20th Mar 1999 Partick Thistle 1 Livingston 1 (SFL Second Division - game 30)

matches:1998-99: ← 38game 3940 →

Match Information

58y, 0m, 18d			John Lambie		Ray Stewart
Scott McArthur; Tommy Callaghan; Craig Flannigan
David Kennedy; Sammy Johnston; Tommy Bryce
Robert Dunn (1-1, 44 mins)					Ian Little (0-1, 12 mins)
Tommy Callaghan; Craig Flannigan					Derek Fleming; Billy Macdonald; Mark McCormick
Tommy Callaghan (Jamie McKenzie, 56 mins); Martin Lauchlan (Scott Houston, 90 mins)					Charlie King (Mark McCormick, 61 mins); Billy Macdonald (Craig Feroz, 74 mins); David Bingham (Frank Conway, 83 mins)
20y, 3m, 13d			Kenny Arthur		Ian McCaldon
24y, 4m, 17d			Graham Connell		Paul Deas future Jag
31y, 0m, 20d			Scott McArthur		Gregg Watson former Jag
29y, 2m, 2d			Des McKeown		Allan McManus
35y, 10m, 21d			Willie Jamieson		Ian Little
21y, 3m, 7d			Alan Archibald		Jimmy Boyle former Jag
30y, 11m, 0d			Paul McDonald		Derek Fleming future Jag
29y, 6m, 20d			Tommy Callaghan		Charlie King
26y, 1m, 9d			Craig Flannigan		John Robertson
19y, 8m, 20d			Robert Dunn		David Bingham
18y, 5m, 19d			Martin Lauchlan		Billy MacDonald former Jag
26y, 0m, 26d
18y, 0m, 0d			Scott Houston		Frank Conway
18y, 3m, 19d			Jamie McKenzie		Mark McCormick
21y, 0m, 14d			Kevin Gaughan		Craig Feroz

Match Report

TTA report

Poor marking at a cross let league leaders Livingston in for a header (12). Archibald had a header cleared off the line then Dunn equalised from 8 yards (44) when a McDonald shot was parried. Thistle lacked firepower. “Enfant terrible” ex-JAG MacDonald was booked and made a rude gesture to Thistle fans.

Media report

22-Mar-1999, Daily Record

DOO IT MY WAY - LAMBIE STARTS TO GET JAGS FLYING. PARTICK THISTLE fans got what they wanted from John Lambie - straight talking. And John Lambie got what he wanted from Partick Thistle fans - a song of praise. The Jags board may have acted on a wing and a prayer when they appointed the pigeon fancier for another stint as boss. But they must be cooing to themselves at how he has transformed this unruly mob after just two weeks in the job. Earlier this season Firhill was a depressing place to visit. Crowds were down, the team was terrible and the fans were in revolt. Enter Lambie and all of a sudden it's carnival time.

Thistle were certainly not brilliant against Livvy but they fought for everything and knocked the Almondvale side off their lofty perch at the top of the table for the first time in months. And if Lambie has his way, the Jags will soon be back in the big time. He said: “It is not boys that are going to get us out of this, it is men. We fought well, but I know what we need at this club. First we have to make sure we are safe in this league, then we have to get out of it. That's what we will try to do.” Exactly the straight-talking the denizens of Firhill were desperate to hear from a boss. And they let him know it by serenading him with a new song. By the sound of it, anyone can sing it - drunk or sober - and everyone in the home end knew the words. They sang it for the entire first half. It sounds curiously like “I want a flambe” when they chant it but they're actually saying “John Lambie's red and yellow army”.

On this showing against the fallen league leaders, the Jags are set to march on. They had to battle back after Livvy took a 10th-minute lead when Ian Little headed in a pinpoint cross from former Dunfermline star David Bingham. That's when the Jags began to show something they've been lacking all season - fight. It's what Lambie has taught them and they equalised just before half- time through Robert Dunn. Paul McDonald's hot was brilliantly blocked by Livvy keeper Ian McCaldon but Dunn followed up to volley in the rebound.

For McCaldon, it was a good day turned bad. It was his first game back after suffering ankle ligaments damage and losing his place to Under-21 keeper Neil Alexander. But he injured his other ankle as Livvy fell behind Caley Thistle on goal difference. McCaldon said: “It was just my luck. I landed awkwardly and thought I had broken it. I had visions of being stretchered off but there was no way I wanted to come off. I will go to hospital for X-rays and we will see how it goes after that.”

Livvy have taken just two points out of the last 12 and there is now a question mark over whether they will go up as champs. Boss Ray Stewart maintained that winners' medals is still the target for the players. He said: “The main aim is promotion - but no one here wants to finish the season second best. Sometimes it is easier to be the chasing team in the league race because the pressure is not as intense.”

Stats Watch

ongoing sequences:

● 6 competitive games without a home win; 16th Jan 1999 to date. (Longest run since: 6 games; 10th Jan 1998 to 28th Mar 1998. Club-record: 13 games; 13th Apr 1988 to 3rd Dec 1988.)

● 31 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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