A total of 21 points separates Livingston from Hearts in the cinch Premiership and long-serving Lions manager David Martindale is desperate to kick-start a revival to lift the West Lothian side off the bottom of the table.
They have 12 points from 20 fixtures so far having only picked up two points from their last five matches and the Lions lost 3-1 at Motherwell on Saturday leaving them six points adrift at the foot of the table. Second bottom Ross County have 18 points from 18 fixtures.
Hearts have 33 points from their 20 games and they drew 2-2 with Ross County at Tynecastle on Saturday after coming from 2-0 down to take a point. They are third in the league table.
Previously, the Jambos have won three games, beating Celtic at Parkhead (2-0), St Mirren (2-0) at Tynecastle and Hibs (1-0) at Easter Road and Steven Naismith’s men have scored 22 goals and let in 17.
Martindale’s strugglers have scored only 11 goals and let in 30, the worst total against in the division apart from Motherwell who have shipped 32.
Livingston recruited a striker on Hogmanay to help them survive in the top league. He could play against Hearts if the paperwork is cleared in time, but Aussie-born Tete Yengi, who was signed from Ipswich Town, arrives well recommended. The 6ft 5in player actually appeared in this season’s UEFA Europa Conference League with Finnish club KuPS.
One Hearts player who is no stranger to the Tony Macaroni Arena is Alan Forrest who made 62 appearances for The Lions scoring nine goals before moving to Tynecastle in 2022.
Photographer David Mollison captured this controversial moment when involving Forrest against Ross County on Saturday at Tynecastle where the 27-year-old player claimed a penalty after clashing with County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw. It was denied by referee Alan Muir and and 5ft 9in tall Forrest was booked for simulation.
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