Livi boss is all set for a nice cushy week
ST MIRREN 1 Macpherson (32) LIVINGSTON 1 Mccarthy (og 8)
Livingston boss David Martindale expects to have the easiest week’s training of the season in the run-up to next Sunday’s League Cup final.
His players avoided any fresh injury problems and got a draw that keeps them five points ahead of their hosts.
Martindale doesn’t believe any players were distracted by thoughts of the big day, but he was prepared to forgive anyone trying to avoid injury.
He said: “I don’t think they had one eye on next week, although it is easy for me to say that as I know I’m going to be in the Hampden dugout.
“I tried not to speak about the final too much in the build-up to this game.
“I left out Marvin Bartley and Scott Robinson. I could probably have pushed Scott to play, but that would have been detrimental to his chances for next week.
“Everyone should be available bar long-term injuries Keaghan Jacobs and Alan Lithgow.
“Nobody will come near the treatment table on Monday. This physio will have nothing to do all week!
“Nobody will moan at me
– it will be the easiest week of training I have had at the club!”
The wind and driving rain meant there was a suspicion a crucial mistake would decide the outcome of this encounter.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen, but the theory was given extra weight after just two minutes when a kick by Livi keeper Mccrorie barely cleared the penalty-box.
Much to his relief, Obika couldn’t take advantage of the loose ball and it sailed back towards goal.
There was little chance of the visitors’ left-back Julien Serrano feeling cold.
The on-loan Monaco man must have finished the first half with scorched ears.
Martindale rarely paused from shouting instructions at the Frenchman.
Paisley in February bears little resemblance to the French Riviera, but satisfying Martindale is as difficult as finding a flat for less than a million euros in Monaco.
He sets extremely high standards for his players, particularly when it comes to marking opponents.
You can be sure Martindale would have loved a well-worked effort to open the scoring, but a lucky own goal was just as gratefully received. A Sibbald free-kick from just outside the box was headed against Mccarthy by Tait and went flying past his own goalkeeper.
Cammy Mcpherson signalled that he was in the mood for a shot when he stung the palms of Mccrorie just after his side went behind.
He came up with a cracker of an equaliser by taking an Obika lay-off outside the box and rifling it past the goalkeeper.
It was a beauty of a left-foot shot that was never going to be stopped.
St Mirren, with a top-six finish in their sights, looked the team keener to win.
Mcallister had a good chance with 10 minutes left, but hesitated at the crucial moment. Tait then smashed in a shot that Robby Mccrorie had to watch carefully.
The goalie had been brought in to replace Max Stryjek and will wonder if he has an outside chance of a Hampden spot.
Martindale added: “I have said since day one that I have two No. 1s at the club.
“We didn’t have a great start to the season collectively and I think Robby took a lot of the brunt for that, which was unfair.
“Max came in and played really well in that 14-game unbeaten run.
“I just felt Robby deserved an opportunity and I thought he did extremely well.”