Looking Back on Hibernian and Looking Ahead to Ross County

A 3-0 win over Hibernian gave the Lions their first win at Easter Road since April 2005 and continued a winning streak now sitting at 7 games. Here’s three things from that game and a look ahead to Ross County:

What seemed like risky changes, paid off

Eyebrows were perhaps raised before kick off with Alan Forrest, Jack Fitzwater & Julien Serrano all absent from the starting 11, Forrest has been a creative force with Serrano down the left hand side and Jack Fitzwater has looked defensively solid in recent weeks. Whilst Fitzwater’s complete omission from the squad hints at injury, Serrano and Forrest’s being resigned to a place on the bench seemed strange, especially when you considered their replacements. However, there’s a reason that David Martindale is Livingston manager and I am not.

In Fitzwater’s place was Efe Ambrose, a player not always known for calm and collected performances that you might aspire towards when facing the side placed third in the table, and playing away from home, instead he is more known for swashbuckling, edge of your seat defending. However, this was a performance of the most un-Ambrosian, the Nigerian centre back was the very embodiment of a no nonsense centre back. Where there is usually a flamboyant, technical but occasionally sloppy performance, Ambrose’s preference seemed to be to see how far over the Easter Road stands he could send the ball every time it came near him, totalling 11 clearances. This was a solid performance from an experienced player and shows the depth that Livingston have at the moment.

At full back, Ciaron Brown going up against the pacy Martin Boyle seemed like a potential miss-match, Brown isn’t exactly known for his pace and Boyle has been in scintillating form in recent weeks. Brown however handled himself well. He was strong in the tackle, admittedly stretching into too strong, Boyle was hassled every time he received the ball into feet and, most importantly, wasn’t allowed to turn to use that pace against the full back. Serrano has shown himself to be a strong option when going forward, something that can’t really be said of Brown, but this was the player that was required for the game. A bullish defensive performance that will no doubt have left Boyle aware that he was in a game. 

Overall, the Livingston performance played out well, the Lions pressed Hibernian well, constantly pushing them back and giving the Hibernian midfield little time on the ball. It was that pressing style that in recent years has been so prevalent in the way Livingston play and once again against the Hibees, the Lions reaped the benefits. Scott Robinson’s harrying performance was, as always, effective but fellow Livi old boy Scott Pittman was able to consistently find space between a Hibernian midfield that often found themselves situated in separate postcodes. The midfielder was able to drive with the ball through gaping chasms and was unlucky not to help add to Livingston’s three goal total, with Jason Holt having the best chance to make it 4.

Scott Robinson has made a strong claim on the number 9 jersey

In the summer, Livingston faced a difficult task in attempting to replace Lyndon Dykes. The problem wasn’t just replacing goals, it was replacing a player who did so much for the team, whether it was hold up play, bringing wide players into the game with lateral passes or putting centre backs under pressure, forcing mistakes and ensuring that the opposition were unable to take their time on the ball to play through the lines. There has been widely varying degrees of success around the players that have come in and each player has brought an individual trait that goes some way to replacing Dykes.

However, in recent weeks, it’s appeared that the replacement number 9 we needed was at the club all along. In his Livingston career thus far, Scott Robinson has been the very definition of a utility player, playing across a wide range of positions, from holding midfielder to number 9 and everything in between. Against Hibernian though, Robinson was again leading the line, giving him a consistent run in the team, in a consistent position. A fair criticism of his game has been a lack of goals, 2 goals in each of the last 2 Premiership seasons and 5 in the Championship. Again, the first half of the season mostly saw Robinson being moved around the team, giving 7-8/10 performances wherever he was required, but under Martindale, he seems to have found a settled place and this has led to an impressive run, 3 goals in 4 games plus reciprocating an assist for Josh Mullin against Hibernian. His goal in that match, Livingston’s third, was a piece of play that encapsulates everything that people have been saying about Scott Robinson in recent years. It was tenacious chasing of what, on multiple occasions, should have been a lost cause. A never say die attitude, with a generous helping of, admittedly, some very poor defending from Hanlon and Porteous, that saw him emerge with the ball to place it under Dillon Barnes in the Hibernian goal.

Seemingly struggling for fitness when required to play consecutive games, Robinson now needs to look at how he can keep himself fit enough to be a consistent starter for Livingston. If he can do that and can continue this vein of form, he could be the answer to quite a few questions that Livi have had this season.

It was an impressive fifth consecutive win for Livingston

Saturday’s win against Hibernian was a fifth straight top flight win for the Lions, the first time a Livingston side has managed such a feat. Getting to that point is all the more impressive given that 4 of those wins came away from home, something Livingston haven’t managed to do since the tail end of the 2016/17 League 1 season. The opponents on that run were Albion Rovers, Stenhousemuir, Brechin City & Stranraer, a marked difference to Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Hamilton Academical & St. Johnstone this time around.

Martindale himself is the first manager since Brendan Rodgers in 2016 to win his first 5 league games in a row in the top flight and in the coming weeks there are club records in sight, Martindale is 2 wins from matching Jim Leishman’s 7 game winning streak at the start of the 1995/96 season, to match the best start of any Livingston manager. However, that was a Livingston side expected to win the division, meeting those expectations.

Before Martindale can think about that though, Livingston face two tough games against John Hughes’ Ross County & Derek McInness’ Aberdeen side. In the second of these fixtures, Livi will be looking to tick off another weight around the neck. Aberdeen are a side that Livingston haven’t beaten at Almondvale since the 27th of April 2004. Goals from David McNamee & Colin McMenamin saw the Dons off that day.

Looking ahead to Ross County

A few familiar faces return to Almondvale on Saturday when Coll Donaldson and the management team of John Hughes and Richard Brittain’s Ross County side come to town. This season, Livingston hold the upper hand with 2 wins and a draw in the 3 fixtures between the sides but County have undergone a change of their own since the last meeting by appointing John Hughes to replace Stuart Kettlewell.

John Hughes has a reputation as a manager that is the antithesis of his style as a player, whilst as a player he was known as a tough tackling, robust, centre back, as a manager Hughes is known for trying to use a more possession based system focused on playing football “the right way”. Given that it is early days in Hughes’ attempts to implement this system, this is something that Livingston can look to exploit. Against Hibernian we saw Livingston press well and for spells they repeatedly pushed the Hibees back into their own half, not allowing them to dictate the pace and style of the game. If Livingston can do the same to County, Hughes will need to look for a plan B, something he has been criticised for not having, most memorably for Livi fans during his spell at Almondvale.

For County last time out against St. Johnstone, there were hints at that exact weakness in the system. County played well in spells and the players do seem to be buying into the change of style but it is not without it’s teething problems. For St. Johnstone’s goal, Donaldson’s attempt at playing out from the back under pressure led to a sloppy pass, resulting in a penalty for St. Johnstone. Considering Livingston’s high pressing style, unless County are consistently accurate with their passing, Livingston will be looking to capitalise on their mistakes.

That said, as a team in form, Livingston will be looking to take this game to County. In the last 2 home meetings with County, Livingston were very much on the front foot and they will be looking to continue this. Livingston have shown in December that they are finding their identity again and are looking more and more dangerous as games go on. But it is defensively that they have looked most changed.

Livingston picked up a clean sheet against Hibernian, the 5th clean sheet under David Martindale, and it has now been 321 minutes since the Lions conceded from open play, it is undeniable that Livingston have been producing quality defensive performances. Couple this with a Ross County side that are wasteful in attack, and Livingston will be looking to extend that good defensive run. Ross Stewart was impressive last season but has struggled to maintain that good form going into this season, scoring just 2 goals in 19 games so far. Stewart has been out through injury since the 2-0 defeat to Celtic, Hughes’ first game in charge, and has been replaced primarily with Oli Shaw. A goal against Hibernian on matchday 21 was Shaw’s first since scoring against Livingston at the beginning of November. 

A concern for the Lions is that this game is the start of a very busy 35 day period which sees them play 11 games. The depth of the squad has been highlighted on multiple occasions and it will be vitally important to keep legs fresh whilst not compromising on quality. Balancing quality, confidence and pressure will be key going into this run of games.