Mampuya worry for Livi
Livingston defender Mike Mampuya is a doubtful for the Scottish Communities League Cup visit of Motherwell.
He picked up a knock in the Lions' first league win of the season when they defeated Dumbarton on Saturday and will be monitored ahead of kick-off.
Recently-appointed manager John McGlynn is hoping that his side will take confidence from that success.
He said: "It was great to get that monkey off our backs. It was also a good win to get as we were a goal down and we came back to win it 2-1.
"Motherwell are a good side who I know well from my time at Hearts and I know that we have to play really well to get through."
Motherwell defender Simon Ramsden is determined to start atoning for last season's cup disappointment.
Motherwell fell at the first hurdle of four cup competitions last season, including the Champions League and Europa League.
But it was the domestic tournaments that hurt the most. Motherwell became the first top-flight club to lose to post-liquidation Rangers when they lost at Ibrox in the League Cup, and they also conceded a last-gasp equaliser at Pittodrie before losing to Aberdeen in a Scottish Cup replay.
Ramsden and his team-mates still enjoyed a memorable season as they finished second in the league but the cup heartache still stings ahead of their League Cup third-round clash in West Lothian on Wednesday night.
"It's a very big game for us," the Englishman said. "Last season we let ourselves down in the cup competitions so we are determined to put that right.
"The league side of things was tremendous last season but this is definitely something we want to put right.
"The league is obviously your bread and butter but last season was very disappointing because we felt we should have done a lot better in the cup.
"The manager stressed that (Rangers game) was probably our most disappointing performance of the season. There was a lot of hype around the fixture, it was the first time Rangers played one of the SPL sides.
"The atmosphere was tremendous and whether that got to a few of the players, I'm not too sure. But we definitely want to put that right.
"The quality we have in the team, there is no reason why we can't go far in the competition.
"I have never played in a cup final so to lift that trophy would be tremendous."
Ramsden would surely have thought his chances of winning silverware were enhanced when he left Bradford for Fir Park in the summer of 2012. But he then watched from a distance as the Bantams reached the Capital One Cup final before losing to Swansea.
Ramsden said: "I still stand by the decision to come up here. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and I love playing for the club.
"But it was a great time for Bradford last year, probably never to be repeated again, a team from the bottom tier getting to the cup final.
"I was very happy for them."
Seeing his friends reach Wembley has made the 31-year-old even more determined to enjoy cup success of his own.
"Even the lads here who got to the (Scottish) cup final a few years back, you speak to them and they talk about the experience," said Ramsden, who has been a regular at right-back this season.
"That's why you are in the game, to be playing in games like that - big stadiums and big crowds. It's something we are very focused on and very motivated for this game to take that on."
Source: PA
