Preview: Livingston vs. Dundee United - prediction, team news, lineups

By the end of a 4-1 thrashing from Hibernian, Livingston had just nine fit players on the pitch and no manager in the technical area while Jim Goodwin may have regretted his positioning on the sidelines after the Dundee United boss was hit with a coin while watching his new side lose 3-1 to his former employers Aberdeen - ouch.

Match preview

Livi have lost their last four matches across all competitions, including a bitter 3-0 reverse in the Scottish FA Cup at home to second-tier Inverness Caledonian Thistle last month.

Joel Nouble at least ended the team's three-game goal drought by opening the scoring against Hibs on Saturday but Elie Youan struck twice before half time as the visitors nabbed another two goals after Jack Fitzwater's 52nd-minute red card.

Stephane Omeonga turned the ball into his own net for Hibernian's third goal of the afternoon before limping off once all his team's substitutes had been used, leaving Livi with nine on the pitch when Mykola Kukharevych knocked in the fourth in stoppage time - Livingston manager David Martindale jokingly flashed his middle finger at Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall right at the death but the referee did not see the funny side, sending the 48-year-old off.

Martindale's side were as high as fourth in the Premiership less than a month ago but have slipped to seventh after their recent slump - although, Livi could move above St Mirren into sixth with a victory this Wednesday.

If Livingston are enduring "a wee bit of a wobble" - as Martindale put it - Dundee United are teetering on the brink of destruction after a seventh consecutive defeat last weekend.

Goodwin's debut in the Tannadice dugout was heading to a 1-1 draw with ten minutes to play after Jamie McGrath's penalty cancelled out Duk's opener but a quick-fire double from Ross McCrorie and Marley Watkins ensured that Aberdeen consigned their former manager to a 3-1 reverse.

Aside from the missiles aimed at him, Goodwin insisted that there are "plenty of positives for me to take" from the opening hour of his first match as Dundee United's third permanent manager of the season.

The Tangerines may reside at the foot of the table but could close the gap to 11th-placed Kilmarnock to just one point if they were to defeat Livingston this midweek.

Memories of winning may be hazy for Dundee United but the Tannadice outfit did earn a victory on their most recent visit to the Tony Macaroni Arena, knocking Livingston out of the last 16 of the Scottish League Cup in August with the club's first win in West Lothian since 2005.

Livingston Scottish Premiership form:

D

L

W

L

L

L

Livingston form (all competitions):

L

W

L

L

L

L

Dundee United Scottish Premiership form:

L

L

L

L

L

L

Dundee United form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

L

L

Team News

Omeonga had only just returned from suspension to face Hibs last weekend but is expected to sit out Wednesday's match with the injury that forced him off at the Tony Macaroni.

Ayo Obileye, who was only brought on in the 54th minute, also departed early with injury and Livi's first-choice goalkeeper Shamal George suffered a suspected broken thumb in stoppage time.

With Fitzwater suspended after his needless red card, Martindale was not underselling Livingston's situation when he lamented that "everything that could go wrong did go wrong".

Goodwin only changed three outfield players for his first match in charge last weekend but did revert to a back three which the squad have tended to favour this season.

Peter Pawlett has been struggling for minutes all term after his recovery from Achilles tendon surgery bled into the start of the current campaign, placing his involvement this week in doubt as well.

Livingston possible starting lineup:

Hamilton; Devlin, De Lucas, Boyes, Montano; Pittman, Holt, Shinnie; Kelly, Nouble; Guthrie

Dundee United possible starting lineup:

Birighitti; McMann, Mulgrew, Edwards; Freeman, Sibbald, Levitt, Behich; Harkes, Fletcher, McGrath

We say: Livingston 1-1 Dundee United

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