6th Mar 1999 Alloa Athletic 0 Partick Thistle 1 (SFL Second Division - game 28)

matches:1998-99: ← 36game 3738 →

Match Information

			Terry Christie		Tommy Bryce			39y, 1m, 7d
					David Kennedy; Des McKeown; Sammy Johnston
					Steven Bonar; Willie Jamieson; Scott McHarg
					Martin Lauchlan (1-0, 42 mins)
Stuart Wilson; William Irvine; Mark Donaghy
Gareth Armstrong (Derek Clark, 58 mins); Davie Pew (Stuart MacKay, 72 mins)					Kenny Arthur (Steven Bonar, 23 mins); Sammy Johnston (Craig Flannigan, 73 mins); Gregg Hood (Scott McHarg, 82 mins)
			former Jag Mark Cairns		Kenny Arthur			20y, 2m, 27d
			Craig Valentine		David Kennedy			32y, 4m, 27d
			Mark Nelson		Des McKeown			29y, 1m, 16d
			Ray Sharp		Alan Archibald			21y, 2m, 21d
			Stuart Wilson		Gregg Hood			24y, 9m, 5d
			Davie Pew		Graham Connell			24y, 4m, 3d
			Willie Irvine		Martin Lauchlan			18y, 5m, 5d
			Mark Wilson		Tommy Bryce			39y, 1m, 7d
			former Jag Mark Donaghy		Robert Dunn			19y, 8m, 6d
			Gareth Armstrong		Sammy Johnston			31y, 10m, 21d
			Paul Simpson		Paul McDonald			30y, 10m, 14d
								26y, 6m, 21d
			Keith McCulloch		Craig Flannigan			26y, 0m, 23d
			Derek Clark		Scott McHarg			24y, 8m, 18d
			Stuart MacKay		Steven Bonar			23y, 9m, 14d

Match Report

TTA report

A decent game with chances at both ends. 2 fine saves denied Thistle early on but Alloa had chances too. Arthur went off injured (23) and Kennedy went into goal. Lauchlan cut in from the left to score with a neat finish (44). Stand-in Kennedy had some fine saves near the end. Bryce was sacked 8 Mar.

Media report

08-Mar-1999, Daily Record

STAND-IN DAVID IS A STAND-OUT. DEFENDER David Kennedy turned goalkeeper to hand Partick Thistle their first victory in seven games. He pulled off two crucial saves to deny Alloa after taking over from injured keeper Kenny Arthur. Kennedy's second-half stops from Derek Clark and Paul Simpson put a smile back on boss Tommy Bryce's face. But the stand-in keeper reckoned Thistle's defence saved the day after Arthur left the field with double vision following a clash with Alloa's David Pew just 23 minutes into the match. Kennedy said: “I have deputised twice before in goal and on this occasion I managed to react well to those late Alloa chances but I have to say that our defence protected me for most of the game.”

Thistle's victory may not have moved them up the table but their performance certainly convinced boss Bryce that there could yet be a rosy finish to their season. He said: “The pace was hectic and the heavy park took its toll before the end but it was a good win for us. When we lost Kenny so early on it was a worry but David did well in goal. The last time we came to Alloa we hit the woodwork three times and lost 3- 1 but that has been evened out now. I hope we have turned the corner but we have turned so many corners I don't know what way we are going. We should have killed Alloa off in the second half but it was still good to take a victory. We were looking for six points from Saturday and next week so the plans are now coming to fruition.”

Alloa had an early scare when Paul McDonald rattled the post with a fierce free- kick in just two minutes. Thistle assistant boss Sammy Johnston also came close but his drive was deflected for a corner by keeper Mark Cairns. Former Jag Mark Donaghy missed a great chance in 10 minutes then Gareth Armstrong - on loan from Ayr United - turned the ball wide after Willie Irvine had set him up. Alloa's fans howled for a penalty when Pew and Arthur collided but to no avail. Three minutes before the break Martin Lauchlan hit the only goal, easing past former Dunfermline defender Ray Sharp to steer the ball in at the right post.

Alloa boss Terry Christie said: “We were short of firepower without suspended striker Martin Cameron but I did think we should have had a penalty kick. Partick's stand-in keeper did well and Lauchlan had good pace for them but we did have chances and I felt we were worth a draw.” One worry for the manager is that midfielder Willie Irvine's booking means he is over the points maximum and will miss three games.

Stats Watch

● 24-year-old Scott McHarg plays his last game for Thistle.

● The eighteenth managerial reign ends with Tommy Bryce's last game in charge.

ongoing sequences:

● 29 consecutive competitive appearances for Robert Dunn, 22nd Aug 1998 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Alan Archibald - 34 games, 18th Oct 1997 to 29th Aug 1998. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

Stats Watch adheres to our stated definitions of League, League Max, Major Competitive, Competitive or All Games. Where there is no written qualification, you should presume that the Stat in question is compiled from the All Games criteria.

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