Livingston

Stuart Barrie
Fan writer

With relegation confirmed last week, we got a sneak preview of what it would be like in the Championship next season.

It was so quiet before this game. There was loads of space in the car park, no queues at the turnstile and an atmosphere that could be optimistically described as subdued. At least the sun was out as we were come towards the end of a very dull season.

St Johnstone flew out of the traps and gave us a right pasting for at least 20 minutes. We were all over the shop and they were all over us. It seemed it was going to be another bad day at the office, but Shamal George was superb and made a handful of good saves to keep us in it.

Gradually we got back into the game and equalised through the returning Christian Montano.

Right at the end St Johnstone had a glorious chance to win the game but slipped it wide. We went up the other end and scored! Somehow luck was on our side for once this season, and we got the three points.

Too little, too late many fans will say, but a win is a win. They have been so few in recent times, and it was just good to leave the stadium with that winning feeling again.

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Linfield defender Daniel Finlayson has become Livingston's fifth pre-contract signing as the West Lothian club prepare for the Scottish Championship.

The 23-year-old came through for Rangers before a loan switch to St Mirren, which became permanent in 2021. He made three appearances for the Paisley outfit.

Finlayson - who joins Matthew Clarke in making the move from Linfield to Livingston for next term - has signed an initial one-year deal.

However, should David Martindale's side be promoted straight back to the top flight, the player's contract will automatically be extended for another year.

Livingston travel up to Aberdeen for their penultimate game of the season.

With relegation already confirmed, should David Martindale mix things up with his starting line-up?

Put yourself in the manager's shoes and pick your XI here.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Cristian Montano's season has been hampered by injuries, but how David Martindale wishes he could have had the Colombian available more regularly.

The defender got himself on the scoresheet in a Livingston win which could have major ramifications over who finishes second bottom.

Can Martindale find a way to keep Montano in West Lothian despite their impending relegation?

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Livingston midfielder Jason Holt will leave the West Lothian club at the end of this season due to a relegation clause in his contract.

The 31-year-old joined Livingston from Rangers in 2020, and signed a two-year contract extension last year, but manager David Martindale says the club simply cannot afford to keep Holt as they prepare for the Championship.

“Jason Holt would be in contract if we stayed in the Premiership but he has an automatic relegation clause in his contract," Martindale said.

“I have had a good chat with Jason and he is happy to exercise that. I can’t offer Jason the money that he needs.

“He is a married man with a family and a mortgage. I would love to keep Jason but I can’t keep him at the club due to the finances on offer.

“Jason was probably one of my top earners at the club because of what he brought to the club on a daily and weekly basis. The money I can offer, it is not feasible for Jason. I understand that I can’t keep him.

“I shook his hand and thanked him for everything and told him I would love to keep him but I can’t due to budget the club will have going forward, it is going to drop significantly."

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Livingston have announced the signing of Ricky Korboa on a pre-contract deal.

The Woking winger will arrive on a one-year deal this summer, with an option for the club to extend for a further season.

The 27-year-old spent seven seasons with Isthmian League Premier Division side Carshalton Athletic, and has also had spells at Northampton Town and Sutton United before he joined Woking in 2022.

Watch highlights as Livingston beat St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only.

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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Livingston match-winner Andrew Shinnie believes the comeback win against St Johnstone has “restored a bit of pride” at the West Lothian club.

Substitute Shinnie popped up in the 95th-minute to ensure the already-relegated club secured their second victory in their last three matches.

“It’s always on your mind to make an impact when you come on the park,” he told BBC Scotland.

“We wanted to go for it and try and get the victory.

“The coach put me on to be creative and I can get a goal at times. I was able to deliver and it restored a little bit of pride.”

The 34 year-old is out of contract in the summer and will end a three-year stint at Almondvale if he departs.

“I haven’t had any conversations with the manager yet,” said Shinnie.

“In football terms I’m an older player but I’m still really fit and I look after myself.

“I feel strong and that I can still deliver at a good level, as I showed today.”

We asked for your thoughts after Livingston beat St Johnstone 2-1 in the Scottish Premiership.

Here's what you had to say:

Neil: Rode our luck today after a quite awful first 20 minutes where Shamal George kept us in the game. Good performances from George, Jamie Brandon, Stephen Kelly and Bruce Anderson. Good to see us fighting back when it would have been easy to chuck it. Defence needs an overhaul though.

John: Livi were dreadful in the first half apart from George who pulled off some amazing saves. Second half was much better and the subs brought width and energy. It silenced the grumbling from the home support, until the next time we aren't winning.

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• Livingston have won after conceding the opening goal in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since 4 November 2022 against Kilmarnock (34 games without a win).

• Livingston have won after trailing at half time at home in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since 8 December 2018 against St. Mirren (22 games without a win after trailing at half time).

• St Johnstone have attempted 25 shots in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Livingston have scored in their last four games in the Scottish Premiership, their joint longest scoring streak this season.

Were you at Almondvale this afternoon to witness Andrew Shinnie's stoppage-time winner, or following along from home?

Either way, we want to hear your thoughts on today's game.

Let us know here.

David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "I thought we started the game really bad. We looked like a team who have just been relegated and that St Johnstone had a lot to play for.

"We find ourselves 1-0 down and I thought from around 20-25 minutes, we were on the ascendancy. I thought we played some good football at times. We were lucky to go into half-time 1-0 down.

"I’d love to see Cristian with 38 games under his belt. He’s been hampered with injuries since he came here but he seems to chip in with big goals. Fair credit to him, he was really tired at the end of the game. He’s been a big miss for us.

"Credit to the players, you can see they are still trying to win games of football."

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Cam Wanstall
BBC Sport Scotland

Livingston boss David Martindale stated his side would fight for “sporting integrity” pre-match. For a short while, that seemed like a fanciful claim.

The home side were dismantled in the opening 20 minutes, with St Johnstone looking as if they would run rampant as Clark, May and Sidibeh all threatened.

After positive changes by Martindale and some great stops from George, Livi threw bodies forward until the full-time whistle to pick up a morale-boosting three points.

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Shamal George kept the home side in the game during St Johnstone's early onslaught with a number of superb saves.

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David Martindale makes three changes to his side following last weekend's 4-1 defeat to Motherwell.

Joel Nouble starts after netting his first goal of the season in the last Saturday's loss. Cristian Montano returns in defence, as Tete Yengi leads the forward line.

Ayo Obileye - who was doubtful after picking up a toe injury - and Daniel MacKay drop to the bench, whilst Jason Holt misses out entirely.

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Livingston: George, Brandon, Devlin, Nottingham, Montano, Sean Kelly, Stephen Kelly, Pittman, Anderson, Nouble, Yengi.

Substitutes: Wright, Carson, Obileye, MacKay, Bradley, Sangare, Shinnie, Guthrie, Sharp.

St Johnstone: Mitov, McGowan, Gordon, Keltjens, Wright, MacPherson, Phillips, Carey, Clark, May, Sidibeh.

Substitutes: Richards, Considine, Jaiyesimi, Kucheriavyi, Olufunwa, Kimpioka, M Smith, Franczak, C Smith.

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Livingston will make a late decision on the fitness of Ayo Obileye after the defender went off with a toe issue in last weekend’s defeat by Motherwell. Goalkeeper Jack Hamilton (groin), James Penrice (hip) and Shaun Donnellan are all set to remain on the sidelines.

St Johnstone’s Luke Robinson will be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Tony Gallacher is doubtful with a calf issue. Sven Sprangler is still not ready to play after a knee problem but Diallang Jaiyesimi is likely to be named on the bench after two months out injured.

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Greenock Morton striker Robbie Muirhead will join Livingston this summer on a two-year deal having signed a pre-contract with the West Lothian club.

The 28-year-old has scored 44 goals for Morton since signing from Dunfermline in 2019.

He is the third player to sign a pre-contract with Livi in recent weeks, following Liam Sole and Matthew Clarke.

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Captain Mikey Devlin is determined to lead Livingston in the Scottish Championship next season.

The West Lothian side's relegation was confirmed last weekend with a 4-1 defeat away to Motherwell and Devlin says they simply were not good enough to stay up.

The 30-year-old anticipates plenty of change over the summer, but insists he expects to be at the club beyond this summer.

“I’ve got a contract for next year so, as it stands, yes,” Devlin said.

“I’ll need to speak to the manager to see if that’s what he wants as well.

“I understand that when a club gets relegated there’s going to be change and things might not always be the way you would want it to be, so me and the gaffer will have a chat and see what’s best moving forward.

“Having been in the Premiership, we don’t want to have to go down to the Championship but that’s the result of not being good enough all season.

“My job is to turn up every day and do what I’m asked to do and be the best I can possibly be to help the club. That will start next year being in the Championship and doing everything we can to get the club back into the Premiership.”

David Martindale's side have three league fixtures remaining and Devlin wants to finish the campaign on a high note.

“We want to try and win the three games and try and restore a bit of pride,” said Devlin, whose side host St Johnstone on Saturday.

“You don’t want to finish the season as far adrift as we are at the moment, so we want to try and win those last three games and close the gap a little bit to make it look a little bit more respectable.”

You could pick this one or Ross County's home game against Motherwell given their equal significance in helping decide who ends in the play-off spot.

St Johnstone are the current occupiers after last week's defeat at Pittodrie left them two points adrift of County, with both sides holding an identical goal difference.

Saints are on a bleak run of just one win in seven games at just the wrong moment, and they, along with Saturday's opponents Livingston, are the lowest scorers in the league with a turgid 25 goals from 35 games.

It is a truly awful return and one that must have alarm bells ringing at McDiarmid Park. If they can't beat already-relegated Livingston, then hope of scraping to 10th will fade fast.

It is pivotal for Craig Levein and his team they do not welcome County to Perth on Wednesday any further behind.

Don't expect a classic, but the stakes couldn't be much higher for Saints.

Read all the weekend's Premiership picks

• All three league meetings between Livingston and St Johnstone this season have been drawn; the last fixture to be drawn four times in a Scottish top-flight campaign was Dunfermline Athletic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2011-12.

• St Johnstone are winless in four league visits to Livingston (D2 L2) since a 2-1 victory in February 2022.

• After their 2-0 win over Ross County, Livingston are looking to pick up back-to-back home league victories for the first time since May 2023 (run of 3).

• St Johnstone have lost nine of their last 12 league games (W2 D1), including their last three. However, all of their last three league wins have come away from home.

• St Johnstone boss Craig Levein has drawn seven of his last eight games against Livingston in the Scottish Premiership, with the exception in this period a 5-0 defeat with Hearts in December 2018.