David Martindale lauds Livingston mentality after dramatic win over Partick

Posted Sunday, February 11, 2024 by PA

Livingston manager David Martindale hailed the character of his side after they came back from two goals down to claim a dramatic 3-2 win in extra time against Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup.

Livi found themselves in trouble after Kerr McInroy’s superb low strike from 25 yards and Aidan Fitzpatrick’s near-post shot but Joel Nouble tapped in to bring them back into the game and the striker’s thunderous finish from a tight angle forced extra time.

The match looked to be heading for penalties but Tete Yengi headed home Jamie Brandon’s cross in the final minute to send Livi – who remain without a win in 17 league games – through to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2005.

Martindale said: “I think there’s been a lot of good performances in the league also but I just felt today the boys could have crumbled very easily and gone under at 2-0 down.

“We could have felt sorry for ourselves and accepted defeat but we didn’t do that.

“I felt the substitutes helped us in the game. I just felt our overall play was very, very good.

“We created a lot of chances, our entries into the final third and our passages of play, our movement and our intensity was all there.

“The difference between today and our other games was we actually had a better execution in the final third.

“We’ve made a lot of chances over the last seven or eight games and not taken them.

“Today we took our chances. Even at 2-1 I had a wee feeling. The longer the game went on, I was more confident.

“I was fairly positive we were going to come out on the positive end of the result.

“I’m not bothered who we get in the draw. I’d take anyone at home.

“Either of the Old Firm clubs away would be good financially for us but I’d like anyone at home.

“I’d like to take the club back to Hampden. We got there during Covid but I’d like to take the fans there.”

Partick manager Kris Doolan was gutted to lose at the death, with the match seemingly heading for spot-kicks.

He said: “To lose so late, it’s a sore one. By that stage you think it’s going to penalty kicks and it can be a bit of a lottery but to lose with about 20 seconds to go is a real sore one.

“There are lessons for us and for me to learn. Making two subs early on in hindsight was probably too quick but I kind of knew what was coming in terms of the physicality.

“We tried to pre-empt that and stop that but ultimately it’s difficult, they are such a powerful side and they made it count

“I’m just gutted we didn’t get through.”