Livingston boss David Martindale hailed Craig Sibbald's performance against St Mirren last week as the best of his career - but revealed he still picked up a fine from the club.
The midfielder ran the show for the Lions as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the League Cup with the ex-Falkirk man being awarded man of the match.
Martindale applauded that decision, and says he's desperate to see more of the same from the 26-year-old but revealed the player was fined for a woeful penalty in the shoot-out.
Sibbald weakly dinked his effort right down the middle and harmlessly into the arms of Buddies keeper Jak Alnwick. Afterwards, Martindale joked that the midfielder would have to pay for his car to get valeted for the next two months.
But, after a spin on Livi's 'wheel of fortune' the punishment ended up being £40 to go towards the player's kitty.
Martindale said: "The only downside against St Mirren was his penalty miss. I don’t know what he was doing.
“I joked after the game he would pay for my valet on my car but we have a wheel for fines and I made him take a £20 spin which he did and he landed on two so he had a £40 fine which goes into the kitty.
"He got a win bonus, though, so he was quids in anyway."
As for the midfielder's performance, Martindale believes the Lions this season play a system that can get the best out of him, commenting: "I think it was probably one of his best performances as a football player.
“He’s had a tough time, he had Covid and he has asthma. He’s one I probably threw in too early. I didn’t want him playing 120 minutes but subs dictated he had to play it all.
“He’s a talented player but I have spoken to him a lot about systems. The one we are playing this year suits him. He can play two or three positions and he always finds himself on the team sheet.
“Maybe it is down to me sometimes that I switch him positions but he is one of those players who can play in different areas. I maybe have to look at how I use him and I hope to play him in his best position week in and week out but that’s not to say I won’t move him though if I need to."
He added: "He has to go and try and replicate the St Mirren performance regularly. We have to look to keep him consistent now and build on this.
“I can hopefully help him by playing him in a position that suits him instead of trying to shoehorn him into another position for helping the team."
Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/
