Livi boss Allan Preston said he felt ‘heart sorry’ for the supporters after the CIS Cup holders were sent crashing out the competition by a five star Motherwell performance.
An own goal from Manu Dorado and goals from Foran (2), O’Donnell and Wright condemned Livi to a terrible 5-0 defeat at Almondvale on Tuesday night.
Allan Preston told www.icwestlothian.co.uk “We are all very disappointed in the manner in which we lost.
“And no-one is hurting more than me.
“A few home truths were coming out last night after the game, and I’m sorry for the fans that our cup run ended on such a downer after last year’s success.
“We are low on confidence at the moment and need to start playing properly.
“We can play well, as we proved against Dunfermline recently, but we need to get some belief back in ourselves.”
He added
“We have got to get back to basics now,” explained the Livi boss.
“Hopefully, no-one can point the finger at us for determination and work rate at least.
“It was very disappointing the manner in which we lost the first goal against Motherwell, especially as it was so early in the game.
“We don’t seem to be able to get ourselves back in the game once we go behind, which is not something you would normally associate with this club.”
Preston will now assess how his squad have reacted to the heavy defeat before picking his team for Saturday’s league clash away at Dundee United, who won their cup match against Hibs after extra time.
“We’ve had a few bumps and scrapes, so I’ll have to keep an eye on the situation.
“What I’m looking for now is the characters in the squad who can come through this stronger.
“I’m up for the battle and I’m sure the players are as well.
“It is the supporters of the club I feel heart sorry for right now.”
On the positive side, Livingston were boosted by the news that assistant boss Alan Kernaghan had declined to speak to Inverness Caledonian Thistle about their vacant manager’s position.
Preston explained: “Inverness phoned on Monday and, as I understand it, Alan was their number one choice to fill the manager’s post.
“I have an excellent relationship with Alan and I’m very thankful that he’s staying.
“Inverness would have offered him a lot more money.
“But it’s not about the financial side for Alan, and I’m very grateful for that view.”
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