Livingston 0 Hibernian 2: Lions 'off the pace' as they miss out on Rangers clash

Daily Record

3 days ago

David Martindale's reaction to his side's Premier Sports Cup exit
By Ian Steven
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A blockbuster quarter-final showdown with Rangers was a prize tantalisingly just out of reach for the Lions as Livingston collapsed to a buoyant Hibernian side in the Premier Sports Cup.
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A first half header from Thibualt Klidje and a sickening late screamer from a full 30 yards out by Josh Mulligan put paid to any dreams David Martindale had of repeating his unrequited love affair with the League Cup, with the manager admitting his West Lothian side were off the pace and dealt a valuable lesson by their Edinburgh opponents.
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'I don't think we deserved to go through', the manager stated. 'I think Hibs deserved to go through over the balance. I don't think there's much in the game. First half, we lose our goal at a really poor time, especially being a set play in the run up to half time.
'So you find yourself in the dressing room one down. But I don't think there was a lot in the game. I actually think we're dominating more of the ball in the first half. Second half. I thought the change of shape really helped us and put Hibs under a bit of pressure. We looked like a team that maybe could get the next goal, and then Mulligan comes up with a 30 yarder.
'That's an incredible goal, a good individual goal, and then the game runs away for us at that point.
'I think we spoke about this as a group. That's the first time our group have come up against a top six team, so we played Premiership opponents over the year. Ross County and St. Johnson last year and then obviously Kilmarnock this year twice, played Falkirk four times last year. So I think that was probably the real first test as a group, and there is a gap between that top section in the bottom six.
'So I Hibs are flying at the moment. They've got real positive energy around them. They're in a good moment and that was our first test, and I don't think there was a lot in the game. I think Hibs deserve to go through, but I don't think there was a lot in the game. And if you take out the Mulligan strike, I was fairly happy."
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Livingston's only real chances came from a Robbie Muiread run through on goal, but the striker stumbled at the worst possible time, and a couple of Zak Rudden headers that flashed over the bar, leaving Martindale convinced the game had offered a valuable lesson to his charges against Premiership opposition.
'Wee bit off the performance. But that's the Premiership level. That's what you're up against. You kind of get crucified. We probably got away with mistakes last year in terms of maybe not dealing with the safe play properly, but we don't get punished.
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"Maybe not getting pressure on the ball for 25-30 yards per year goal and you don't get punished. But that's what happens against the bigger clubs, the top six clubs.
'The players are gonna have to get their head around the fact that will the one difference from last year to this year is going to be the adversity from losing games of football, and it's really important that we don't allow that to bite into a working week. We'll deal with the moment today. We'll deal with that tomorrow. And then I'm not going to touch on it again.
"And we need to approach the season in a very similar vein in terms of one game at a time. Don't really look too much at a day. Don't really look too much about the past games. Don't use the negative energy, use the positive. Just focus on that next game.'