Joel Nouble returned to the wst Lothian outfit and was given cause for optimism given the display from Mavin Bartley’s men
Rangers star Mikey Moore is tackled by Cammy Kerr of Livingston
Joel Nouble watched Livingston go toe-to-toe with Rangers and thought the Premiership table must be a LIE.
But the truth is, after a 2-2 draw with the Ibrox title chasers, the Lions are still six points adrift at the bottom of the league. And now Nouble is determined to help Marvin Bartley’s side survive in the top flight. The 30-year-old has returned to the club after a spell in the Chinese second tier, at Wuxi Wugo and Shenzen Juniors.
Nouble was a fans’ favourite at Almondvale during a three-year stint under ex-gaffer Davie Martindale. And after returning he’s desperate to play his part as Bartley bids to save them from the drop.
Livi roared into a 2-0 lead on Sunday thanks to goals from Brooklyn Kabongolo and Lewis Smith before being pegged back after they were reduced to 10 men. Nouble was impressed by the display which he says should fuel their belief ahead of Saturday’s crunch game against St Mirren.
The striker said: “It was an opportunity missed for us on Sunday. To get a 2-0 lead against Rangers is a tough ask. We have to take the positives from it and look to the next game, which is massive for us. Watching the boys, of course you wonder how they are where they are in the league.
“I haven’t seen all of the games but the way they played on Sunday, I thought the table must be lying. They were so good. I was proud of them.
Striker Joel Nouble is close to a move away from Livingston and was left out of their squad for the Scottish Cup game against Raith Rovers(Image: SNS Group)
“The performance for 60 minutes before the red card was outstanding. I feel I can help them. The boys and the gaffer still have a real belief that it’s not impossible. In the last few performances, the boys have shown we’ve got half a chance.”
Livi had to rely on French keeper Jerome Prior to make a string of super saves to keep Danny Rohl’s side at bay. Then in stoppage time, the home side feared Rangers might get a penalty when Cammy Kerry upended Mikey Moore on the edge of the box. Nouble heaped praise on his goalie and revealed he was concerned when ref Ryan Lee held up the game for a VAR check.
He said: “Jerome was outstanding. It felt like he was playing in FIFA, just flying about saving everything. He deserves a lot of credit. Against top teams, you need your keeper to come through for you and he did – he was top quality. At the end, anytime a referee stands for about 20 minutes, you get worried! I couldn’t really see it but Cammy says he won the ball and I’m going to back my team-mate.”
Nouble spent 18 months in China and has no regrets about leaving Scotland for the Far East in 2024. The big front-man made his second Livi debut as a sub on Sunday but has told new boss Bartley he’s ready to contribute from the start.
He said: “It feels like I never left. Off the field in China, lifestyle wise, it was amazing. I really enjoyed it. It was a whole new experience, a totally different culture and it was great to try new things. I’m back here to help the boys as much as possible. Of course I feel I can help the team. I’m not the gaffer but if he wants me to start on Saturday, I’ll start. Whatever he decides, I’ll be ready to go.”