Livingston boss insists there's little between sides as Lions welcome Ayr United in Viaplay Cup clash

Livingston boss David Martindale insists there’s little separating the sides as the Lions host Championship outfit Ayr United this weekend bidding for a Viaplay Cup quarter-final berth.

The Lions boss believes the Honest Men would be able to give a decent account of themselves in an expanded Premiership, but does concede his side head into the clash as favourites.

He commented: “We’re playing a team in the league below but in my opinion I’d love the Scottish Premiership to be a 16 or 18 team league.

“I don’t think there’s a major drop-off if you were to put Morton, Inverness, Ayr in the Premiership. Really the only difference potentially is three or four places in the table.

“I don’t treat it any differently because you’re playing a team in the league below. They’re probably in and around our level although we’ve got the bigger budget being a Premiership team. We are the favourites but in terms of ability I don’t think there’s much in it.”

The last time Livi faced Ayr, it was Martindale’s managerial debut in November 2020 - with the Lions winning 4-0 and eventually reaching the final. But the boss admits it’s not causing him to look back and reflect on the journey - or that he felt any differently before that first game.

He commented: “I’m so non-emotional. I come into my work and deal with the day. It’s maybe how my brain processes life now from the adversity I’ve been through.

“If I was to sit and go back to 2004 and what happened, it would be difficult to get through your life. The way I’ve self-programmed, I deal with what’s in front of me.

“The feeling that first game was no different. I was jumping up and down out of the technical area as an assistant anyway and my emotions didn’t feel any different. I still felt