2nd Dec 2000 Forfar Athletic 0 Partick Thistle 1 (SFL Second Division - game 17)

matches:2000-01: ← 22game 2324 →

	Neil Cooper	John Lambie	59y, 9m, 0d

		Mark McNally
		Sandy Stewart

		Martin Hardie (1-0, 59 mins)


Ralph Brand (Sean Christie, HT); Roberto Morris (Andy Cargill, 67 mins); Alex Taylor (Barry Sellars, 83 mins)		Scott McLean (George Shaw, 83 mins); Martin Hardie (Sandy Stewart, 83 mins)

	Stuart Garden	Kenny Arthur	21y, 11m, 25d
	Roberto Morris	David McCallum	23y, 2m, 25d
	Iain Good	Alan Archibald	22y, 11m, 19d
	Euan Donaldson	Stephen Craigan	24y, 1m, 3d
	Robbie Horn	Jamie Smith	22y, 4m, 21d
	Davie Beaton	Mark McNally	29y, 8m, 22d
	Craig Farnan	Allan Moore	35y, 11m, 7d
	former Jag Alex Taylor	Danny Lennon	31y, 7m, 26d
	Dave Bowman	Scott McLean	24y, 5m, 15d
	Willie Stewart	Martin Hardie	24y, 7m, 10d
	Ralph Brand	Peter Lindau	27y, 11m, 23d

			26y, 3m, 11d

	Neal Ferrie	Michael Brown	21y, 0m, 25d
	Andy Cargill	Sandy Stewart	35y, 1m, 18d
	Barry Sellars	George Shaw	31y, 9m, 22d
	Graeme McCheyne	Willie Howie	18y, 4m, 23d
	Sean Christie	Derek Lyle	19y, 9m, 19d

TTA report

It was even in the first half as Thistle faced the wind and driving rain. Hardie scored with a header (59) when a Lindau cross got caught up in the wind. Arthur had some good saves after that and bottom club Forfar were denied an obvious pen (hand ball by McInally, 88) and lucky Thistle ground out the 3 points.

Media report

04-Dec-2000, Daily Record

LUCKY THISTLE HANDED TITLE BOOST BY REF. PARTICK THISTLE got the spot of luck every title-winning side needs at Station Park. Jags defender Mark McNally handled in his own box in the dying minutes but referee Bobby Orr waved play on. With the Firhill men defending Martin Hardie's 59th-minute opener, it was a crucial decision that let Thistle open up a nine-point lead at the top of Division Two.

Forfar boss Neil Cooper was predictably upset. He said: “It was a stonewall penalty. I spoke to the ref and he said it was a case of the ball playing the hand. But I looked over at manager John Lambie's face after it and could see he knew it was a penalty. We deserved something from the game and I was delighted by the efforts of our lads today. We lost a bad goal but we looked every bit as good as them.”

Forfar played with great passion and matched the Jags in every area. Indeed, the Jags had only one worthwhile effort in the first half with Allan Moore's long- ranger in seven minutes saved by Stuart Garden. But they found their range 14 minutes after the break when Peter Lindau's wind-assisted cross deceived Garden, enabling Hardie to nod home from six yards. The big Jags striker admitted his goal was slightly fortunate. He said: “The wind kept the ball in the air and my header didn't have much pace on it. Their keeper didn't quite judge it right and seemed to spill it into the net. We'll take the win even though we weren't at our best today. The whole team is playing well but we couldn't play it on the deck because of the wind. The dressing room is buzzing and I think we'll stay at the top as long as we keep winning at places like Forfar.”

Forfar had chances after Hardie's strike with Willie Stewart forcing Jags keeper Kenny Arthur to save well. Delighted Partick boss Lambie said: “Forfar matched us for most of the game but the lads played a lot of good football. We're at the top of the table because we are winning games like this, games we would have lost last year. But Forfar don't deserve to be bottom of the league and they won't be for long if they keep playing like that.”

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