10th Oct 2010 Ross County 2 Partick Thistle 2 (Challenge Cup Semi Final)

matches:2010-11: ← 16game 1718 →

Match Information

			Derek Adams		Ian McCall			46y, 0m, 10d
					no changes
					no changes
Scott Morrison (1-1, 53 mins); Andy Barrowman (2-2, 87 mins)					Willie Kinniburgh (1-0, 8 mins); Patrick Boyle (2-1, 63 mins)
Richard Brittain					Jackie McNamara; Alan Archibald; Liam Buchanan; Chris Erskine
Iain Vigurs (Paul Lawson, 73 mins); Garry Wood (Andy Barrowman, 83 mins)					Kris Doolan (Liam Buchanan, 62 mins); Martin Grehan (Chris Erskine, 81 mins); Willie Kinniburgh (Bryan Hodge, 97 mins)
			Michael McGovern		Bryn Halliwell			30y, 0m, 9d
			future Jag Gary Miller		Paul Paton			23y, 5m, 22d
			Scott Morrison		Patrick Boyle			23y, 6m, 20d
			Iain Vigurs		Jackie McNamara			36y, 11m, 16d
			former Jag Scott Boyd		Alan Archibald			32y, 9m, 27d
			Darren McCormack		Willie Kinniburgh			26y, 1m, 2d
			Michael Gardyne		John A. Robertson			34y, 6m, 12d
			Martin Scott		Paul Cairney			23y, 1m, 11d
			future Jag Steven Craig		Kris Doolan			23y, 9m, 29d
			Richard Brittain		Martin Grehan			26y, 0m, 1d
			Garry Wood		Iain Flannigan			22y, 8m, 25d
								27y, 6m, 23d
			Joe Malin		Craig Hinchliffe			38y, 5m, 5d
			Paul Lawson		Liam Buchanan			25y, 6m, 13d
			Stuart Kettlewell		Chris Erskine			23y, 8m, 2d
			Johnny Flynn		Bryan Hodge			23y, 0m, 17d
			Andy Barrowman		Conrad Balatoni			19y, 8m, 13d

Match Report

TTA report

AET. Lost 3-4 on pens. Unchanged Thistle led twice - from a Kinniburgh header (8) then through Boyle with a shot from a parried save (63) - but a free-kick (53) and poor goalkeeping (87) led to the equalisers. Both teams squandered chances in extra time so it was on to penalties.

Media report

10-Oct-2010, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle’s bid to reach their first ever Challenge Cup Final ended in heartbreak this afternoon. Despite twice taking the lead a goal just three minutes from the end of the 90 minutes took the tie to extra-time and when that 30 minutes came and went with no further addition to the score it was down to penalties, Ross County squeezing through to the final winning 4-3. Returning to events at the start of the afternoon given that Thistle had won in the league at the same venue just over a week earlier it perhaps wasn’t a major surprise to see manager Ian McCall field the same starting eleven. The only change coming on the bench where Bryan Hodge replaced Stuart Bannigan.

After a cagey opening it was Thistle that took the lead after 8 minutes. In the previous league fixture Thistle’s opening goal came from a corner on the left and so too did the opener in this game. Iain Flannigan’s corner was headed goalwards by Kris Doolan and he was denied a goal by an excellent McGovern save. Willie Kinniburgh, however, was on hand to dive full length to score his first ever Thistle goal. Having established an early lead the game followed a very similar pattern to that of the league game. The home side enjoyed periods of possession but were rarely able to trouble a solid and well organised Thistle rearguard. The few direct efforts that County had on the Thistle goal in the first 45 minutes required no more than routine saves from Bryn Halliwell.

That though changed 8 minutes into the second half. Jackie McNamara was adjudged to have fouled Richard Brittain a few yards outside the Thistle box. The free kick that followed was touched back into the path of Scott Morrison and his powerful shot found the back of the Thistle net. For a little while after that it looked as County might push on from that and it took an excellent save from Halliwell to deny Steven Craig after another Morrison shot had taken a deflection. Thistle though weathered the mini storm that followed Morrison’s equaliser and were handed an opportunity to re-establish their lead in the 59th minute. Martin Grehan was able to get onto the end of a through ball from an industrious Paul Cairney but Grehan’s shot from just inside the County box was always on the rise. A second Thistle goal, however, did follow in the 63rd minute. A John Robertson shot took a deflection and although McGovern was able to save Paddy Boyle was first to the loose ball and he knocked home his third goal of the season from close range. While County expended plenty of energy in search of a second equalising goal the Thistle defence were again dealing comfortably with what County good throw at them. Bryn Halliwell having to produce one smart save at his left hand post to stop a Gary Miller shot. The full-time whistle and a place in the Challenge Cup Final was just three minutes away when County scored an equaliser that, to be honest, hadn’t looked like coming. It was a moment that Bryn Halliwell is sure to want to forget. He spilled a ball into the box and County sub Andy Barrowman was able to steer a shot into the back of the net. Having been so close to a place in the final County nearly snatched a winner with time running out. Barrowman was again the threat to the Thistle goal but he couldn’t direct a free header on target.

And so it was onto extra-time. There were chances for both teams during the period of extra-time with bar far and way the better ones following to Thistle. In the first period of extra-time Chris Erskine and Iain Flannigan both saw shots go narrowly wide of goal and while Paul Cairney’s effort was on target it was too close to McGovern. The best chance of them all, however, fell to Liam Buchanan. Buchanan was left with just McGovern in the County goal to beat with just minutes of the game remaining but the County keeper was able to get enough of a touch to Buchanan’s shot to take it wide of goal. Liam may well feel that he should have done better with that chance and so too would Richard Brittain a few minutes later when he rather snatched at an excellent chance some 15 yards from goal. It was going to take penalties then to decide who was going to join Queen of the South in the final. Paul Cairney got Thistle off to the perfect start but following a successful Brittain penalty a miss from Iain Flannigan gave the home side the advantage. An advantage that was cancelled out when Bryn Halliwell saved from Martin Scott. However, when Paddy Boyle missed with Thistle’s final kick it was left to Steven Craig to score the penalty that sent County through to the final.

Scrapbook

magnifiable if deemed necessary by your browser

BBC, 10th October, 2010

Stats Watch

● Willie Kinniburgh scores his first goal for Thistle.

ongoing sequences:

● 14 consecutive competitive appearances for Bryn Halliwell (a new personal best), Paul Paton, Patrick Boyle (a new personal best) & Liam Buchanan, 24th Jul 2010 to date. (Longest run since: David Rowson - 24 games, 27th Feb 2010 to 25th Sep 2010. 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