a next to nothing budget. Effort needs to be applauded, fans need to turn up support manager and team.

  14. Ross County 3-2 Livingston: Key statspublished at 11:13 25 February 2024

    Ross County v LivingstonImage source, SNS
    • Livingston attempted 18 shots in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Scottish Premiership this season.

    • Ross County have a record of W3, D0, L0 when leading at half-time in the Scottish Premiership this season.

    • Livingston have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Dundee (16) and Aberdeen (15) have conceded more in the Scottish Premiership this season.

    • Ross County have conceded 11 goals to opposition substitutes in the Scottish Premiership this season, no team has conceded more.

    • Bruce Anderson has scored five goals this season (two in this game), more than any other Livingston player in the Scottish Premiership.

    • Simon Murray has assisted three goals this season (two in this game), no Ross County player has more in the Scottish Premiership.

  15. Livingston 'will keep swinging'published at 19:20 24 February 2024

    Media caption,

  16. Ross County 3-2 Livingston: What the manager saidpublished at 18:37 24 February 2024

    David Martindale Image source, SNS

    Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "First half, we weren't at it. Toothless. We try to get the reaction and we manage to get back in the game. I thought the boys were magnificent.

    "I was going to change it back to the four, take the point and go back down the road. I thought we had the momentum. Maybe I should have changed the shape back. Hindsight's a great thing in football, isn't it?

    "I thought we were really fortunate to get the first goal in terms of the VAR decision.

    "I think there's enough character or spirit. We'll keep swinging and fighting until it's mathematically impossible. We've got that hill to climb again, which I think we're more than capable of doing.

    "We need to regroup and go again. We can't change anything. I think they showed enough fighting spirit in the second half. Our game management has got to be better.

    "It's a difficult one to lose late on, but that's football. If I was to dwell on previous games, you'd be in a dark place. I'll make sure the players that go on that park on Wednesday night are capable of taking three points because that's what we need to do."

  17. Ross County 3-2 Livingston: Have your saypublished at 18:27 24 February 2024

    Have Your Say

    Did you make the long trip to Dingwall?

    Wherever you were, we want to hear from you. Are Livingston's hopes of staying alive now all but over?

    Let us know.

  18. Ross County 3-2 Livingston: Analysispublished at 17:36 24 February 2024

    Thomas Duncan, BBC Sport Scotland

    This is a savage blow for David Martindale and his players. Buoyed by a first win in 17 league games last week, the manager spoke of positive momentum.

    That will have somewhat evaporated with this result, although six points is far from insurmountable.

    Bruce Anderson's introduction at half-time almost got them a point as he netted two classic striker's goals. The first, just two minutes after the restart, was a low first-time finish by Wickens.

    It was his first in the league since October, but he did not have to wait long for another as he controlled Tete Yengi's pass and again drove the ball into the net.

    The second came from just one touch and another low shot into the net just four minutes from the end.

    But unlike Livingston sides in previous seasons, they have a habit of making games open and frantic.

    This time, they were punished. Although, there was a split second when everyone in the ground thought they'd grabbed a last-ditch equaliser.

    But Sean Kelly's powerful volley had smashed the side netting.

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  19. Ross County 3-2 Livingston: Who impressed?published at 17:32 24 February 2024

    Bruce Anderson scores for Livingston against Ross CountyImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Bruce Anderson's introduction at half time sparked the comeback as he scored two goals.

  20. Livingston unchanged in Dingwallpublished at 14:20 24 February 2024

    Unsurprisingly, Livingston go with the same XI that started the win against St Mirren.

    Goalkeeper Jack Hamilton is back on the bench, as is full-back Cristian Montano.

    Livingston: George, Brandon, Nottingham, Obileye, Sangare, Shinnie, Carson, Holt, Nouble, Stephen Kelly, Yengi.

    Substitutes: Hamilton, Montano, Devlin, Anderson, MacKay, Sean Kelly, Guthrie.

    Livingston's Joel Nouble arrives during a cinch Premiership match between Ross County and Livingston at the Global Energy Stadium,Image source, SNS