We made our point, now we can kick on
Livingston goalkeeper Max Stryjek believes the Lions can kick on after picking up their first point of the season.
The Pole made three terrific saves to keep the scores level as Livi grabbed a 0-0 draw away to Dundee on Saturday afternoon having started the campaign with four straight defeats.
The squad underwent drastic changes over the summer, with more than a dozen new arrivals along with a similar number of exits.
And the Lions haven’t had their troubles to seek, with numerous covid cases as well as injuries to contend with so far this season.
But the 25-year-old believes they are now in a position to climb away from the foot of the table, saying: “We are training every day and we trust each other more. We have developed as a team and we trust one another.
“It is a case of people bedding in. It’s a new environment and we have only had two or three months together. We still have to grow and develop and we have had a few injuries and covid cases, which doesn’t help.
“Everyone has to know their jobs and I think we are in a position now where everyone knows their position.
“It was frustrating because I don’t think we were that bad. I thought we played quite well throughout the games, but we couldn’t really manage to control the full game or eliminate the small mistakes.
“I dropped one as well against Aberdeen and everyone makes mistakes. It was frustrating, but it is good we are off the road now.”
He added: “I made a few good saves and I am just happy that we didn’t concede a goal and that I could help the team to get that point. It was massive for us.
“We came here with the attitude to win the game. We wanted to win it but during it we decided we had to get something out of it. Even if that wasn’t to win, then we would at least take one point.”
The hosts started the brighter of the two sides with Stryjek forced to tip a Max Anderson effort wide after the young midfielder was played through on goal before the Livi man got his fingertips on a point-blank header from Ryan Sweeney.
The visitors had been dealt a blow midway through the first half when Craig Sibbald, making his 100th appearance for the club, was stretchered off with an ankle injury.
They enjoyed the better of the play towards the latter stages of the first half and just after the interval, but were unable to find the net. Andrew Shinnie forced Adam Legzdins into a smart save at this near post, while Ben Williamson curled a 20-yard effort narrowly wide.
Livi were almost handed the opener in the early stages of the second half, but Sweeney was able to prevent a catastrophe with a fine last ditch tackle when it appeared that he had been wrestled off the ball by Alan Forrest just outside the penalty box.
There was plenty of attacking intent from both sides for the remainder of the contest, but little in the way of a cutting edge.
Stryjek came to Livi’s rescue once more when Leigh Griffiths saw his deflected effort loop over the Pole, but he was able to race back in time to paw the ball wide for a corner as the Lions ensured a first clean sheet and point of the campaign.