David Martindale salutes the character of his players after Livingston seal return to the Premiership

David Martindale beamed with pride after masterminding Livingston’s Premiership return with a 4-2 victory against Ross County in the second leg of the playoff final. 

The Livi boss hailed the character of his players, who fought back from 2-0 down on the night to secure a 5-3 aggregate win over their Premiership opponents. 

The man who failed to stop last season’s slide out of the top-flight also spoke of the style-change that had fuelled recovery, along with the banishing of a ‘sense of entitlement’ the club held after six years in the Premiership.

Martindale said: ‘Ability only gets you so far. We have the ability, I knew that. But we have also got personality and character.

‘That was my team out there. That’s how we want to play football. We have seen a team with a different style of play. I’m so proud of the players.

‘I have never given up. These players and staff will never give up. We work hard and apply ourselves.

Robbie Muirhead revels in his team’s win over Ross County in the Premiership playoff final

County boss Don Cowie admits there will now be difficult discussions about the way ahead 

‘In six years in the Premiership, a sense of entitlement came over us. Now it’s a sense of reality.

‘I don’t want to be the manager I’ve been in previous years. I want to go with our style, our identity and recruit for a certain style of play.’

The comeback in Dingwall, while remarkable, did not surprise the away manager.

He added: ‘I genuinely felt at 2-0 down we were still in the game. Lewis Smith came up with a big moment and got us in at 2-1. We were in agreement that if we got the next goal we’d win the game.

‘Robbie Muirhead came up with a massive finish for the third.’

Opposite number Don Cowie admitted difficult discussions about County’s way forward would follow this week.

But the County boss vowed to stay and fight for a Premiership return if asked.

Cowie, describing himself as ‘devastated’, said: ‘It’s obviously raw right now – really sore. We’ll need to have those conversations, because we’ve been waiting to see what league we’re in.

‘But what I do know is, as much as I’m hurting right now and as sore as it is – and I accept the last few months have not been good enough – I’ve got huge belief in myself and motivation that I can get this club back to the Premiership.

‘Those conversations will take place. It is really raw and sore, but the support I’ve had in this really challenging spell from the chairman Roy MacGregor and chief executive Steven Ferguson has been incredible.’

Cowie added: ‘When you’re winning the tie by two goals in the first half you should see it out.

‘Credit to Livingston. They put us under a lot of pressure and they deserved to get back to the Premiership over the two legs, if I’m being honest.

‘We didn’t respond well enough after conceding the first goal tonight and looked vulnerable. From a really commanding position we found a way to lose the tie.’