Livingston's Luiyi de Lucas started at the heart of Dominican Republic's three-man defence as they hammered Barbados 5-0 away from home in the CONCACAF Nations League.
The 29-year-old centre-half earned his 11th cap as his side remain second, three points behind Nicaragua, who won 3-0 away to Montserrat, in Group B of League B.
Amid Livingston's more-than-solid start to the Premiership season lie some concerning defensive stats.
The 12 goals conceded by David Martindale's side is the highest total in the division along with Hibs and Ross County.
And the fact Livi have an expected goals against of just 8.46 suggests they have been shipping strikes they should be keeping out
Defensive sturdiness has been a foundation of the club's ability to punch above its weight in the top flight in recent years, especially as they don't blow teams away.
At the top end of the pitch, Livi are slightly underperforming their XG of 8.68, with eight goals scored in eight league games, while their 22 shots on target is the third lowest, and only Dundee have had fewer than the Lions' 134 touches in the opposition box.
Striker Joel Nouble's importance to the team is highlighted in the fact only two players - Celtic's Daizen Maeda and Matty Kennedy of Kilmarnock - trump his haul of winning possession in the opposition half eight times, while he also ranks highly for dribbles completed (14).
Another snapshot of Liv's tenacity is that Luiyi de Lucas and Jamie Brandon are league leaders in tackles with 25, while De Lucas' 18 interceptions and Jason Holt's 73 times possession won are also the highest of any Premiership player.
Image source, SNS
Image source, SNS
Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan
Going into the international break and how does the Livi report card read? Just three defeats - all against the big two - in 14 competitive fixtures so far this season. That’s absolutely brilliant from us, outstanding really.
It’s also fair to say Motherwell have had the better of us in recent tussles, some they have outplayed us and some they were downright jammy to get points. So it was all the sweeter to beat a Motherwell team performing at a good level.
We had our new owner John McIlvogue at the game and he earned a lot of goodwill from the fans with the kind offer of a free hot drink on a day that would give even Judith Ralston nightmares.
The game did turn on the sending off, however we were still the better team 11 v 11 by a slight margin. I felt for Lennon Miller as he’s clearly a special talent, we used to see him at games when he was a young lad and his dad Lee played for us. He’ll learn and bounce back from this and if he wants to come play for us like his dad, we’d be delighted to make that happen.
As for us, it was probably our best performance of the season. Every player did their jobs well. Bruce Anderson, rightly, got the player of the match and Jason Holt and Scott Pittman were excellent too.
The surprise of the day was Dan MacKay, he’s not started yet but did enough for me to be on the teamsheet for the next match. Anderson and MacKay will trouble any defence if they can keep fit and keep playing at this level.
It was also pleasing to see Sean come out on top in the battle of the Kelly brothers when he calmly slotted a penalty past his sibling in the ‘Well goal. We didn’t put a penalty away for what seemed like 100 attempts, but now we’ve scored two in two weeks, it turns out it’s easy to score penalties.
Our next game is away to Killie for the El Plastico. They are really hard to beat on their patch and, who knows, they may have a new manager if the Derek McInnes to Ibrox rumours turn out to be true.
I’ve seen a few Rangers fans mention our manager David Martindale as a good candidate and some unbelievably turned up their noses. I’ve said many times Davie deserves and has more than earned a shot at a so-called big club.
I find it incredulous that he’s not top of the list of every club in Scotland, but I am delighted he's still with us.
Image source, SNSBruce Anderson (centre) scored to make it 1-0
Kenny Crawford, BBC Sport Scotland
Livingston striker Bruce Anderson is hoping he can stay fit and show people "what he can really do" after scoring in his side's 2-0 win over Motherwell.
The 25-year-old scored his sixth goal of the season before Sean Kelly's penalty sealed all three points for David Martindale's side.
"Hopefully, I can just keep hitting the back of the net and seeing where it takes me," he said.
"I think when teams go down to 10 men they naturally fall back, so it’s actually a wee bit harder for strikers to find space.
"I’m obviously just delighted to get a goal and three points.
"I thought Dan [Mackay] was brilliant today. He just kept running and running and, as soon as he gets to the byline, I knew he was going to whip it into the box.
"For me, it was just about getting that half-yard and I managed to sort of lose my man with my movement and, after that, it’s about getting contact on the ball and thankfully for me it’s gone in the back of the net.
"Here’s hoping I can stay fit, get a run of games and then hopefully everyone can see what I can really do."
Livingston goalscorers Sean Kelly and Bruce Anderson have made Jonathan Sutherland's team of the week.
The Sportscene presenter selected "consistent performer" Kelly and "shining light up front" Anderson following their performance's against Motherwell.
Image source, Opta
Image source, SNSDavid Martindale had plenty to smile about as Livingston beat Motherwell on Saturday
David Martindale expects to have talks with new Livingston owner John McIlvogue this week about his future as team manager.
McIlvogue was quoted last week saying he intends to secure the 49-year-old on a long-term contract.
"It's nice to hear that the people that are coming into the club value myself," Martindale told BBC Scotland.
"I've been vocal in the past that this club has helped change my life and, if they want me at the football club, I'll be at the football club."
Martindale pointed out that the takeover was completed during a busy fixture schedule.
"I've briefly had a coffee with John, but it was in the company of other employees - just to touch base, nothing formal in terms of myself," he revealed.
"It's international break and we had to get the games out of the road."
Highlights: Livingston 2-0 Motherwell
Image source, SNSLennon Miller was sent off for his challenge on Daniel MacKay
Daniel MacKay has told those who thought Motherwell's Lennon Miller was unfairly sent off in Livingston's 2-0 win on Saturday: "I'm through on goal and I'm not falling down for the sake of it."
The visitors' teenage midfielder got his marching orders on the stroke of half-time with the match still goalless.
"I've taken my touch across him and I'm ready to go through on goal," 22-year-old MacKay told BBC Scotland. "I would never go down in a situation like that if he's not clipped me and he's clipped the inside of my foot and I've gone down."
MacKay would go on to set up Bruce Anderson for the opening goal shortly after the break.
"It helped when they were down to 10 men and we were able to get at them more in wide areas and there was more space for me to get in behind them," the on-loan Hibernian winger said.
"Bruce said to me before the game - put it across the goal and he'd be there and thankfully he was. It was something we worked on all week, so it's good to see it out on the park."
It set up Livingston for their first home league win of the season.
"We obviously had a difficult start to the season," MacKay added. "The fixtures we were given, they were most of the top six for the first few games, so we did well to pick up points that maybe last year we wouldn't have.
"Hopefully this will be the start of a run for us."
Image source, SNSA first win since August for Livingston.
What did you make of the performance? How can this display be replicated more regularly?
Livingston manager David Martindale: "I think the clean sheet is the most pleasing aspect. I thought we were very good in the game, even when it was 11 v 11. Motherwell come in good form, but I think we got the game plan spot on.
"Obviously, they go down to 10. I'm not going to lie, that makes it easier for us, but we took our two goals well. We controlled a large majority of the second half, as you should against 10 men."
Asked what he makes of being in the top six, he says: "The league will pivot so much this season. I really don't read too much into it, to be honest.
"Dan [MacKay] gives you that raw pace in wide areas," he says. "He's been really patient waiting for his opportunity, but he was a big player for us today.
"I thought Brucey [Anderson} did everything today. I thought he was brilliant. All-round game, great. It's about him getting that consistency."
Image source, SNSKenny Crawford, BBC Sport Scotland at the Tony Macaroni Arena
Davie Martindale chopped and changed his side to find something he felt would work, and it did, albeit with the help of a one-man advantage in the second half.
If he can keep Bruce Anderson fit for a whole season he will have a striker who delivers 15-20 goals. A full-speed Dan MacKay is thrilling to watch as well.
The results show four losses on the bounce for Motherwell, but in truth that’s harsh on them. Three of them have been one-goal defeats, two against the Old Firm, and this loss came after a sending off.
There will be no panic at Fir Park as Stuart Kettlewell seeks to turn the tide in a fortnight.
Daniel MacKay also impressed, but Bruce Anderson showed his quality with an instructive finish.
His display only reaffirmed just how important the diminutive striker is for David Martindale's side.
Image source, SNSUnhappy with the performance in their 1-1 draw with St Johnstone last time out, Livingston manager David Martindale makes four changes to his starting line-up.
In come Luiyi de Lucas, Daniel Mackay, Stephen Kelly and Scott Pittman in place of Tom Parkes, Andrew Shinnie, Jamie Brandon and Mo Sangare.
Image source, SNS
Image source, OptaLivingston: George, de Lucas, Obileye, Sean Kelly, Mackay, Holt, Pitman, Penrice, Stephen Kelly, Anderson, Nouble.
Substitutes: Parkes, Brandon, Bradley, Sangare, Shinnie, Guthrie, Hamilton, Ledingham, Lawal. Motherwell: Subs:
Motherwell: Kelly, McGinn, Mugabi, Casey, O'Donnell, Paton, Slattery, Spencer, Miller, Bair, Spittal.
Substitutes: Gent, Oxborough, Zdravkovski, Shaw, Blaney, Luca Ross, Max Ross, Souare, Wilkinson.
Image source, OptaLivingston manager David Martindale has some unspecified fitness doubts. Mikey Devlin is fit but Martindale might not risk him. Michael Nottingham (Achilles) and Cristian Montano (calf) are back running.
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell expects one unnamed player to shake off a knock. Strikers Mika Biereth (knee) and Jon Obika (hamstring) remain out alongside defender Calum Butcher (foot).
Image source, SNSThe weekend is here and so is the podcast you need to tee up all the Scottish Premiership action.
Tune in to the dulcet tones David Currie and Roy Loy for the top-flight lowdown here.
Livingston boss David Martindale is under no illusions about how tough a test his side face when they host Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
Motherwell sit fifth in the league and despite a recent run of defeats have won plenty of plaudits for their performances under manager Stuart Kettlewell.
“Kettlewell has done an extremely good job since he’s been there,” said Martindale. “Motherwell’s structure, stability and continuity is very, very good.
“They’ve got a defined shape on and off the ball, you can clearly see that in most games.
“It’s going to be a really difficult game of football. Outwith the Old Firm, he’s on the best run of form since he took over and I'm under no Illusions how hard the game is going to be.
“To get anything from the game we're going to have to be at our best.”
Image source, SNSDavid Martindale says he is staying put at Livingston until the club's hierarchy tell him otherwise.
New Livingston owner John McIlvogue this week spoke of his intention to secure Martindale on a long-term contract,, external describing him as "pound for pound the best manager in the SPFL".
Having been appointed in November 2020, Martindale is currently the longest-serving Premiership boss.
“I will never leave Livingston, not off my own back, I don’t care whatever jobs I’m linked with," said Martindale.
“Livingston's changed my life and I've been very vocal on that.
“Until the day that comes that [CEO] Dave [Black] and [chairman] John [Ward] chap my door and say, ‘we’ve had an offer for you, we think you should move on, or, listen Davie, we don’t think it’s working out, we need a fresh input in the building’, I’ll be at Livingston.
“It doesn't matter who I get linked with or attracted to, my future will be decided by the people at Livingston Football Club, not by David Martindale.”
Image source, SNS
Livingston have only won two of their last 24 top-flight matches against Motherwell (D7 L15), and are winless in their last 10 (D4 L6) since a 1-0 victory in February 2020 under Gary Holt.
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Motherwell have only won more league matches against Ross County (7) than against Livingston (6).
Livingston have drawn three of their last four Scottish Premiership matches 1-1; no team has recorded more draws in the competition this season than Livingston’s four.
After winning three league matches on the trot, Motherwell have since lost their last three, although this run of defeats saw them face both Celtic and Rangers.
The current three-game losing streak is Stuart Kettlewell's longest such run as Motherwell boss. The last time he lost four in a row in the Scottish Premiership was in charge of Ross County in December 2020.
