Livingston manager David Martindale still has belief his team can get out of trouble after Hibernian condemned them to a seventh consecutive defeat.
Martin Boyle’s low shot gave Hibs a 1-0 win in a tight contest played in challenging conditions, with swirling wind and driving rain.
Livingston were disappointing in the first half but, despite improving after the break, they could not find a leveller and now sit five points behind 11th-placed St Johnstone at the foot of the cinch Premiership.
Martindale said: “I’m not wanting to sit here and try to make excuses. I’ll take full responsibility. I coach the players, I pick the team and I recruit the players. I’m big enough to understand that this all falls on me.
“I thought the players were very good today. I thought their application and their game management and their intensity was good.
“I couldn’t care too much about David Martindale to be honest. I’m gutted for the players after the game today because I know how much it is hurting them. We’re going through a period of deep adversity and fortunately, I’ve got thick skin and I’m resilient and I’ll get us through this.
“I know we’ll get through this. We’re sitting five points behind but you’re one win away from changing it. I did my first press conference this season and I said it’s going to be a tough season.
“This is the first time Livingston have been in the league for six years – there’s a reason why. It’s probably the first time we’ve been in the league with a lot less money than previous years. But do I believe there’s enough in the changing room between the staff and the players? I do.”
Hibernian boss Nick Montgomery, meanwhile, was delighted with the character shown by his side as they overcame the challenging weather to secure the win that moved them up to fourth in the table.
He said: “I’m really happy to get the points. It’s a really hard place to come. We knew before the game it was going to be a fight. We had to match them and I thought we did that.
“The conditions were tough with the wind swirling and the pitch is really quick. We knew that we would have to bunker in at times and deal with those long throws in the box and the balls into the box.
“They’re a big team and I have to make a special mention for Paul (Hanlon), Will (Fish) and David (Marshall).”
Montgomery also hailed his side’s response from a damaging 4-1 defeat to Celtic on Wednesday as they made it four wins out of five.
He added: “We talk about momentum all the time and it’s important we showed character today. Coming off the Celtic result where I was really disappointed with the manner of goals we gave away.
“We gave ourselves a massive uphill task and that was disappointing but that’s done now and we needed to come here and show character and get back to winning ways and that’s what the boys did.
“If you go back four or five weeks, we conceded a lot of goals from winning positions and it’s something that we’ve worked hard at.
“We get through the game today, get a clean sheet and three points at a really difficult place to come.”
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.
The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.
However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.
Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang.
The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.
Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand.
Vlahovic out of Juventus clash with Milan
Dusan Vlahovic will miss Juventus' trip to Milan in Serie A this weekend and is also a doubt for the Champions League game at Aston Villa, head coach Thiago Motta has confirmed.
Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.
"I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.
"Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."
Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.
"I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.
"This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."
Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.
"It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.
"We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."
Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.
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