BROMANCE AIN’T DEAD
Match-winner Yengi is delighted he hasn’t been split up from pal Joel as Livi battle back
TETE YENGI feared his burgeoning bromance with Joel nouble was going to suffer a premature breakup on transfer deadline day.
Now he is confident their relationship can go from strength to strength as they bid to turn Livingston’s season around.
The strike pairing were both on target as Livi staged a dramatic comeback to overcome Partick Thistle in a thrilling Scottish Cup fifth round tie on Saturday.
Trailing 2-0 after an hour, Nouble’s double forced extratime in which Yengi grabbed a 120th-minute winner.
Since joining Livi on a free transfer from Ipswich at the start of January, Australian striker Yengi had formed a close bond with Nouble both on and off the pitch.
The 23-year-old admits he was hugely relieved when Nouble’s proposed move to
Exeter City fell through at the end of the transfer window.
“I love playing alongside Joel,” said Yengi. “We sit next to each other in the changing room and we are always speaking, always having a laugh together in training.
“We take it on to the pitch. He’s a great player and the one who brought us back into the game against Partick Thistle.
“I’m thankful to him that I had the opportunity to win the game in the end.
“When he was close to moving last month, I was saying to him ‘Man, you can’t be leaving me already!’.
“I’m so happy he stayed. He is a big part of this team.
“I hope this can give us the lift we need for the rest of the season. We can take a lot of positives from this win.
“There are a few things we still have to work on but I hope we can take the energy, positivity and desire into the league games.”
Livi looked down and out after goals from Kerr McInroy and Aidan Fitzpatrick put Thistle firmly on course for victory at Firhill.
But Nouble’s close range tap-in from a corner dragged the visitors back into the tie before he equalised with a smart finish eight minutes from the end of regulation time.
Yengi was denied by a brilliant Jamie Sneddon save as Livi dominated extra time but finally found a way past the Jags keeper when he headed home a Jamie Brandon cross to spark wild celebrations which earned him a booking.
“It was a crazy ending to the game,” said Yengi. “There was so much relief for us. We knew we had to keep going to get back into the game.
“We finally got back into it. You have to stick to what you know and keep fighting.
“Their keeper made a great save from me and then from Bruce Anderson near the end of extra-time.
“The chances were coming and I knew we would get another one. I just had to take it and I did. The celebrations with the fans were special and definitely worth a yellow card.
“I haven’t really had much of a cup run in my career.
“I can see this tournament is a big one, really special. You could tell by the celebrations of the fans. I want to keep going in this cup run.
“At 2-0 down, you do fear the worst. But we get motivation from each other to keep fighting and from the manager and coaching staff.”