David Martindale lauds players with Livi set for record sixth Premiership season

Posted Sunday, April 16, 2023 by PA

Livingston manager David Martindale paid tribute to his players as they all-but secured an unprecedented sixth successive season in the Premiership with a 2-0 victory over St Johnstone.

The Lions bounced back from consecutive 3-0 defeats by overcoming Saints courtesy of first-half Joel Nouble and Stephen Kelly goals.

The wins also ensures Livingston remain in with a chance of finishing in the top six ahead of next weekend’s final pre-split matches.

Livingston are now 14 points clear of the relegation zone and Martindale insists remaining in the top flight for such a length of time is a significant achievement.

Martindale, whose side travel to Dundee United next week, said: “It’s testament to everybody at the club that Livingston Football Club are fighting to get into the top six on match day 33.

“For me that is success for the football club. Most years we’re the favourites for relegation and that’s us broken the (club) record for staying in the Premiership.

“I think I can safely say that now, Livingston have never before in their history remained in the Premiership for a sixth season and this group of players and staff have managed to do that.

“Bar the first season, most years we’re fighting for the top six.”

St Johnstone were second best for large spells at the Tony Macaroni Arena, with the Perth outfit still only four points clear of the drop zone following a win of three straight defeats.

The travelling fans made their feelings clear at full-time but manager Callum Davidson insists there is no-one more frustrated than him over the team’s current form.

He said: “I can understand the fans’ frustration because I’m probably even more annoyed watching that than they are.

“This is a tough league but I just expect my players to be better than they were today.

“Our results haven’t been great in the last three or four games and we should be doing better.

“For me, basic mistakes have cost us in those matches but do they want to just sit and accept that or do they roll their sleeves up?

“I’ve told the players that it wasn’t good enough. Again, the goals we’re losing are poor. One was a wonder free-kick but we could have stopped it at source quite easily.

“You just clear your lines. It’s a tricky pitch but we’d spoken to the players about that and, yes, it frustrates me.”