30th Jan 1999 Livingston 1 Partick Thistle 1 (SFL Second Division - game 23)

matches:1998-99: ← 31game 3233 →

	Ray Stewart	Tommy Bryce	39y, 0m, 3d

		Willie Jamieson; Paul McDonald
		Graham Connell; Craig Flannigan

Brian McPhee (1-1, 78 mins)		Robert Dunn (1-0, 7 secs)
Brian McPhee		Paul McDonald; Tommy Callaghan

Jim Sherry (Gordon Forrest, 11 mins); Jimmy Boyle (Brian McPhee, 59 mins); Mark McCormick (Ian Little, 73 mins)		Robert Dunn (Martin Lauchlan, 73 mins)

	Neil Alexander	Kenny Arthur	20y, 1m, 23d
	former Jag Gregg Watson	David Kennedy	32y, 3m, 23d
	future Jag Paul Deas	Des McKeown	29y, 0m, 12d
	Allan McManus	Alan Archibald	21y, 1m, 17d
	former Jag Jimmy Boyle	Willie Jamieson	35y, 9m, 3d
	John Millar	Kevin Gaughan	20y, 10m, 24d
	future Jag Derek Fleming	Steven Bonar	23y, 8m, 10d
	Charlie King	Tommy Callaghan	29y, 5m, 2d
	Jim Sherry	Paul Tosh	25y, 3m, 12d
	Mark McCormick	Robert Dunn	19y, 7m, 2d
	John Robertson	Paul McDonald	30y, 9m, 10d

			26y, 2m, 9d

	Gordon Forrest	Martin Lauchlan	18y, 3m, 29d
	Ian Little	Andy Frame	20y, 3m, 13d
	Brian McPhee	Jamie McKenzie	18y, 2m, 1d

TTA report

Dunn headed into the empty net after a defensive mix-up (timed at 7 secs) against top of the league Livingston but increasingly it was they who bossed the game. Thistle hung on grimly to the slender lead but Livingston equalised with a shot inside the box (78) then a stunning save by Arthur (81) salvaged a point.

Media report

01-Feb-1999, Daily Record

DUNN-BELIEVABLE. Under-21 keeper Neil Alexander had virtually nothing to do at Almondvale - apart from picking the ball out of the net after just seven-and-a-half seconds. Robert Dunn's lightning strike, the result of a mix-up between Alexander and former Jag Gregg Watson, had the Livvy fans rocking in their seats before they even had a chance to get comfy. But Livingston were so far ahead of a painfully defensive Thistle all the keeper had to worry about was nodding off.

The League leaders, watched by a crowd of 3,570, have gone 25 games unbeaten. It would have been a travesty if that run ended on Saturday. After that stunning opener by Dunn - only bettered by Partick's Willie Sharp's seven-second goal in the late 1940s - Thistle sat back and soaked up all Ray Stewart's Livvy could throw at them. Alexander was the first to admit it was a bad goal to lose. He said: “Thistle played the ball down the left and I shouted to Gregg that it was mine. He thought the ball wasn't going to reach me and launched it away. Unfortunately, it deflected off Partick's Paul Tosh and fell to Dunn who headed it in off the post. It was a bad mistake, but also a bit lucky for Thistle. To be honest, that was about all I had to do. We were all over them in the second half and I think I touched the ball four times.” He added: “All the other teams are aware of our record and that we beat Aberdeen. We've got a reputation and we are looking to build on that.”

After dominating the match, Livvy finally equalised through sub Brian McPhee in 78 minutes. Manager Stewart said: “It was a hard game to play in. Thistle just sat in after their goal and had nine or 10 at the back. Frustration creeps in, but my boys kept working. I lost count of the chances we created. I can't remember a match when we've had so much possession.” Thistle's negative tactics were not lost on Stewart, who added: “A point is no good to them - they really need to win games if they want promotion.”

Jags boss Tommy Bryce was at home with 'flu. Watching his side's display would have made him feel even worse. No.2 Sammy Johnston said: “We set out with three up front and it looked like we had one. I'm not happy and we've got to work harder. When the boys scored so early, they seemed to think they could sit on their lead, but you can't take that kind of pressure and hope to get away with it. In our position, we need to win games.”

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