Livingston’s first league win in 259 days was a welcome result for manager Marvin Bartley, who praised his side’s positive attitude despite their perilous situation. 

Defeat for Kilmarnock at Pittodrie edged The Lions nine points behind their closest rivals. Survival may be a long shot, but Bartley hopes this can be “the beginning of a miracle”.

“It’s one game at a time. We need to produce our best at both ends of the pitch, and the players have managed to do that today.

“The players have given me everything every day, it’s not just about the match on a Saturday. The wins have run away from us, but hopefully this win can give them a lift and belief as well.

Scott Pittman’s strike, coupled with Alex Gogic’s own goal, ended a 31-match winless run against St Mirren. Bartley hopes his team can use victory as a platform for the remaining matches.

“We have to grow in belief, when you’ve been on the run we’ve been on it’s difficult mentally. We also have to keep our feet grounded. We’re still bottom of the league. But all we can do is train well and prepare for Aberdeen.

“It’s not about me. I come in to work, work as hard as I can, preparing the players as best as I can, and hope they produce on a Saturday.

“I’ve never seen them down in the dumps, because they know they have to work hard. It’s a constant for them. They don’t get too high or low.

“It’s a fantastic feeling at this moment in time. It’s only our third clean sheet of the season. I have to give a massive shout-out to Neil Hastings, because they saw what was happening in the first half, articulated what was happening, and the players took it up a notch.”

Livingston return to action against Aberdeen next Friday before travelling to Dundee eight days later.