Livingston make their point with a battling display
AS their manager David Martindale calls for talks on avoiding what he fears will be a ‘Covid tsunami’ sweeping through the Scottish game in the days and weeks to come, his players appear in no mood to stop.
Livingston’s relentless group probably don’t fancy the upcoming winter break much either.
Fresh from back-to-back wins over Hibs and Dundee United, Martindale’s men gained a deserved late point against improving Ross County.
As Malky Mackay’s visitors were deflated by an Ayo Obileye headed equaliser then swamped in five minutes of stoppage time, Livi could even have snatched a winner.
Jason Holt’s 20-yard drive skimmed the top of the crossbar as County were spared the horrors of a second sickening late defeat of the week. After Celtic struck in the 97th minute on Wednesday, another 2-1 reverse in that fashion would have been too cruel on them. Obileye’s leveller was tough enough.
In front of an audience that often sounded like a pantomime crowd, there was no chance of the excited young Livingston fans warning opposition defenders who was behind them.
More than 1,500 kids took advantage of free tickets to cheer the hosts on to their comeback.
Obileye, penalty hero at Tannadice last week, towered at the back post to nod home his second big goal in eight days from James Penrice’s deep delivery.
After committing three subs early, Obileye as an emergency forward was Martindale’s last throw of the dice. He ordered the defender to remain up front as his side began to unhinge the visiting resistance.
The upshot was atonement for both Penrice and Obileye, who were culpable in the build-up to David Cancola’s goal for County on the stroke of the interval.
Martindale said: ‘We got a set-play that came to nothing and big Ayo was up top. I said: “Just keep yourself up there”. That’s why he was there from open play, otherwise he’d have been back in a centre-half position.
‘So it was pleasing how it worked out. And two players who probably could have done a bit better for the goal against us did much better for the goal for us.
‘We’d been too lethargic, slow in possession and the intensity wasn’t there for a while up top.
But in the second half we looked more like ourselves, the substitutions changed the dynamic.’
Cancola’s opener was a sore one for Martindale to take — and not just because his players had ample opportunity to clear the danger before the Austrian midfielder’s fine 25-yard shot.
Cancola was a Livingston trialist 11 months ago before heading for Dingwall and doing a deal.
‘His CV was strong enough to have a look at him and he did okay with us,’ revealed Martindale. ‘But it was difficult to jump into our midfield. He’s a really good kid and a good footballer.’
Livi stayed in the game early in the second half thanks to two superb defensive blocks.
Nicky Devlin denied Blair Spittal and Obileye threw himself in front of Jordan White’s goalbound strike.
Ross Callachan clipped the woodwork with keeper Max Stryjek well out of his goal and County were a menace on the counter.
But the home side were strongest in the closing stages and stopped County from storming out of the bottom two.
Martindale was delighted to give potential new young fans plenty to shout about. ‘The kids aren’t coming away with a defeat from what might have been their first game, which is good,’ he said.
‘I think that we got between 1,500-2,000 along after giving out 3,600 tickets, but that’s maybe signs of the Covid situation at the moment.
‘It was a nice atmosphere for us to play in as we got the equaliser and then went for the winner. I enjoyed it.’
County boss Mackay stressed that his men maintain momentum ahead of visiting bottom club St Johnstone on Wednesday.
‘We’re disappointed in the last minute to lose the goal,’ he said.
‘But my players have come on in leaps and bounds. I’m really proud of them at the moment.’