12th May 1996 Partick Thistle 1 Dundee United 1 (Scottish Premier Division/First Division play-off, 1st leg)

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matches:1995-96: ← 45game 4647 →

37y, 7m, 18d	Murdo MacLeod	Billy Kirkwood

Steve Welsh; Rod McDonald; Billy Macdonald
Jered Stirling; Nicky Henderson; Tommy Turner

Andy Lyons (1-0, 20 mins)		Christian Dailly (1-1, 86 mins)

Derek McWilliams (Tom Smith, 66 mins); Billy Macdonald (Tommy Turner, 83 mins)		Ray McKinnon (Gary McSwegan, 49 mins); Andy McLaren (Owen Coyle, 80 mins)

33y, 7m, 13d	Nicky Walker	Ally Maxwell
30y, 8m, 15d	Callum Milne	Christian Dailly
25y, 7m, 21d	Gregg Watson	Rab Shannon
30y, 3m, 26d	Derek McWilliams	Steven Pressley
21y, 3m, 24d	Jim Slavin	Brian Welsh
28y, 0m, 23d	Steve Welsh	Ray McKinnon
29y, 1m, 22d	Rod McDonald	Robbie Winters
19y, 7m, 25d	Billy Macdonald	Dave Bowman
20y, 10m, 13d	Jamie McCue	Andy McLaren future Jag
29y, 8m, 18d	Ian Cameron [i]	Craig Brewster
29y, 6m, 23d	Andy Lyons	Jamie McQuilken

27y, 1m, 22d

	n-a	Kelham O'Hanlon
32y, 7m, 1d	Tommy Turner	Gary McSwegan
22y, 7m, 0d	Tom Smith	Owen Coyle
27y, 3m, 4d	Nicky Henderson

TTA report

10,414 saw Lyons hit a 30-yard free-kick round the wall for the opener (20). Thistle were the better team and had most of the chances and a sweeping move involving 4 or 5 players saw a fine save deny Cameron. United improved and Walker had some good saves but he was beaten by a header (84) for 1-1.

Media report

13-May-1996, The Mirror

Christian Dailly headed Dundee United a priceless equaliser yesterday to set up a Thursday night thriller at Tannadice in their promotion-relegation play-off with Partick. Thistle seemed to be on course for their first home win in almost six months thanks to a superb first-half free-kick from Andy Lyons. But goalkeeper Nicky Walker, who had pulled off a string of top class saves, was finally beaten with four minutes left as Scotland Under-21 star Dailly headed home a Dave Bowman cross. It was cruel on Murdo MacLeod's side, who perhaps deserved to take an advantage into Thursday's second leg. Lyons, a cut-price buy from Wigan, scored his sixth goal in ten games with a 19th minute free-kick which flew past Ally Maxwell. But, thanks to Dailly, the sides remain level with 90 minutes left to decide which side completes Scotland's top ten next season - and the million pounds revenue which goes with it. United were without the suspended Maurice Malpas and injured Mark Perry. They were replaced by Rab Shannon and Jamie McQuilken, while Owen Coyle was left on the bench with Ray McKinnon recalled. Thistle were close to full strength, with MacLeod only without injured skipper Alan Dinnie and Wayne Foster.

The Firhill side made by far the better start and in only two minutes a ball from Derek McWilliams flashed across the face of goal, with no takers. Ian Cameron tried his luck with a shot from outside the box after 13 minutes which stung the fingers of United keeper Maxwell as he pushed it over the bar. But MacLeod's side grabbed the goal they deserved after 19 minutes with a stunning free-kick from Lyons. Steven Pressley was penalised for climbing on Rod McDonald and Englishman Lyons stepped forward to fire a left-foot shot beyond the wall and Maxwell from 25 yards. United finally began to threaten and they came close to an equaliser after 30 minutes when Robbie Winters deflected a shot from Dave Bowman just past the post. Then Craig Brewster fired in a left-foot shot which went wide of Walker's left-hand post. Thistle's Jim McCue collected a booking in first-half injury-time, but there was no doubt that his side had been far superior.

But Partick had Walker to thank for two superb stops midway through the half as he first parried a drive by Brewster then plunged at the feet of Winters. And Brewster came even closer with a 64th minute effort which cracked off the crossbar and rebounded into the grateful arms of Walker. Walker saved again from Brewster with 15 minutes left but his resistance was finally broken in the 86th minute as Dailly headed home a Bowman cross.

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