29th Dec 2002 Partick Thistle 0 Dundee United 0 (Scottish Premier League - game 23)

matches:2002-03: ← 30game 3132 →

Match Information

61y, 9m, 27d			John Lambie		Paul Hegarty
Jamie Buchan
Kenny Milne
Scott Paterson; Jamie Mitchell; Alex Burns					Steven Thompson; Derek Lilley; Craig Easton
Scott Paterson (Danny Lennon, 75 mins)					Jim Paterson (Warren Cummings, 74 mins)
24y, 0m, 22d			Kenny Arthur		Paul Gallacher future Jag
25y, 1m, 28d			David Lilley		Jim Lauchlan
25y, 0m, 16d			Alan Archibald		Stuart Duff
26y, 2m, 0d			Stephen Craigan		Jim Paterson
30y, 7m, 16d			Scott Paterson		David McCracken
26y, 1m, 23d			Jamie Mitchell		Mark Wilson
32y, 2m, 9d			Gerry Britton		Charlie Miller
26y, 8m, 7d			Martin Hardie		Craig Easton
29y, 4m, 25d			Alex Burns		Stephen O'Donnell
23y, 8m, 18d			Daniele Chiarini		Derek Lilley
25y, 8m, 26d			Jamie Buchan		Steven Thompson
26y, 9m, 23d
28y, 3m, 13d			Kevin Budinauckas		Alan Combe
21y, 10m, 25d			Ricky Waddell		Warren Cummings
20y, 9m, 27d			Andy S. Gibson		Jamie McCunnie
33y, 8m, 23d			Danny Lennon		Allan Smart
25y, 4m, 9d			Paul Walker		Jim Hamilton future Jag

Match Report

TTA report

Bottom of the league United were the happier with a point. Thistle made nothing of their first half territorial advantage and United hit the bar just on half-time. The forwards were better in the second half and Burns and Britton went close but for all Thistle's late pressure, too many attempts were wayward. A fair result.

Media report

29-Dec-2002, bbc.com

STALEMATE AT FIRHILL. Dundee United will end the year bottom of the Scottish Premier League but at least left Firhill with a point. It was the third time this season that the two sides had fought out a stalemate. This time, both sides missed good chances in a tetchy and ill-tempered affair, with Rangers-bound Steven Thompson among the antagonists. United's run without a league win has now stretched to eight games, but they avoided a fourth defeat in a row. Manager Paul Hegarty had publicly criticised his players and rang the changes for the trip to Glasgow. Stephen Carson was left out of the squad and Jim Hamilton was on the bench. Jim Lauchlan returned to the defence, Stephen O'Donnell moved into midfield and Steve Thompson joined Derek Lilley in attack. Thistle manager John Lambie made only one change, with Jamie Buchan coming in for the injured Kenny Milne.

It was the visitors who took the early initiative, looking sharper and more determined, with Charlie Miller prompting behind Thompson and Lilley. The visitors, with a new five-man system in midfield, were reluctant to push players forward in support of Thompson and Lilley and their threat slowly began to diminish. But Thistle were struggling to mount any sort of attack and their first effort on goal did not come until the 22nd minute. David Lilley's close-range header from a Burns free-kick was weak and slipped past United goalkeeper Paul Gallacher's left-hand post. The visitors should have taken the lead after a rare moment of penalty box excitement in the 34th minute. Thompson found himself only eight yards out but shot straight at keeper Kenny Arthur when a goal seemed certain. Stuart Duff's header rebounded against the bar and, when the ball was crossed back into the middle by Duff himself, Thompson's close-range header was tipped over the bar by Arthur.

Craig Easton was set free in the Thistle box by Miller after the break and his angled shot from 12 yards was beaten away by Arthur. Thistle had a half-chance when a weak Mark Wilson clearance broke to Burns only 10 yards from goal, but the former St Mirren man was off balance and blasted his shot high over Gallacher's bar.

The Jags should have taken the lead moments later when Gallacher parried a fierce Jamie Buchan shot from 25 yards and Burns somehow managed to hit the rebound wide from three yards. Jamie Mitchell should have scored for Thistle when he broke free of the United defence with only eight minutes remaining. But the former Clyde man ran out of steam and was caught by three defenders before he could get his shot away.

Scrapbook

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The Sun, 30th December, 2002

The Scotsman, 30th December, 2002

Stats Watch

ongoing sequences:

● 41 consecutive competitive appearances for Scott Paterson, 9th Feb 2002 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Stephen Craigan - 58 games, 8th Aug 2000 to 10th Nov 2001. 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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