Ambrose in awe of Livi’s Martindale turnaround
Defender lends support ahead of SFA hearing today
EFE AMBROSE last night hailed David Martindale for transforming Livingston’s fortunes this season and expressed hope he is passed as a “fit and proper person” by the SFA.
Martindale led the West Lothian club through to the Betfred Cup final on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over their Premiership rivals St Mirren in the semi-final at Hampden.
The narrow triumph extended the Tony Macaroni Arena outfit’s unbeaten streak under their new manager, who took over from Gary Holt back in November after a disappointing run of results, to 11 games.
The 46-year-old, who was jailed for drug trafficking and money laundering back in 2006, still needs to have his appointment officially approved by the governing body and has a hearing this morning.
Ambrose, the former Celtic and Hibernian centre-half who was outstanding during the weekend win, is keen to see Martindale get cleared to continue in his role.
“Getting the chance to go back to Hampden is great for the club and everyone who has worked so hard,” he said. “The team is so talented and we deserve this. But everyone deserves it – the coaching staff and the supporters who got behind the team in the first half of the season when we were struggling.
“The first half of the season was not too great, but we have picked up. There’s a real buzz now, everything turned around and it has all led to us being in this final.
“David has just kept doing what he was doing, but the difference is that he’s in charge now and in total control. Everything he has put into the club in the past has been the way he is.
“He has us competing in the league and you can see what’s going on now, you can see what he has put into the team. We just hope he can get passed by the SFA to continue as our manager.”
Livingston, who lifted the League Cup back in 2004, will claim their second piece of major silverware if they beat St Johnstone, who defeated Hibernian 3-0 on Saturday night, on February 28.
But Ambrose, who won every major honour in the Scottish game during his five years at Parkhead, revealed that isn’t their only ambition in the second half of the campaign.
“The dream for every player is to lift a trophy and we are now just one step away,” he said. “It’s a great feeling right now. But the most important thing is looking at the next game which is the league match against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night.
“Our target is to be in the top six and to finish in the top six. We can think about the cup in a few weeks’ time. Right now it’s just about the next game. That’s the most important thing.
“We had a good day on Sunday and we enjoyed it and the fans watching will have enjoyed it. But we have a massive few weeks coming up now. We have to keep on going, keep on fighting for everything.”
Ambrose was instrumental in Livingston’s win over St Mirren on Sunday; the Nigerian internationalist cleared a succession of long balls to safety as the Paisley club pushed for an equaliser in the second half.
The 32-year-old believes the fifth-placed top flight side’s greatest strength is their defensive solidity and praised the contribution of Jon Guthrie, Ciaron Brown and Jack Fitzwater to their success.
“The most important for us is keeping a clean sheet,” he said. “Do that and we are winning the game. That’s the main focus for us as defenders.
“We defend as a unit. Not just the back four. We run for each other, fight for each other and back each other up. That’s the backbone of the team and everything we have achieved.”