27th Sep 2003 Dunfermline Athletic 2 Partick Thistle 1 (Scottish Premier League - game 7)

matches:2003-04: ← 13game 1415 →

Match Information

			Jimmy Calderwood		Gerry Collins			48y, 6m, 15d
					Stephane Bonnes; John Paul McBride; Eddie Forrest; Andy Ross
					David Lilley; Stuart Taylor; Andy Thomson; Ricky Waddell
Stevie Crawford (1-1, 56 mins); Stevie Crawford (1-2, 70 mins)					James Grady (1-0, 49 mins)
					Kenny Milne; John Paul McBride; Derek Fleming
Andy Tod (Scott Thomson, 27 mins); Sean Kilgannon (Aaron Labonte, 84 mins); Stevie Crawford (Billy Mehmet, 89 mins)					Stephane Bonnes (Gerry Britton, 58 mins); Andy Ross (Stuart Taylor, 60 mins); John Paul McBride (Derek Fleming, 69 mins)
			Derek Stillie		Kenny Arthur			24y, 9m, 20d
			Andrius Skerla		Derek Whyte			35y, 0m, 27d
			Andy Tod		Grant Murray			28y, 0m, 29d
			David Grondin		Kenny Milne			24y, 1m, 1d
			Lee Bullen		Jamie Mitchell			26y, 10m, 21d
			Stevie Crawford		Stephane Bonnes			25y, 7m, 1d
			Gary Mason		David Rowson			27y, 0m, 13d
			Barry Nicholson		John Paul McBride			24y, 9m, 30d
			Darren Young		Eddie Forrest			24y, 9m, 10d
			future Jag Sean Kilgannon		James Grady			32y, 6m, 13d
			Craig Brewster		Andy Ross			21y, 0m, 9d
								26y, 9m, 16d
			Marco Ruitenbeek		Jákup Mikkelsen			33y, 1m, 13d
			Aaron Labonte		John Gemmell			19y, 0m, 21d
			Gary Dempsey		Derek Fleming			29y, 9m, 22d
			Scott Thomson		Stuart Taylor			28y, 10m, 1d
			Billy Mehmet		Gerry Britton			32y, 11m, 7d

Match Report

TTA report

Nothing much happened for 45 mins. A deflected shot by Grady from 18 yards gave Thistle the lead (49) - the 1st player to score on Dunfermline's notorious “carpet tile“ plastic pitch - but a scrambled goal (56) made it 1-1. It was all Dunfermline after that and more poor defending let them in for the winner (70).

Media report

27-Sep-2003, bbc.com

CRAWFORD DOUBLE STINGS THISTLE. Captain Scott Thomson returned from injury to inspire Dunfermline Athletic to come from behind and record their first league victory on their new artificial pitch. Partick Thistle had taken the lead against the run of play through a deflected James Grady shot. But Dunfermline hit back twice through Scotland forward Stevie Crawford. Thistle had still been without injured defender Jean-Yves Anis following the penalty shoot-out escape against Third Division Peterhead in midweek.

Dunfermline were first to threaten and a Lee Bullen cross found Craig Brewster, but the veteran striker's header was straight at Kenny Arthur. The first real goal threat for Thistle came from a 20-yard drive from Jamie Mitchell that beat Derek Stillie but flew just the wrong side of the post. Arthur was the busier of the goalkeepers and he had to be alert to hold a Sean Kilgannon effort after the former Middlesborough player was put in the clear by Brewster. He was also forced to dive full length to parry away a rasping shot from David Grondin from 25 yards. Dunfermline suffered a blow after 27 minutes, when Andy Tod went off injured and handed the captain's armband and central defensive position to Thomson. The club captain had been missing through injury for nine months, but his inspirational qualities led to a place on the bench despite having little match practice. Dunfermline should have gone ahead when Brewster headed into the path of Gary Mason only for the midfielder to screw his effort wide from 12 yards.

Grady gave Thistle the lead against the run of play five minutes after the break, when his drive from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection into the far corner of the net. Thistle had Arthur to thank for retaining their lead when he blocked a diving header from Brewster on the line after a good run and cross from Bullen. Dunfermline were level after six minutes later, when Grondin picked up a flick from Thomson and the Frenchman's low cross into the crowded goalmouth was turned home by Crawford. The striker pounced again to drive the ball home when Thistle failed to clear a Sean Kilgannon cross swung into the six-yard box. It was all Dunfermline from then on as the home side squandered several more chances to increase their lead.

Scrapbook

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BBC, 27th September, 2003

PTFC Website, 27th September, 2003

Stats Watch

ongoing sequences:

● 7 League games without a win; 9th Aug 2003 to date. (Longest run since: 7 games; 14th Dec 2002 to 2nd Feb 2003. Club-record: 26 games; 28th Nov 1908 to 2nd Oct 1909.)

● 18 consecutive competitive appearances for Gerry Britton, 1st Mar 2003 to date. (Longest run since: David Lilley - 30 games, 2nd Nov 2002 to 16th Aug 2003. 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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