David Martindale was pleased that his men controlled large portions of the Premier Sports Cup tie against Highland League combine, Brora Rangers, but the Lions manager admitted that Livingston’s structure behind the ball was “not quite right”.
The manager (pictured at a media briefing by Nigel Duncan) has worked on that in training this week ahead of the home clash against Scottish League One side, Kelty Hearts, at the Home of the Set Fare Arena on Saturday (15.00).
Yet again, this is a game in which Livingston are expected to win comfortably, and Martindale said: “If you don’t everybody is complaining. It is not as easy as it is made out to be.”
He can see the squad improving week-by-week and he is looking ahead to the club’s first game in the William Hill Premiership, away to Kilmarnock on Saturday, August 2 (15.00).
Livingston trained on the new surface at the stadium this week and the manager feels the re-laid pitch is a lot truer than the previous surface.
Overall, Martindale said that the Premier Sports Cup had been a balancing act, trying to win games of football but trying to prepare for the league and building a base level of fitness for the players.
There were no real injuries to talk about following the game against Brora, and Martindale said fitness levels were not far away.
On Kelty, he admitted that he had travelled to watch the club in a previous match and thought it was a decent game.
He added: “This (Kelty) will be a wee bit of a stiffer test, no disrespect to Brora. You dominate the ball and the opposition will go into a mid to low-type block, but it will be a different game and they will impose a different challenge. It will be a difficult game.”
Group H sees Kilmarnock in pole position with seven points with East Fife second on six. Livingston are third also with six points with Kelty Hearts one point behind. All have played three matches. Brora prop up the table and have failed to claim a point in four outings.
Kelty come to West Lothian boosted by their draw and then a 4-3 shoot-out win over Kilmarnock on Tuesday after the sides were locked at 0-0, but Livingston can top the group with a win and results going their way elsewhere.
Martindale’s men have recorded wins over Brora and East Fife but lost at Kilmarnock and, looking back, the last time the sides met was in the League Cup of 2022 when The Lions won 2-0.
Kelty have suffered injuries during the campaign and manager Thomas O’Ware has admitted that the squad is getting smaller.
Meanwhile, tickers are now available for the trip to Kilmarnock and are for the Chadwick Stand. Adults prices are £27, concessions £22, under-18 £15, under-16 £10, under fives are free with any full paying adult.
Wheelchair ticket requests should be forwarded to Kilmarnock FC Disabled Supporters Association. See Livingston’s web site for full details.
