David Martindale believes Livingston face a tough test on Wednesday against a Ross County side who have troubled the Old Firm recently in Dingwall.
The Lions travel to the Highlands on the back of a morale-boosting 2-1 home win over Aberdeen at the weekend that left them eighth in the cinch Premiership, just four points behind fourth-placed Motherwell.
Martindale is aware that Malky Mackay’s side, after a poor start to the season, are unbeaten in their last three matches and have moved from the bottom to 10th – and also that it took an Anthony Ralston goal deep into added time to give Celtic all three points in December, while County fought back to grab a late leveller against champions Rangers last month.
The Livi boss said: “The belief and confidence have been there for a while now but you are going up to Ross County and if you look at the last visits of the Old Firm, Celtic score with a last-minute header by Anthony Ralston from a Tom Rogic cross and then you have Rangers drawing 3-3.
“So that shows you that it is a really difficult venue to pick points up and I think you can see Malky’s credentials as a manager.
“They have got better as the season has gone on and a lot of it is down to Malky as the manager.
“Obviously the players have got to take massive credit but you can see Malky’s coaching philosophy in what he has done to the football club.
“I think he has done a fantastic job, unbeaten (in the last three) so it is up to us to go up there and impose ourselves on Ross County.
“There is not a lot between the teams and probably Malky and I are sitting saying the same things.
“It is toss of a coin. A wee bit of creativity, a bit of individual brilliance, an officiating decision or a mistake, that is what is probably going to decide the game.
“I think it is going to be a really tight game and most of the games we have had this season anyway have been extremely tight.”
