14th Aug 2004 Partick Thistle 3 Airdrie United 2 (SFL First Division - game 2)

matches:2004-05: ← 08game 0910 →

Match Information

35y, 11m, 14d			Derek Whyte		Sandy Stewart former Jag
33y, 9m, 25d			Gerry Britton
Kenny Milne; Andy Wilkinson
Willie Howie; Andy Dowie
Juan Ramón (1-1, 34 mins); Leigh Hinds (2-1, 54 mins); Jamie Mitchell (3-2, 70 mins)					Owen Coyle (0-1, 19 mins); Owen Coyle (2-2, 67 mins)
					Stephen Docherty
Kenny Milne (Manny Panther, 63 mins); Steve Fulton (Willie Howie, 72 mins)					Scott Wilson (Kevin Christie, 55 mins); David Dunn (Stephen Docherty, 65 mins); Stephen McKeown (Thomas Hoey, 78 mins)
25y, 8m, 7d			Kenny Arthur		Mark McGeown
23y, 0m, 13d			Billy Gibson		Scott Wilson
24y, 11m, 19d			Kenny Milne		Paul Lovering
28y, 11m, 16d			Grant Murray		Allan McManus
20y, 0m, 8d			Andy Wilkinson		Marvyn Wilson
34y, 0m, 4d			Steve Fulton		David Dunn
27y, 9m, 8d			Jamie Mitchell		William Wilson
30y, 8m, 9d			Derek Fleming		Jerome Vareille
27y, 8m, 12d			Juan Ramón		Stephen McKeown future Jag
25y, 11m, 28d			Leigh Hinds		Mark Roberts future Jag
23y, 8m, 15d			Jean-Yves Anis		Owen Coyle
26y, 7m, 4d
21y, 2m, 5d			Steven Pinkowski		Lee Hollis
22y, 1m, 5d			Willie Howie		Kevin Christie
22y, 5m, 12d			Andy S. Gibson		Stephen Docherty former Jag
20y, 3m, 3d			Manny Panther		Kevin Barkey
21y, 10m, 27d			Andy Ross		Thomas Hoey

Match Report

TTA report

Gibson (B) was outstanding in this exciting game. O Coyle (who else?) gave Airdrie the lead (19) but Escalas equalised (34) with a diving header. Hinds capitalised on slack defensive work (54) then Coyle made it 2-2 (header, 67). A draw looked likely until Mitchell rose to head in a Fleming corner (70).

Media report

16-Aug-2004, Daily Record

I WANT TO BE ON A PAR WITH BARRY; Ex-Rangers Ace Gibson Dreams of Making It Big. BILLY GIBSON wants to emulate former Ibrox team-mate Barry Nicholson and prove there is life after Rangers. Gibson got the seven-year itch after spending frustrating seasons at Ibrox and joined Thistle on loan last January. He said: “I was 22 when I left Rangers and just desperate to play first-team football. I was so frustrated and I was only ever going to be a bit-part player with them. I have to be realistic and make a living and I saw coming to Thistle as a step back to go forward. I look at the likes of Barry Nicholson who has left Rangers and it hasn't harmed his career so it can bedone. I am the ambitious type and I want to achieve the same success as Barry. I want to get Thistle back into the SPL and be part of that. I had the chance to go to England in the summer and I'm very glad I didn't go. I still look at Partick as an SPL club - they are definitely not a First Division side.”

Gibson was outstanding against Airdrie - even in an unaccustomed wing-back role - in a fantastic advert for First Division football. He said: “I actually prefer playing at the back to the midfield now. I love to get forward and the managers have been encouraging me to get myself up the park as much as possible. I haven't enjoyed my football so much in a long time and I think that is beginning to show in my performances.” Gibson insists the loss to rivals Clyde was the perfect reminder to Jags that they will have to earn the right to bounce straight back up to the top flight. He said: “We got aboot in the backside against Clyde last week and it was probably a blessing in disguise.”

The evergreen Owen Coyle headed the Diamonds in front after 19 minutes. However, the Jags replied with a beauty from their impressive Spanish attacker Juan Ramón Escalas after 34 minutes. Think Keith Houchen's diving header for Coventry in the 1987 FA Cup Final - only further out. The Jags went in front after 54 minutes when hesitation in the Airdrie defence saw Scott Wilson robbed by Leigh Hinds who fired in a low shot on the turn. Coyle restored parity with a text-book header from a Paul Lovering freekick after 67 minutes and a draw looked on the cards. But three minutes later Jamie Mitchell rose to power home Derek Fleming's corner to give the Jags all three points.

Thistle co-boss Gerry Britton said: “It was a battle and we expected that but thankfully we won it. It was a great game for the neutral but not a manager. There were some great goals and I don't think you will see a better goal all season than Escalas' equalising goal.”

Airdrie gaffer Sandy Stewart said: “I'm bitterly disappointed with our second-half showing. We gifted Thistle two goals with mistakes. Teams live and die in their own box and we died.”

Video Highlights

(credit: Scottish Television )

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Stats Watch

● Leigh Hinds scores his first goal for Thistle.

● Jamie Mitchell scores his last goal for Thistle.

ongoing sequences:

● 21 consecutive competitive appearances for Billy Gibson, 7th Feb 2004 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: David Rowson - 25 games, 23rd Dec 2003 to 15th May 2004. 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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