20th Mar 2004 Dunfermline Athletic 1 Partick Thistle 0 (Scottish Premier League - game 29)

matches:2003-04: ← 39game 4041 →

Match Information

			Jimmy Calderwood		Derek Whyte			35y, 6m, 18d
					Gerry Britton			33y, 5m, 0d
					Andy Thomson
					Gerry Britton
Darren Young (0-1, 10 mins)
Gary Dempsey (Lee Bullen, HT); Ritchie Byrne (Aaron Labonte, 66 mins); Derek Young (Andy Tod, 81 mins)					Andy Thomson (Jorge Cadete, 70 mins); Kenny Milne (John Paul McBride, 74 mins); Billy Gibson (Andy S. Gibson, 88 mins)
			Derek Stillie		Jamie Langfield			24y, 2m, 27d
			future Jag Greg Shields		Ian Ross			29y, 6m, 22d
			Scott Wilson		Grant Murray			28y, 6m, 20d
			Stevie Crawford		Kenny Milne			24y, 6m, 23d
			Andrius Skerla		Jamie Mitchell			27y, 4m, 14d
			Ritchie Byrne		Stephane Bonnes			26y, 0m, 23d
			Barry Nicholson		David Rowson			27y, 6m, 6d
			Gary Dempsey		Andy Thomson			32y, 11m, 19d
			Darren Young		Jean-Yves Anis			23y, 3m, 19d
			future Jag Derek Young		Billy Gibson			22y, 7m, 19d
			Craig Brewster		Daniele Chiarini			24y, 11m, 9d
								26y, 6m, 8d
			Marco Ruitenbeek		Kenny Arthur			25y, 3m, 13d
			Lee Bullen		Adrian Madaschi			21y, 8m, 9d
			Aaron Labonte		John Paul McBride			25y, 3m, 21d
			Andy Tod		Andy S. Gibson			22y, 0m, 18d
			Billy Mehmet		Jorge Cadete			35y, 6m, 22d

Match Report

TTA report

Dunfermline started brightly and took the lead (defence outstripped, 10) but Thistle got into the game and were awarded a pen but Mitchell's effort was saved. Their second half performance was by no means bad. A 2nd pen was denied then Gibson and Mitchell went close. The deserved draw proved to be out of reach.

Media report

20-Mar-2004, bbc.com

Darren Young's early goal was enough to earn the home side maximum points and leave bottom side Thistle disappointed once again. Dunfermline enjoyed the bulk of possession but the visitors created a number of good chances to draw level. The Jags were awarded a first half penalty but Derek Stillie managed to save Jamie Mitchell's spot kick.

Young finished off a neat move in the ninth minute when he collected a Barry Nicholson pass and shot home. The home side started with real purpose and had two great chances to go ahead within the first five minutes. Stevie Crawford picked out his strike partner Craig Brewster in the area but the veteran striker headed just past the upright from 12 yards. Soon after, Crawford twisted and turned inside the box to lose his marker Grant Murray but he mis-hit his shot and the ball bobbled wide. The visitors were struggling to cope with the home side's clever movement and they fell behind in the ninth minute. Nicholson spotted Darren Young's break from midfield and the former Aberdeen man took the ball in his stride before blasting the ball past Jamie Langfield. The Jags threatened for the first time in the 18th minute when Ian Ross fired in a dangerous corner and Kenny Milne was inches from getting his head on the end of it. A minute later they were denied an equaliser when home keeper Derek Stillie was able to push away a shot from Andy Thomson. The home had a chance to extend their lead in the 33rd minute when Crawford seized on Jean-Yves Anis' mistake and threaded a great ball through to the overlapping Nicholson, but he blazed into the crowd. Gary Dempsey also went close moments later when he was picked out at the back post by Derek Young, but his right-foot shot hit the ground and flew over the top. Thistle were then awarded the perfect opportunity to go level when referee Willie Young pointed to the spot in the 36th minute. Stillie spilled Mitchell's initial effort and Stephane Bonnes went down under the clumsy challenge of Scott Wilson as he tried to seize on the rebound but the goalkeeper made amends by saving Mitchell's effort to his right. Stillie produced another great stop to deny a goal-bound free-kick from the same player four minutes before the break.

Skerla went close for the Pars in the 55th minute but his powerful header from Brewster's corner flew over from five yards. Jags midfielder Stephane Bonnes played the ball across the face of goal, but Thomson just failed to get a telling touch. Jorge Cadete was given the last 20 minutes to try and earn a longer-term deal at Firhill when he replaced Thomson but made little impact. The home side were hanging on nervously to their lead and needed Shields on the line to direct Mitchell's shot wide after a blunder by Stillie.

Video Highlights

(credit: BBC Scotland )

advertisement

the ultimate destination for the best and latest Thistle multimedia content, from live audio commentary to the latest video interviews and tactical analysis…

…only £7.99 per month

Stats Watch

● 35-year-old Jorge Cadete plays his last game for Thistle.

ongoing sequences:

● 6 League games without a win; 14th Feb 2004 to date. (Longest run since: 14 games; 9th Aug 2003 to 29th Nov 2003. Club-record: 26 games; 28th Nov 1908 to 2nd Oct 1909.)

● 7 competitive games without a win, 14th Feb 2004 to date. (Longest run since: 9 games, 27th Sep 2003 to 4th Dec 2003. Club-record: 26 games, 28th Nov 1908 to 28th Aug 1909.)

● 15 away League games without a win; 16th Aug 2003 to date. (Longest run since: 17 games; 16th Sep 1989 to 25th Aug 1990. Club-record: 26 games; 20th Mar 1935 to 29th Aug 1936.)

● 29 consecutive competitive appearances for Grant Murray, 20th Sep 2003 to date, a new personal best. (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.

.

match hubs