Austin changes course and prepares to face his former suitors

Inverness Caledonian Thistle will include a striker that Livingston were keen on when the teams face each other this afternoon. Former East Fife and Falkirk front man Nathan Austin has agreed to join the Highlands club just two weeks after looking set to move to the Lions and he could make his debut after an 18-month contract was agreed.

Inverness manager John Robertson said: “We are looking to get wins and move up the table. There is a growing belief at this club that we can still have a good season and bringing in someone who creates competition in the right area can only help that belief grow.”

The Livingston players have been asked to put in an errorfree performance. Manager David Hopkin said: “When we cut mistakes out of our game then we do very well. I do not think there was a lot between Dundee United and us recently but we made mistakes and they scored from them to win 3-0.

“That has happened in a couple of other games and when it did we worked on eradicating them before we played again. That is what we did before going to Dumbarton and winning 4-1 last Tuesday.

“If we make no mistakes in Inverness then we have a real chance.”

Queen of the South entertain Dumbarton and Palmerston manager Gary Naysmith knows what his side must do to stop a mini-slump. He said: “We won convincingly at Dunfermline but we have slipped back since then. We have become a team that is conceding goals far too easily.

“If opponents are opening you up, there is not a lot you can say, but when you make the mistakes we have been making you have to look to improve.”

It is Dumbarton’s first game since their Boxing Day hammering by Livingston and manager Stephen Aitken, who has added left-back Liam Dick from Stranraer, said: “We looked tired against Livingston but we cannot dwell on that game. The players have been terrific over the first half of the season so we will concentrate on that and look to move on quickly.”