Livvy will make sure standards don’t slip

SETTING a high standard is one thing. Maintaining it over a prolonged period of time is another matter altogether. Although Livingston’s run of eight straight victories ended on Saturday, when could a draw at Celtic Park ever be viewed as a retrograde step? While David Martindale’s men were unable to find the finishing touch which would have turned one point into three, their display was otherwise in keeping with the excellent body of work they’ve produced since clicking into gear with a hiding of Ayr United in late November. Given their tactical acumen and the no little quality lurking in their ranks, to continually talk up the work rate and diligence of the West Lothian side threatens to damn them with faint praise. But as striker Scott Robinson explained, it’s those very qualities that the squad wears like a badge of honour. ‘We’re on at each other every day to maintain those standards,’ he explained. ‘We’re a good bunch for that — keeping them high in training and keeping on at one another. ‘That’s not a negative thing that we’re having a go at each other. It’s what we tend to do. ‘We talk about it after and shake hands and everything is fine. ‘We do demand standards. If anyone is dropping off, we’re right on them. That’s a good thing. As you can see, it’s paying off on a Saturday.’ It says much about where Livingston now find themselves under Martindale that this display will be the subject of a fierce internal critique. They had a plethora of set-piece opportunities in the game — the very things that Celtic have struggled with all season. Yet their execution of them — invariably overhit or smashing into the first defender — let their hosts off the hook. ‘We were saying after the game that we need to make more of them,’ added Robinson. ‘We had one in the first half that bounced about the six-yard area and we expect someone to be there to put that in. But, overall, I felt we were great. ‘We went for it at the end. I’d a shot, Josh (Mullin) hit the bar, Efe (Ambrose) headed over at a corner and there were a few more half-chances. ‘The good thing is that we created. It’s pleasing again to keep a clean sheet.’ It said much about Livingston’s mentality right now that they took the game to Celtic from the off. This was no chance happening. ‘That was the game plan,’ explained Robinson. ‘With the run we are on, we felt we could come here and stamp our game on Celtic and take the game to them. We tried to do that and it was working. ‘For the majority of the game, we played really well and just needed that goal in the end.’ It’s all now a question of where these impeccably high standards can take the club. After a rematch at home with Celtic on Wednesday, Hampden is the next staging post where St Mirren lie in wait in Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-final. Europe has to be a realistic aim too. Martindale’s side are still eight points behind Aberdeen but the fifth place they occupy might be enough thanks to the dawn of the Europa Conference League. ‘We’ll see,’ said Robinson. ‘We could (qualify) but we don’t want to look too far ahead and get above our station.’ There is nothing to suggest that they are incapable of defeating Lennon’s men in midweek. And at this moment in time, there is only one team setting a high standard. ‘We’ve got a big squad ourselves, so we might rotate a few boys,’ said Robinson. ‘With the weekend in mind, the manager may want some fresh legs. We’ll see what happens.’