10th Mar 2010 Ayr United 1 Partick Thistle 0 (SFL First Division - game 27)

matches:2009-10: ← 37game 3839 →

	Brian Reid	Ian McCall	45y, 5m, 8d

		Paul Paton; Paul Cairney; Simon Donnelly; Chris Erskine
		Martyn Corrigan; Stephen McKeown; Steve Lovell; Bryan Hodge

Steve Bowey (0-1, 34 mins)
		Alan Archibald

Ryan Borris (Kenny Connolly, 79 mins); Tam McManus (Junior Mendes, 88 mins)		Chris Erskine (Mark Corcoran, 57 mins); Jackie McNamara (Stephen McKeown, 65 mins); Paul Cairney (Steve Lovell, 70 mins)

	Craig Samson	Jonny Tuffey	23y, 1m, 18d
	Chris Mitchell	Paul Paton	22y, 10m, 20d
	Danny Lafferty	Ryan Conroy	22y, 10m, 10d
	Andy Aitken	Jackie McNamara	36y, 4m, 14d
	Martyn Campbell	John A. Robertson	33y, 11m, 10d
	future Jag Ryan McGowan	Alan Archibald	32y, 2m, 25d
	Dean Keenan	Paul Cairney	22y, 6m, 9d
	Steve Bowey	David Rowson	33y, 5m, 24d
	Tam McManus	Liam Buchanan	24y, 11m, 11d
	Danny McKay	Simon Donnelly	35y, 3m, 9d
	Ryan Borris	Chris Erskine	23y, 1m, 2d

			28y, 3m, 1d

	Steve Grindlay	Bryn Halliwell	29y, 5m, 9d
	Junior Mendes	Steve Lovell	29y, 3m, 4d
	Kenny Connolly	Stephen McKeown	28y, 7m, 21d
	Ally Woodburn	Martin Grehan	25y, 5m, 1d
	former Jag Billy Gibson	Mark Corcoran	29y, 3m, 8d

TTA report

Thistle had already gone close 2 or 3 times before Ayr took the lead (34) with a 20-yarder that hit the underside of the bar on its way in. Sustained Thistle pressure ended when Ayr hit the post (61) then McNamara broke his leg (65). Corcoran shot over from 6 yards (90) to sum up the night/season.

Media report

10-Mar-2010, ptfc.co.uk

On a cold, crisp night but a night where conditions were otherwise as near perfect as you can get manager Ian McCall made three changes to the side that went down to a narrow defeat at Queen of the South. Injury ruled out Martyn Corrigan while Stephen McKeown and Steve Lovell dropped to the bench. In their place came in Paul Paton, Simon Donnelly and Chris Erskine.

The early stages of this game belonged to the home side. Ayr forcing a corner as early as the first minute. In the 9th minute they were close to opening the scoring when Ryan McGowan's shot from the edge of the box was just a little on the high side. Four minutes later it took a fine stop from Jonny Tuffey to keep out a Tam McManus header with the Thistle keeper having to punch clear under pressure from the corner that followed. All Thistle had to offer meantime was a rather tame Paul Cairney effort that was deflected for an unproductive corner. Gradually though Thistle began to assert themselves on proceedings. In the 26th minute Liam Buchanan was just a fraction away from connecting with a Chris Erskine cross. Twice in the space of the next two minutes Thistle were close to opening the scoring. Firstly David Rowson saw a well placed shot turned round the post by Samson before Samson produced an even better save to touch a Buchanan drive from an angle over the bar. At this point it was Thistle that looked the more likely side to opening the scoring but when a goal did arrive in the 34th minute it was for the home side. Tam McManus set up Steve Bowey whose shot from 20 yards flew past Tuffey into the Thistle net via the underside of the crossbar. Thistle should still have gone in at half-time on level terms. A David Rowson half volley in the 43rd minute nearly sneaked in at Samson's right hand post but the Ayr keeper got down well to save. Thistle's best chance of the half came with the game in first half injury. A fine move saw Liam Buchanan set up Paul Cairney but Cairney could lash the ball into the side netting when a goal looked likely.

Just as the first half had finished with Thistle coming close to a goal so too did the second half start with a near thing. Or two near things to be strictly accurate. Twice in the space of a minute Craig Samson in the Ayr goal stood between Thistle and an equaliser. Firstly he produced an excellent save to keep out a Simon Donnelly effort that had looked destined for the bottom corner. Before Thistle had finished cursing their luck over that opportunity they were cursing again when Chris Erskine was next to see his attempt at goal repelled by the home keeper. For all the pressing that Thistle were doing it was Ayr that came closest to scoring again in the 61st minute. Danny Lafferty's shot striking the base of Tuffey's right hand post. If Thistle's luck wasn't bad enough there was worse to follow in the 65th minute when Jackie McNamara left the field in a stretcher with what looked a very nasty injury. Stephen McKeown was the man sent on to replace him. Thistle's efforts at finding an equaliser were becoming more and more frantic but Stephen McKeown did force Samson into some work in the 85th minute with a shot that was just a little too near the keeper. With the game in injury time Jonny Tuffey came forward for a corner and was nearly caught out as Ayr broke quickly. In a season of missed chances and opportunities Mark Corcoran added to them when, from no more than six yards out, he knocked the ball over the bar.

match hubs

match

The Thistle Archive

Partick Thistle stats and stories 1876 to date