Livingston

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Close, but no cigar. Did that performance encourage you, Livingston fans?

Which players do you need to stay up? And which players would you happily drive to another club?

Let us know your thoughts.

Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport Scotland

Livingston weren't far away from earning a point, but you have to think that if this was any other manager, at any other club, they would be out the door.

Martindale's side have picked up two points since 21 October, and appear to be careering toward relegation, but the manager is trusted to fix this problem in January. If anyone can do it at this club, it's probably him.

They were better today. They carried a real threat up top and didn't often allow Hearts to play much football.

But they were too weak at the back. They conceded a penalty and let Hearts in behind too often, liable to getting cut open by one ball.

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Kurtis Guthrie. Singled out for praise by manager David Martindale, he was a nightmare for the three-man Hearts defence who could not beat him in the air.

He was unlucky that his goal didn't stand, just an inch or two offside. If they can get him firing, he has the potential to help save them.

Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "It looked like a Livingston team again. We've been too soft. I mixed it up today and the boys that came in caused a real problem today. Jack Hamilton was terrific. There's a lot of positives but we're talking about positives a lot.

"The difference for me was Lawrence Shankland. His finish for the second goal was tremendous. I'd love to see him move on and see where his career could go. He's done the hard yards, he's a goalscorer and the Hearts fans will hate me for saying this - but it'd be great to see him kick on. Hearts are extremely lucky to have him.

"You've got to trust the technology, but I find it bizarre that it took so long to make the decision. Surely it can be done quicker?

"We didn't start the second half well at all, defensively. It's huge character from the players to come back and get in the game. Big Kurtis [Guthrie] was tremendous today, he's stepped up to the player. I asked players to have my back and the big man done that 100%.

"Outfighting and outrunning opponents is what got us here. I'm an underdog, I'll keep fighting and swinging until matchday 38. I believe the players showed they were behind me today. If we play like we did today, we'll be okay. If we go down, we'll go down fighting. I won't go down with a whimper."

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Livingston: Hamilton, Parkes, Devlin, Obileye, Brandon, Pittman, Holt, Penrice, Bradley, Guthrie, Shinnie.

Substitutes: George, Montano, Anderson, Mackay, Nouble, Sangare, Nottingham, De Lucas, Yengi.

Hearts: Clark, Kent, Halkett, Kingsley, Sibbick, Haring, Nieuwenhof, Cochrane, Vargas, Shankland, Forrest.

Substitutes: Gordon, Oda, Halliday, Denholm, Pollock, Tait, Tagawa, Lowry, Wilson.

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Livingston have only won two of their last 24 top-flight league games against Hearts (D10 L12), although both were at home: 5-0 in December 2018 and 1-0 in September 2022.

Hearts have won just one of their last five top-flight visits to Livingston (D2 L2), a 1-0 triumph in December 2021.

Livingston are winless in 12 league games, losing 10 of them (D2) while scoring only three goals in this spell.

Hearts have picked up 55% of their Scottish Premiership points this season away from home (18/33), the highest ratio in the division. The Jam Tarts have won four of their last five away league outings (L1).

Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland has scored in each of his last five Scottish Premiership games (6 goals); the last British player to score in six consecutive appearances in the competition was Scott Sinclair for Celtic in September 2016, while the last Scot to do so was Leigh Griffiths for Celtic in September 2015.

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Having a break from Scottish Premiership action could give Livingston to impetus to save their top-flight status, says striker Joel Nouble.

Livi are now six points adrift after earning just two points from their past 12 games and face Hearts on Tuesday before the winter hiatus.

During the break, the squad will go to Turkey and Nouble hopes it could be just what they need to get back on track.

“The position we’re in now, taking our minds elsewhere could help rejuvenate the boys and the team bonding could help get us a bit closer,” he said.

“The break could definitely give us an extra five or 10 per cent. I’m still very confident we can stay up.”

Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

There was to be no Christmas miracle for Livi. Our run of games over the festive period netted a dismal points tally of two from a couple of dull no score draws.

There’s no disguising it, no smoothing over cracks and no dressing it any differently, we’ve not been good enough and are in serious danger of relegation.

We absolutely needed three points from the game against Motherwell, even a draw probably wouldn’t have been enough to kickstart a charge up the table. Sadly, we got a poor performance and what we deserved out of the game, which was nothing.

We were like a team of strangers for the first 45 minutes, all over the shop defensively. Stalwart Scott Pittman gave us a glimmer of hope to make it 2-1 but almost immediately the comedy defending that defined the first half was there for all to see.

It’s hard to see any kind of comeback from our bottom of the table position but we can’t give up like we appeared to for this game. Every week is a battle now, we need courage and character from our players.

Most football clubs have cycles, ups and downs. Our memorable time in the Premiership may be drawing to a close but if we are to go down, I want my team to go down fighting with pride and passion. That’s a minimum requirement.

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It might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but how did your club fare in the 2023 Premiership table?

The disparity in the number of matches played in the calendar year makes a difference, obviously - we're looking at you Rangers, Aberdeen and especially Dundee.

But it still gives a decent barometer of who had a decent year and who didn't fare quite so well.

We asked you for your thoughts after Livingston lost 3-1 to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.

Here are some of the top comments:

Michael: Statistics don't lie. For a few seasons the ratio of shots on target to goals has been the worst in the league and yesterday's 10% was another example. We need to work the opposition goalkeeper more.

Anon: Understand that we are looking to be more solid at the back and help shore up the defence, but they look like they had never met never mind played together. Penrice and Holty are the two that look like they care the most. Pitman solid as can be. Need to revert to previous formation that saw players in better positions and go for it now. Stop the 3-5-2.

Anon: There’s an air of inevitability about our current position. We have wildly punched above our weight for the past seven years, but with extremely limited resources as a club it doesn’t come as a surprise where we are - a victim of our own success? Huge performances are needed if we want to remain in the Premiership.

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A poor performance at Fir Park makes it 12 league games without victory for David Martindale's Livingston.

We want to know your thoughts, Livi fans.

Have your say.

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Livingston manager David Martindale told BBC Scotland: "It's not the first time (I've not been happy). We've been through it, we've chatted about it, we've been through it on numerous occasions. I thought we had turned a corner, to be honest. I know the results haven't been there but the performances have. Today, I don't think we performed.

"That first half of football was probably one of the worst I've seen since I've been in at Livingston. That doesn't come down to tactics, formations or game plans, that comes down to individuals not taking responsibility and doing their jobs properly. They didn't do that in the first half.

"I take the majority of the responsibility but today that first half performance was not good enough. It was not of the standards I expect of Livingston."

Cam Wanstall, BBC Sport Scotland

Livingston… what is there to say? Sloppy mistakes cost them early on and there was a complete lack of cutting edge quality.

Only one shot on target - Scott Pittman's unorthodox finish - proves there was quite simply not enough quality going forward. Especially so in the second half, in which the home side were content sitting in throughout.

Defensive errors were enforced by a terrific Motherwell press, but failing to hold possession within their own defensive third was Livi's first half downfall and was just as costly as their profligacy in front of goal.

David Martindale makes just the one change to the team that drew with St Johnstone on Wednesday.

Cristian Montano makes his first start for Livingston since a 2-0 defeat to Rangers on 12 November. The Colombian's inclusion sees midfielder Andrew Shinnie start today's game from the bench.

Meanwhile, defender Tom Parkes returns to the matchday squad following a head injury that forced him off at Celtic Park last Saturday.

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Motherwell: Kelly, Spencer, O'Donnell, McGinn, Blaney, Gent, Spittal, Zdravkovski, Bair, Shaw, Biereth.

Substitutes: Oxborough, Mugabi, Slattery, Obika, Paton, L Ross, M Ross, Butcher, Wilkinson.

Livingston: George, Nottingham, Devlin, Obileye, Penrice, Pittman, Holt, Montano, Nouble, Anderson, Guthrie.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Parkes, Brandon, Bradley, Sangare, Shinnie, de Lucas, Ledingham, Lawal.

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Calum Butcher is unlikely to return for Motherwell while Lennon Miller, Dan Casey and Pape Souare remain sidelined.

Livingston expect to have defender Tom Parkes back after he missed Wednesday's draw with St Johnstone follow a head injury that forced him off at Celtic Park last Saturday.

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