POSITIVE THINKING
Livi boss Hopkin is pleased with friendly performances
Livingston head coach David Hopkin says the Lions are on the right track after they kickedoff their pre-season.
They suffered a 5- 1 defeat against Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday, but put in an improved performance on Tuesday night, grabbing a 2-2 draw against Championship outfit Morton.
And the boss insists the club are heading in the right direction as they gear up for an assault on the League One title this season.
He commented: “I thought we played very well against Morton, although we conceded a couple of sloppy goals.
“We could have been two or three up by half-time and then they equalised with virtually the last kick, which was frustrating.
“But there were plenty of positives to take and it’s another 90 minutes closer to the guys being match-fit.”
As for the defeat against Dunfermline, he said: “To be honest, it was unfortunate that we played our first game in public because a lot of people came or saw the score, but it was our first game and we had four or five 16-year-olds playing in the second-half, so it was a bit of a false score.
“We worked on some negative things from that game against Morton and improved on them.
“It’s all about us being ready for Stranraer and it’s another step closer to getting there, so overall I’m very happy with how things went.”
One player to catch the eye on Tuesday night was trialist striker Kudus Oyenuga, who slotted home Livi’s opener in the early stages and caused the Ton defence plenty of problems.
And Hopkin said he hopes the future of the former Dundee United and Hartlepool striker will be sorted next week.
He said: “Kudus will be heading back to London for a few days but he’ll be back up here on Saturday and we’ll have a chat with him.
“You can see that he can play and that he can finish. I just think that he needs to get fitter but that will come.
“He’s not had a lot of preseason to be fair, he only came in last week for a few days, but I think he could be a handful.
“He’s got pace, he’s strong, he’s direct and he can be a nuisance. We’ll definitely be having a chat with him over the next week.”
With no game scheduled for this weekend, the gaffer will be taking part in a fan’s forum at the club on Saturday and he says it’s the perfect opportunity to meet with supporters and outline the club’s plans for the future.
He said: “It lets people know where the club are, where we stand, and it gives fans the opportunity to ask me questions and it gives me the opportunity to set out my ideas and vision.
“I’m not going to hide. I’ll answer any queries the fans ask as honestly and as truthfully as I can.”