Aberdeen will try to stop one of the form teams in Scottish football tonight as they head to Livingston aiming to end the club’s eight-game winning run.
But Dons midfielder Lewis Ferguson insists it will take much more than hard graft to overcome a resurgent Livi.
David Martindale has presided over a startling revival since replacing Gary Holt at Almondvale with the team rising up the table into the top half of the Scottish Premiership since he took charge.
The Dons know they face a stern test of their credentials in tonight’s rescheduled Premiership fixture but Ferguson insists those who label Livi as a hard working team are doing the side a huge disservice.
He said: “Everyone has this misconception that Livingston are just a hard working, fighting team but they can play as well.
“We have seen in the last couple of weeks that they are good footballers. It is always a tough fight and is always going to be like that.
“They are hard working, organised and fight for every second ball.
“But they are decent going forward as well so we need to outwork them, pick up all the second balls, headers, tackles – they are all the things you need to win if you are going to get maximum points at Livingston.
“I have said for a while that people have underestimated them football wise.
“I think the players they have at the top end of the pitch and the middle of the park are good footballers.
“Everyone used to see them as just long ball side, long throw-ins, free kicks and fouls – scrappy.
“But they are not, Livingston are a good team and are starting to show that now.
“We need to go down there and outwork, outfight and also outplay them to hopefully get maximum points.”
With the Dons sandwiched between second placed Celtic and fourth placed Hibernian, the draw between the sides on Monday has given Aberdeen the chance to extend their lead on Hibs and move to within two points of the champions tonight.
But Ferguson knows it will be easier said than done against the resurgent home side.
He said: “Whether Livingston or on a good run or not it has always been a tough place to go.
“We have always found it difficult down there and I am sure everyone does to be honest.
“They are on a good run and it is eight out of eight they have won so their confidence will be high.
“Livingston are flying at the moment and we are looking to go knock that confidence.
“We want to knock them out of their stride and try to get three points.”
On Celtic and Hibs sharing the spoils on Monday Ferguson said: “It is always good when teams round about you are dropping points.
“But it is up to us to go and take advantage of that.
“In the past couple of weeks when the likes of Hibs and Celtic have been dropping points we should be capitalising on but I don’t think we did.
“We are not focusing too much on the teams about us though – we are just focusing on ourselves.
“We take every game as it comes.”
Ryan Hedges misses out due to suspension following his red card against Rangers on Sunday but Ross McCrorie returns after sitting out the visit of the Light Blues as per the conditions of his loan deal from the Ibrox club.
Rangers target Scott Wright is also set to feature.
Ferguson said: “Everybody in this team is professional.
“There is a lot of talk about Scott at the moment but it is not for me to talk about.
“It is Scott’s career. If he is playing well for us at the moment then that is all I’m worried about.”