30th Dec 2000 Partick Thistle 1 Berwick Rangers 1 (SFL Second Division - game 20)

matches:2000-01: ← 25game 2627 →

59y, 9m, 28d	John Lambie	Paul Smith

Peter Lindau
Scott McLean

George Shaw (1-0, 5 mins)		Garry Wood (1-1, 65 mins)
Stephen Craigan; Sandy Stewart		Marc Anthony; Garry Wood; Barry Elliot
		Barry Elliot (@ 1-0, 60 mins)
Peter Lindau (Derek Lyle, 74 mins); Brian Hamilton (Ian Cameron [i], 77 mins); Martin Hardie (David McCallum, 85 mins)		Garry Wood (Paul Ronald, 80 mins); Darren Smith (Kevin Magee, 90 mins)

22y, 0m, 23d	Kenny Arthur	Mark McLean
33y, 4m, 25d	Brian Hamilton	Gordon Forrest
23y, 0m, 17d	Alan Archibald	Innes Ritchie
24y, 2m, 1d	Stephen Craigan	Dale Gray
22y, 5m, 19d	Jamie Smith	Alan Neill
35y, 2m, 16d	Sandy Stewart	Jonny Whelan
31y, 5m, 20d	Derek Collins	Darren Smith
31y, 8m, 24d	Danny Lennon	Marc Anthony
28y, 0m, 21d	Peter Lindau	Grant McMartin
24y, 8m, 8d	Martin Hardie	Garry Wood
31y, 10m, 20d	George Shaw	Barry Elliot future Jag

28y, 0m, 7d

21y, 1m, 23d	Michael Brown	Craig Pucko
23y, 3m, 23d	David McCallum	Neil Oliver
34y, 4m, 6d	Ian Cameron [i]	Kevin Magee former Jag
19y, 10m, 17d	Derek Lyle	Craig Findlay
29y, 4m, 11d	Paul McGrillen	Paul Ronald

TTA report

Shaw, back with the club, gave Thistle the lead (5) firing home a Lennon cross in a game they should have won comfortably. They hit the post but their play deteriorated and Berwick were never out of it, even when they went down to 10 men (60). They levelled (65) and saw the game out comfortably. Unconvincing.

Media report

01-Jan-2001, Daily Record

WE NEED A KILLER STING IN THE TALE. RAGING John Lambie has warned his players they must adopt a killer instinct if they are to win the Second Division title. Thistle dominated the first hour of this match and should have buried Berwick by half-time. But one solitary goal was all they had to show for their efforts and despite going down to 10 men, Berwick fought back to earn a deserved point. The outcome had Lambie turning the air blue and afterwards he challenged his players to show they've got what it takes to win the Championship. He said: “We ended up chasing the game and what the hell did we need to do that for? In the first half we should have had the game dead and buried but my players wanted too many touches. We've got to kill teams off. I'm sick of losing the kind of goal we lost today and if we want to win the Championship then we've got to beat teams when we are on top.”

Lambie fielded Derek Collins, on loan from Hibs, and Sandy Stewart in an unfamiliar back line. And Lambie chose to point the finger of blame at his defence for the way they allowed Berwick back into the game. He said: “Every team comes here and treats the game like a cup tie and that's the second time Berwick have come and got a goal for nothing. We started the game well but I felt the three at the back were very shaky. We really missed Scott McLean and Mark McNally but we'll have to go out and get a result against Queen's Park on Tuesday. It's a great chance for the players to show what they're made of.”

Thistle were given a dream start after five minutes when prodigal son George Shaw pounced to score his first goal since returning to the Jags. Alan Archibald was fouled at the bye-line and Lennon's free-kick was met by Shaw who flicked the ball home. His goal tally could have been more if it had not been for keeper Mark McLean and Shaw said: “The keeper made a few outstanding saves and Berwick worked hard. It was a great game in the first half and we played some nice football but the gaffer was upset we didn't take our chances and that we defended badly. But for myself it was brilliant to get the goal and play from the start and I'm hoping to get a decent run in the side.”

Thistle ran Berwick ragged for the opening hour but then came the turning point. Former Celt Barry Elliot earned his second yellow for a challenge on Thistle's Stephen Craigan and was sent packing. But Berwick actually played better and worked harder with 10 men and within five minutes were level. Gordon Forrest's cross was missed by the whole Jags defence and Gary Wood had two bites at the cherry before he eventually prodded the ball home before he hit the deck. Berwick boss Paul Smith was a proud man and said: “We deserved a point and I felt Barry was unlucky to be sent off as the whole dressing room said no contact was made. Mark McLean made a few brilliant saves to keep us in the game and once I changed the formation to combat Danny Lennon we started to get back into things. Even so, I still feel Thistle will run away with the League.”

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