Scott Tiffoney loan deal to Ayr United not a sweetener for Alan Forrest move, says Livingston boss Gary Holt

United winger Alan Forrest remains a Livi target - but Holt says he'll remain an Ayr player for the rest of the season.

Livingston boss Gary Holt has said his club sending striker Scott Tiffoney on loan to Ayr United was not part of any deal involving Alan Forrest - and he insists the Lions target will remain with the Honest Men for the remainder of the season.

Tiffoney, who has started just one game for Livi this season, makes the move to the Championship play-off chasers for the remainder of the season with Holt hopeful he can bang in the goals at Somerset Park.

But he doesn't expect United's Forrest to be moving in the other direction - not until the summer.

He said: "He's an Ayr United player, it’s as simple as that. We’ve noted our interest and gone through the proper channels, and I’ll let it run it’s course and see what comes of it.

“Out of respect for Ayr and Alan it’s best just to let it run its course. If it happens, great. But let him concentrate on his football and let him concentrate on trying to get Ayr into the play-offs.

“I think everyone and their dog thinks Dundee United is going to win that league, so they’re in a battle to get into the play-offs and we’ll let him concentrate on that and we’ll see what comes of that in the coming months."

He added: "Scott has gone out on loan. We felt it would be good for him to go and get a regular run of games, for his development as well as our development for him.

"We can’t guarantee him enough game-time at the moment, so going to Ayr, who are fighting at the top end of the Championship means something to him every week. We’ve said to Scott ‘you need to go and play games, you’re not going there just to train and be part of the squad, you need to go and force your way into the team and play games’. Hopefully that will work for him.

"It wasn't a sweetener for Alan at all. I’ve got a good relationship with Mark (Kerr) at Ayr and big Mick (McArdle), the assistant, who I know really well.

"It was something that came about because we all talk; it’s a small community, football in Scotland. They asked if there was anyone available and we said ‘what about wee Tiff. So hopefully he’ll go there and get some games."