10th Sep 1994 Partick Thistle 1 Celtic 2 (SFL Premier Division - game 4)

matches:1994-95: ← 08game 0910 →

53y, 6m, 8d	John Lambie	Tommy Burns

Stevie Pittman; Gregg Watson; Alan Dinnie; Albert Craig; Andy M. Gibson
Bobby Law; Grant Tierney; Ian Cameron [i]; Isaac English; Chic Charnley

Roddy Grant (1-2, 73 mins)		Phil O'Donnell (0-1, 11 mins); Phil O'Donnell (0-2, 43 mins)
Stevie Pittman (@ 1-2, 89 mins)
Alan Dinnie (Tom Smith, 58 mins)		Mike Galloway (Brian McLaughlin, HT); John Collins (Charlie Nicholas, 71 mins)

23y, 3m, 13d	Craig Nelson	Gordon Marshall
33y, 6m, 5d	David Byrne	Peter Grant
27y, 1m, 23d	Stevie Pittman	Tom Boyd
23y, 11m, 20d	Gregg Watson	Mark McNally future Jag
31y, 4m, 14d	Willie Jamieson	Tony Mowbray
28y, 7m, 25d	Derek McWilliams	Pat McGinlay
31y, 3m, 27d	Alan Dinnie	Mike Galloway
32y, 8m, 7d	Albert Craig	Phil O'Donnell
27y, 11m, 25d	Roddy Grant	Simon Donnelly future Jag
25y, 7m, 8d	Andy M. Gibson	Andy Walker future Jag
32y, 2m, 28d	Alex Taylor	John Collins

28y, 10m, 19d

26y, 1m, 21d	Andy Murdoch	Pat Bonner
20y, 10m, 29d	Tom Smith	Charlie Nicholas
32y, 10m, 30d	Grant Tierney	Brian McLaughlin

TTA report

£1.75m man O'Donnell scored 2 on his debut (11 and 43) but shocking defending eased Celtic's task. A better performance after half-time saw Thistle more is the game as Celtic eased off. Grant pulled 1 back (73) but it should have been all over by half-time. Pittman was sent off for a soft 2nd yellow (89).

Media report

11-Sep-1994, Scotland on Sunday

ONLY the fact that Phil O’Donnell confined himself to two-thirds of a hat -trick allowed Celtic to retain any sense of proportion. Had the club’s record signing claimed three goals on his debut it would have made him an immediate legend among the support and perhaps brought even his team-mates to a state of delirium. With virtually an entire season still to be played it is better for Celtic that this game should leave them with cool, but happy, heads. None the less, it is likely that in O’Donnell Tommy Burns has made an extraordinary acquisition. For years the news that someone expensive had joined Celtic provoked foreboding. There are fans who flinch at the mention of Martin Hayes, Tony Cascarino or Stuart Slater. O’Donnell, of course, has the immense advantage of being Scottish. A birthplace within these borders, as people have been incessantly noticing of late, does not guarantee an accomplished player, but it surely inculcates an understanding of Celtic in all their glory, quirks and failings. Unlike the costly immigrants who preceded him, O’Donnell will not be bemused by anything he encounters. Celtic have, of course, bought themselves rather more than just £1.75million of local knowledge. The 22-year-old adds a new dimension to the side. At their worst Celtic, with the sheer tidiness of Paul McStay and John Collins, have been known to pass themselves into a stupor as the ball visits every bit of the field except the back of the other team’s net. Burns remarked that he had, as Kilmarnock manager, noticed how prone Celtic were to playing in front of the other team’s defence. With his stamina and timing, O’Donnell will ensure that Celtic do not simply drift. The midfielder’s breaks behind centre-backs will make him a marvellous target for men like Collins and, when he returns from suspension, McStay. If O’Donnell was an irregular scorer for Motherwell it may be because he lacked sufficient quantity of opportunities. His first goal at Firhill, however, had nothing to do with teamwork; it was composed entirely of O’Donnell’s virtuosity. A shot by Galloway, after 11 minutes, was deflected and Collins then slipped the ball to the new signing. From the edge of the box, on the left-hand side, he swerved a low left-foot shot across and round Craig Nelson and into the far corner of the net. The effort with which he extended Celtic’s lead, two minutes from the interval, was, by contrast, O’Donnell as advertised. A typical surge took him into the heart of the penalty area so that he was in position for Andy Walker’s knock-down from Pat McGinlay’s cross. O’Donnell met the ball with a right-footed volley which comprehensively beat the goalkeeper. Given that the midfielder also headed another likely chance over the bar in the first half, his performance monopolises any account of Celtic’s day. That fact may cause Burns some concern. As O’Donnell faded, so did the entire team. For long stretches they were utterly superior to Partick Thistle yet, in the end, might have drawn.

Simple persistence threatened to prove mightily effective for John Lambie’s team. Their rare attacks also had a surprising success rate in creating openings. In 10 minutes, Gordon Marshall made a fine sprawling save from Alan Dinnie’s header after a cross by Derek McWilliams had dropped over Collins. After 61 minutes, there was more athleticism from the Celtic goalkeeper as he parried Albert Craig’s shot. Andy Gibson fired the rebound wide from an awkward angle. There were 16 minutes left when Marshall stopped getting in the way. Alex Taylor’s cross from the right was tucked in the corner by Roddy Grant’s delicate side-foot shot. Thistle might have equalised almost immediately. Substitute Tom Smith nodded a deep cross over Marshall, but Mowbray managed to head the ball over his own bar from almost on the goal-line. Thistle’s exertions were relentless, though debutant Stevie Pittman was excessive in the last minute when he held back Simon Donnelly. Having previously been booked, he was sent off.

Celtic only just scraped together the durability to survive. This sort of power failure has frequently damaged their chances in recent years and Burns surely knows that more signings are essential. None the less, his club now top the Premier Division, having won their last three League matches. Almost nothing has so far gone wrong for Burns. O’Donnell admitted that he had thought his first goal was running wide. How naive. At present, given the club’s mighty sense of well-being, it could never have missed.

match hubs

match

The Thistle Archive

Partick Thistle stats and stories 1876 to date