Jim Goodwin spoke to the media on Monday lunchtime to preview our match with Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena. To watch in full on RedTV, please click on the red button.

Question: Was it an enjoyable weekend after a great 4-1 victory on Friday night?

Answer: “I’m a big fan of Friday night football. I think it has served the club particularly well in recent fixtures that we’ve had on a Friday night and obviously against Hibs it was a terrific result for us. I said after the game that I thought the score line flattered us ever so slightly. I thought Hibs were very good in the first half. I didn’t think there was a great deal between the two teams. It could have swung either way. It was very end to end at times. In those tight games, the first goal is always going to be important. Thankfully we were able to get it. I think the timing of the goals were crucial as well. We scored not too long after half-time as well and I think that gave them a real mountain to climb and then we were able to manage the game thereafter. We kind of sat off Hibs a little bit, allowed them to have plenty of possession of the ball and denied the space in behind them. We hit them on the counter attack on another couple of occasions. It was a really pleasing nights work from our point of view. It was a game of such importance against one of our nearest rivals. To take all three points and jump back into third in the table was our main objective and I was delighted we were able to do that.”

Q: The home form this season has been brilliant with plenty of goals scored, do you have to start grinding out results on the road?

A: “I can’t argue with the fact the points return on the road hasn’t been what we would like it to be, but I do try and put things in perspective as well. The fixtures that we have had on the road, we’ve lost at Parkhead and we’ve lost at Ibrox.  We were one nil up at Easter Road and then we’re down to 10 men and unfortunately went onto lose that game. The one on the road that disappoints us the most is obviously the Tannadice one where we got beat 4-0. Other than that, I actually think we’ve been okay, we should’ve won up at Ross County but for a last second goal. I think of course we want to pick up more points on the road and we want to hopefully start doing that on Tuesday night against Livingston but as you rightly say, David Martindale and his players are doing very well at the moment, they are not too far behind us. They’ll be very determined and no doubt going into it, believing that they can they can win the game. We will give them the utmost respect. It’s a very difficult venue. The AstroTurf pitch isn’t ideal. We would much rather be going to play on a nice grass park, but it is what it is. We’ve got to just accept the fact and go there and give a good account of ourselves and hopefully get the win that we need.”

Q: What is your team news, is Jonny Hayes any closer to making a comeback, or is this one that might be too soon?

A: “Jonny is very close, but we do actually think there’s no point in risking him tomorrow night. It wouldn’t be ideal for him on that surface. We’ll train Jonny during the week and see if we can push him for the weekend but we’re not putting a rush on it. We’re in a good place just now. We’ve got good options in that particular position at the moment with Coulson and MacKenzie so there’s no there’s no need for us to ask Jonny to play through the pain barrier at this moment in time. Callum Roberts is still out unfortunately and Dante Polvara is the other absentee. Apart from that everybody came through Friday night really well, and they’ve recovered in time to go again.”

Q: You’ve changed to a three at the back in recent games, is that a system you will keep or change to four at the back?

A: “We work on several different systems. During training and during pre-season we worked on a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formation. Circumstances dictate that for us to get our best players on the park in the starting 11 that we had to change the system. I think the 3-5-2 system at the moment is suiting us. We’ve got two of the most inform strikers in the league at the moment. They’re developing a great partnership. If I was to go back to 4-3-3, then I would have to probably take one of those out of the team and I don’t want to do that at the moment because of how many problems they are causing the opposition. So 3-5-2 works for us at the moment but I’m not stuck in my ways. I’m not one that thinks we have to play this way for the rest of the season. I think it’s important for any manager and any team out there to be flexible and during games we sometimes have to change the shape and we’ve done that recently. It’s worked up to now but I try not to get too bogged down with formations and systems, it’s 11 v 11 at the end of the day, and the best team tends to come out on top.”

Q: How important is it to finish strongly before the World Cup?

A: Well, absolutely. That’s the main objective, but we know how difficult that’s going to be. Livingston is always a difficult venue, they are a very good team. Davie’s got them to where I think he would want them to be at this particular stage. They’re not too far behind us. We will give them the utmost respect. We know that if they win the game that they will be right on our coat-tails, so we have to try and open that gap up between ourselves and them. We tend to not get too focused on how the league table looks and what’s happening to other teams. We just want to try and concentrate on the job in hand. The first one is a trip to Livingston and then followed by a really good game to look forward to next Saturday at home to Dundee United. Obviously they beat us comfortably at home in the last fixture so we do certainly feel as if we owe them one next weekend but we need to try and get through this game on Tuesday night in the right manner, first and foremost.”