27th Dec 2008 Partick Thistle 0 Ross County 2 (SFL First Division - game 18)

matches:2008-09: ← 32game 3334 →

Match Information

44y, 2m, 27d			Ian McCall		Derek Adams
Alan Archibald; Simon Donnelly
Willie Kinniburgh; Mark Roberts
					Sean Higgins (0-1, 25 mins); Sean Higgins (0-2, 84 mins)
Marc Twaddle; Alan Archibald
Marc Twaddle (@ 0-1, 72 mins)
Simon Storey (Stephen McKeown, 59 mins); Simon Donnelly (Mark Roberts, 64 mins); David Rowson (Scott Chaplain, 70 mins)					Richard Brittain (Andy Dowie, 57 mins); Steven Craig (David Winters, 80 mins); Andy Dowie (Michael Gardyne, 87 mins)
21y, 11m, 7d			Jonny Tuffey		Derek Soutar
21y, 8m, 9d			Paul Paton		Mark McCulloch former Jag
22y, 4m, 0d			Marc Twaddle		Stuart Golabek
26y, 6m, 22d			Simon Storey		Steven Watt
32y, 8m, 29d			John A. Robertson		Scott Boyd former Jag
31y, 0m, 14d			Alan Archibald		Adam Strachan former Jag
22y, 9m, 29d			Kevin McKinlay		Richie Hart
32y, 3m, 13d			David Rowson		Richard Brittain
23y, 9m, 0d			Liam Buchanan		Sean Higgins
34y, 0m, 26d			Simon Donnelly		Steven Craig future Jag
23y, 11m, 25d			Gary Harkins		Scott Morrison
26y, 7m, 27d
36y, 7m, 22d			Craig Hinchliffe		Joe Malin
33y, 1m, 28d			Mark Roberts		Alex Keddie
24y, 3m, 19d			Willie Kinniburgh		Michael Gardyne
27y, 5m, 10d			Stephen McKeown		David Winters
25y, 3m, 17d			Scott Chaplain		Andy Dowie former Jag

Match Report

TTA report

Another goalless defeat to County. A deft chip over the keeper gave them the lead (25). Thistle pressed, frustration set in and Twaddle was sent off late on (late tackle, 2nd yellow). County made the points secure 6 minutes from time. Thistle hadn't had a single effort on target in the match.

Media report

27-Dec-2008, ptfc.co.uk

After a good performance but no goals and just one point at Dundee Ian McCall made two changes ahead of this fixture with Ross County. Despite hinting that he may start on the bench Alan Archibald came into replace Willie Kinniburgh while up front Simon Donnelly was preferred to Mark Roberts who dropped to the bench where he was joined by Craig Hinchliffe, Willie Kinniburgh, Scott Chaplain and a fit again Stephen McKeown.

County had already defeated Thistle twice this season and they were the first to threaten in this game as well with a dangerous free kick from Scott Morrison flying across goal. Despite this being as low key an opening quarter as it was possible to be Marc Twaddle managed to pick up a yellow card in the 23rd minute after a mistimed tackle some 30 yards from goal. The free kick that followed was well off target but it was still the closest thing yet to a goal. It was something of a surprise therefore when County, the livelier of the two sides up to this point, took the lead a minute later. Sean Higgins was able to latch onto a ball inside the Thistle box and his deft chip beat Jonny Tuffey for a well taken goal. The loss of that goal did seem to shake the lethargy from Thistle's performance a little and Kevin McKinlay was able to create space for himself only to see his cross cleared by the County defence. While Thistle were still well below their best hopes were raised in the 32nd minute when Liam Buchanan was able to gather a McKinlay cross but he found the angle too tight and was able to direct his shot on target. In the 36th minute a lovely through ball from David Rowson looked to have presented Liam Buchanan with a great chance to tie the scores only for a raised flag for offside to be met with howls of frustration from the Thistle fans in the Jackie Husband Stand. With two minutes till half-time Thistle came the closest yet to restoring equality in the game. Liam Buchanan's header from a Simon Donnelly assist clipping the top of the bar on the way over.

Despite a below par first half performance manager Ian McCall resisted the temptation to make any changes at the break. Six minutes into the second half Thistle had their first corner of the game quickly followed by a second corner from which Marc Twaddle nodded Paul Paton's flag kick over the bar. Thistle though were still struggling to make an impression against a well organised Ross County defence and Thistle's frustration was clear to see when Marc Twaddle lashed an ambitious shot well wide of goal after 57 minutes. A change was clearly required and in the 58th minute Stephen McKeown was sent on in place of Simon Storey. A second substitution followed five minutes later with Mark Roberts replacing Simon Donnelly. With Thistle struggling to get back into the game frustration grew when a surging run from Kevin McKinlay run and pass to Mark Roberts was halted by a contentious offside decision. With twenty minutes remaining Ian McCall turned to his bench for the final time when Scott Chaplain came on for David Rowson. An already difficult task took an the air of impossible when Twaddle, booked in the first half, saw red for a late challenge on Adam Strachan in one decision that there was little complaint over. Any little doubt over the destination of the points was removed in the 84th minute. Sean Higgins was able to get to a through ball ahead of Jonny Tuffey and was left with the easiest of finishes to round off a thoroughly miserable afternoon for Thistle. Late efforts from Kevin McKinlay and Stephen McKeown that went wide of goal only served to emphasise the fact that Thistle managed not a single shot on target in the whole game.

Stats Watch

● Thistle lose a fourth consecutive competitive game versus Ross County, the H2H record.

ongoing sequences:

● 18 consecutive competitive appearances for David Rowson, 30th Aug 2008 to date. (Longest run since: Ian Maxwell - 24 games, 26th Jul 2008 to 13th Dec 2008. 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