Marvin Bartley will call for the same effort from his squad as they showed in the 2-2 draw with William Hill Premiership side, Hearts, at the Home of the Set Fare Arena, when Livingston travel to Dundee United (kick-off 15.00) in their final league game before the split on Saturday.
The former Hibs midfielder was in buoyant mood after Sunday’s game and he revealed: “The boys were brilliant and I said that to them that after the game. In the lead up to the game it was all about Hearts coming here with 7,000 fans and we could be the also-rans and to make sure that does not happen.
“Towards the end we were trying to push for that winner.”
Looking back on the season so far in which Livingston have only recorded one win and prop up the 12-strong division, Bartley said he did not want to go into what has gone before but added: “You create your own luck. Basically, in games we have not attacked well enough or defended well enough.”
The Lions have gathered 16 points from 32 matches and are chasing second-bottom Kilmarnock who have 27 points from their 32 games so far. St Mirren are tenth with 30 points, the same as ninth-placed Aberdeen.
The 39-year-old, English-born coach, added: “There is no sympathy in having good performances and the reality in this league is that we deserve to be there. If they had showed that kind of effort that they have shown me today in every single game that is all I can ask of them.”
His men, he said, could feel sorry for themselves but “went the other way” and he added: “Your mistakes don’t define you, your reaction does. They were really good today. Is that the best they have played under men? I am unsure.”
PACKED STANDS: A section of the crowd at the Livingston v Hearts clash. Picture Nigel Duncan
