AS St Johnstone show in spectacular (read “horrifying” if you’re a Saints fan) fashion each passing week, great cup runs don’t necessarily equate to continued success. But sometimes they do.
Not only can they provide a welcome, ‘free hit’ distraction from the meat and drink of the league, but they can give the country’s ‘lesser’ teams a platform to build on and their fans the hope of one-day looking back on sepia-tinted Hampden success.
That’s exactly how Ayo Obileye sees it. The Livingston defender - or should that be penalty-scoring maestro given his recent escapades? - excelled once again on Saturday’s Scottish Cup win over Ross County, scoring the deciding goal from the spot and helping the Lions withstand a furious second-half charge from the Staggies.
Remarkably, it was the 22nd time in 55 games Livi had kept a clean sheet and they’ve only conceded four goals in their last seven matches. And it’s that solidity that Obileye believes will be key if the Lions are to continue motoring away from the relegation zone and into the league’s top-six.
“It’s not about goals for me, it’s about the clean sheet,” the former Queen of the South man said. “We defended outstandingly and it’s about the eighth or ninth clean sheet [it’s nine] we have got this season.
“We want to keep building on that and I thought the boys played excellently.
“We knew County are a big physical side and they will put long balls into the box. We knew they’d put us under pressure and the boys did brilliantly under that.
“We work hard in training, off the pitch and in the gym to do these things, to be stronger and better prepared. We want to work hard for each other, fort Max in goals, and the less goals we concede, the more games we will win.”
When Obileye stepped up to take Livi’s first-half penalty, won after Bruce Anderson was clumsily barged over by Declan Drysdale, there was about as much certainty as to where the ball was going to end up as there being goodbye drinks at Downing Street.
There’s a good reason for that.
“I have scored every one,” the 27-year-old said when asked about his record. “Maybe ten.
“But it’s about the clean sheets, really. I am a defender and I am not bothered about scoring.
“I scored a few at Queens, and a few at the team before that, and the team before that. It’s something I am comfortable with and just something I do. Until I, let’s say, not score, we’ll see what happens.”
Saturday’s win also gave Livi fans a first glimpse of Joel Nouble (so impressive when on loan at Championship leading Arbroath and saw Caleb Chukwuemeaka earn his first start. And while the latter was duly hooked at the break following a topsy-turvy cameo, Obileye said: “When we get them firing, we’ll see a different side to them and we’ll be even more of a threat.”
Both teams will return to Premiership action midweek as Livingston travel to Ibrox and Ross County face Dundee United. It gives the Staggies the chance to bounce back almost instantly and Jack Burroughs is sure they can take it.
“The games are coming thick and fast now and we have no time to dwell on this result,” he said. “We have to focus on the Dundee United game on Wednesday, we have been on a good run of form and hopefully we can keep the momentum going in the league and climb places and get into the top-six.”
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