Plenty for Mullin over
Josh shines as gaffer Martindale makes history with another win
David Martindale hailed five-star Livingston as they opened 2021 with a fifth consecutive top flight victory for the first time in history.
Josh Mullin, Jon Guthrie and Scott Robinson bagged the goals as Hibs were mauled on their own turf by the Lions.
Livi hadn’t won in Leith since April 2005 – a run going back 11 fixtures – but this one was never in doubt from the moment the impressive Mullin bagged a ninth-minute opener.
Martindale now has seven wins from his seven games in charge as Livi roared into fifth and just nine points off Hibs with two games in hand.
Impressively, they are also five points better off than after the same stage last season in the Premiership.
And the Almondvale boss said: “It ’s a phenomenal statistic and if you are comparing budgets, which I hate to do, it’s a stat the boys should be massively proud of.
“Momentum is massive. It makes my job that much easier and I was a wee bit worried the postponement against Aberdeen in midweek might affect that – but the boys carried on where they left off.”
Martindale had special praise for Mullin and Robinson, whose clincher was his third goal in five games.
He said: “Josh’s been brilliant since coming into the club, even more so since I took over.
“I could say that for all of the starting XI but Josh has added some creativity. His deliveries with his right foot are second to none. Maybe James Tavernier at Rangers is better but beyond that? I just think his deliveries are phenomenal.
“Wee Robbo has really come into his own the last few weeks.
“We took him from East Fife when he had a bit of an injury prone season but his goalsper- minute ratio was just phenomenal. In the last six weeks he has really added goals to his game and they have been massive – a late winner at St Johnstone, a last- minute worldie at Kilmarnock and here his goal relaxes the team and lets us know we are going home with three points.”
Hibs have now won only three out off 11 homes league games and a combination of a blunt attack and blundering defence meant they slipped to a third defeat in a week.
Lewis Stevenson, Alex Gogic and Stevie Mal lan returned fol lowing the midweek loss to Ross County but it made little impact.
They survived a seventhminute scare when Robinson went down after beating the stuttering Dillon Barnes to a ball only for the Livi hitman to be booked for simulation.
But two minutes later it was 1- 0. Mullin had all the room in the world on the right to burst onto a brilliant crossfield pass from Robinson and unleash a wonderful first-time effort into the far corner.
The Lions’ tails were up while Hibs’ looked to be lodged between their legs.
Mullin had a drive from 20 yards blocked from a corner after 16 minutes.
And from the flag kick Martindale’s side doubled their advantage.
Mullin’s delivery was flapped into the air by Barnes with the bal l fal l ing to Guthr ie to slam home his fifth of the season. It was all too easy for the visitors. Mullin was oozing conf idence and his curling effort after cutting in from the right bent just wide.
Hibs never mustered a single shot on goal in a toothless opening half although they had a penalty claim waved away when striker Kevin Nisbet went down under pressure from Nicky Devlin.
Livi know how to defend their box and when Hibs did f inal ly create a chance, Guthrie denied Christian Doidge with a brilliant block. Mullin almost made it 3- 0 before the break but Barnes did well to tip his effort wide. But three minutes into the second half it was over af ter more horror defending. Robinson managed to get in b eh ind Ry a n Porteous after a punt from Guthr ie and despite appearing to slip still had time to poke the ball under Barnes.