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Scott Pittman, Livingston’s match-winner against Hibernian, says he and his team-mates are determined to keep living the Premiership dream.

Livi have picked up two successive victories since Gary Holt took over from Kenny Miller as manager and sit fourth in the table with seven points.

Given that they won promotion against the odds, the players could be forgiven for pinching themselves at such a successful start to the season.

“No-one expected us to get promoted, now we’re just enjoying it,” Pittman, 26, told BBC Scotland

“We’re playing in front of big crowds, working hard every week and hopefully we can keep picking up points,” he added.

Match report: Livingston 2-1 Hibernian[1]

Pittman was a key contributor to the promotion drive, notably with goals against Dundee United and then Partick Thistle as the West Lothian side triumphed in the play-offs.

On the evidence of Saturday’ 2-1 victory, the midfielder will continue to provide a goal-scoring threat as well as epitomising Livingston’s work ethic in a tenacious midfield.

“We keep our shape and we defend well and try to get teams on the counter attack,” he said of the team’s approach.

“We start every game with a point and the manager says ‘just try not to lose it’. We try to press the other team, get in people’s faces, don’t make it easy for them.”

It’s an ethos that would have served Pittman well in the Juniors, where he was playing with Bo’ness just three years ago.

But he is now holding his own in Scottish football’s top flight, where Livingston do not look out of place.

Pittman was one of seven players who started the win over Hibernian, who played in the 1-0 victory at Firhill to clinch their place in the Premiership. That familiarity has helped, he believes.

“There are a few of us who’ve played with each other for two or three years now. We’ve got good chemistry and know how each other plays,” he said.

References

^ Match report: Livingston 2-1 Hibernian (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Scottish

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Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam believes several of his teammates have been “getting away with murder for a long time” at the relegated club.

The Potters have gone 13 games without a win and were relegated on Saturday[1] after nine seasons in the top flight.

“It’s embarrassing, because we should never have been in that situation,” Adam told BBC 5 live.

“As a group you have your seven or eight who try their hardest to make it work and we failed.”

Listen to the Monday Night Club podcast[2]

“A lack of discipline from certain players has been embarrassing,” continued Adam, who joined Stoke from Liverpool in 2012.[3]

“I’ll be honest for the supporters, I think some players have been getting away with murder for a long time and it’s difficult for supporters. It’s not just one or two, I think there are four or five that could be counted.”

Stoke recorded three successive ninth placed finishes under Mark Hughes, which was followed by 13th last season.

Striker Marko Arnautovic, plus long-serving Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan, left the club last summer and there were heavy defeats early this term including a 7-2 at Manchester City, 5-1 against Tottenham[4] and 5-0 at Chelsea.

Record signing Giannelli Imbula, who cost £18.3m from Porto, has spent this season on loan at French side Toulouse, while former Barcelona forwards, Ibrahim Afellay and Bojan Krkic have been out of favour, Krkic sent on loan to La Liga side Alaves.

Mark Hughes was dismissed in January[5] after an FA Cup third-round defeat against League Two Coventry and following a run of five defeats in seven Premier League games which left the club in the relegation zone.

Former Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert succeeded Hughes and presided over a 2-0 win against Huddersfield[6] in his second game in charge, but that remains his only victory to date.

“The biggest thing for us is we never replaced Marko,” Scotsman Adam told 5 live’s Monday Night Club.”You can lose players but when you lose players that can win you a game you are going to struggle. As a group of players we should hang our heads in shame because that club should never be relegated.

“We know what’s going to happen, people will lose their jobs and we’re the ones to blame for that.”

Goalkeeper Jack Butland hit out[7] at the club’s “farcical” transfer dealings and said there were “players you cannot rely on”.

Adams added: “We’ve spent a lot of money but you need to do your homework and have the right characters coming in.

“The biggest problem now is social media, because players cheat themselves. When you go home from training you should not be able to go for extra sessions with personal trainers, you’re conning yourself, your teammates and the club.”

References

^ relegated on Saturday (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Listen to the Monday Night Club podcast (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ joined Stoke from Liverpool in 2012. (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ 5-1 against Tottenham (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ dismissed in January (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ 2-0 win against Huddersfield (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Jack Butland hit out (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football