22nd Mar 2011 Stirling Albion 0 Partick Thistle 3 (SFL First Division - game 27)

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matches:2010-11: ← 39game 4041 →

	Jocky Scott	Ian McCall	46y, 5m, 20d

		Conrad Balatoni; Iain Flannigan
		Paul Paton; Ryan McGowan

		Kris Doolan (1-0, 27 mins); Conrad Balatoni (2-0, 36 mins); Kris Doolan (3-0, pen 73 mins)
Ross Forsyth; Ryan Borris

Tom Brighton (Gordon Smith, 62 mins); Brian Allison (John Kane, 82 mins); Sean Welsh (Andy S. Gibson, 83 mins)		Martin Grehan (Shaun Fraser, 74 mins); Chris Erskine (Jamie Campbell, 79 mins); John A. Robertson (Ross McGeough, 82 mins)

	Scott Christie	Scott Fox	23y, 8m, 22d
	Michael Doyle	John A. Robertson	34y, 11m, 22d
	Ross Forsyth	Patrick Boyle	24y, 0m, 2d
	former Jag Martyn Corrigan	Jackie McNamara	37y, 4m, 26d
	Scott Buist	Conrad Balatoni	20y, 1m, 23d
	Brian Allison	Alan Archibald	33y, 3m, 9d
	future Jag Sean Welsh	Iain Flannigan	23y, 2m, 7d
	future Jag Scott Robertson	David Rowson	34y, 6m, 8d
	Michael Mullen	Kris Doolan	24y, 3m, 11d
	Tom Brighton	Martin Grehan	26y, 5m, 13d
	Ryan Borris	Chris Erskine	24y, 1m, 14d

			27y, 9m, 28d

	Murray Jackson	Ryan Scully	18y, 4m, 21d
	former Jag John Kane	Simon Donnelly	36y, 3m, 21d
	Stephen Stirling	Shaun Fraser	17y, 8m, 20d
	former Jag Andy S. Gibson	Jamie Campbell	18y, 11m, 26d
	Gordon Smith	Ross McGeough	19y, 10m, 21d

TTA report

Stirling, isolated at the bottom, were on the back foot from the start. Doolan (after fine work by Rowson, 27) and Balatoni (a header from a corner, 36) made it 2-0 at half-time. Play was more even after the break and nerves started to jangle a little until a penalty by Doolan (foul, 73) made the points safe.

Media report

22-Mar-2011, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle made just two changes in the wake of the disappointment of Saturday’s reverse against Cowdenbeath. With Paul Paton missing through suspension, Conrad Balatoni was drafted into the side with John Robertson moving across to the right wing back role. The other change saw Iain Flannigan come in to replace Ryan McGowan away on international duty with Australia.

Thistle looked eager right from the start and keen to make amends for Saturday’s disappointment and Iain Flannigan’s 8th minute shot, that was just a shade too high signalled Thistle’s intent to take the game to Stirling. Five minutes David Rowson was a little unfortunate to see his well struck shot fly narrowly over the bar as Thistle continued to force the early pace. All that Thistle’s bright opening lacked was a goal and Kris Doolan was close to providing it in the 16th minute but Christie was able to produce a smart save to his left and, importantly, was able to hold Doolan’s shot as well. He looked beaten, however, four minutes later but Chris Erskine couldn’t quite direct Martin Grehan’s cut back on target , the ball going narrowly wide of goal. A Thistle goal though was looking more and more likely and Doolan was again close with a first time volley after a Robertson cross has been touched into Doolan’s path. A free kick in a central position in the 26th minute presented Thistle with an excellent chance to finally nudge themselves in front but Iain Flannigan, scorer of a spectacular goal the last time the two teams met, rather wasted the opportunity with a tame effort over the bar. We didn’t, however, have too long to wait for the Thistle goal that had been coming for some time. It owed much to an impressive run and cross from David Rowson with Kris Doolan the man to profit from Rowson’s excellent approach work as netted his 13th goal of the season from six yards out. A second Thistle goal would have been richly deserved and Flannigan and Rowson both had efforts to extend the lead but in the 35th minute Thistle did have a second goal to celebrate. A excellent cross from the left from Paddy Boyle was turned behind for a corner. It was Boyle that took that control and he picked out an unmarked Conrad Balatoni who bulleted his header into the back of the net for his first Thistle goal. Thistle could even have had a third before half-time. Iain Flannigan was able to gather a Grehan flick and saw his effort, right on half-time, strike the outside of the post.

Flannigan was in the thick of the action in the opening minute of the second half but Grehan couldn’t quite gather Flannigan’s cross as Thistle broke with a pace. Stirling though were starting to show that this was a game that was not yet won. Michael Mullen firstly curling a shot just over after excellent control inside the box before the same player laid the ball on a plate for Scott Robertson who really should have done better than knock the ball wide of goal. The Thistle goal was again under threat on the hour mark. Slack play in midfield gave Tom Bright an excellent opportunity but Scott Fox was sharp off his line to make a fine block. If Thistle nerves were starting to jangle a little they would have been eased considerably by a third goal and in the 70th minute they nearly had one through the unlikely source of John Robertson. Robertson was able to gather a crossfield pass before cutting inside, before sending a left foot shot into the side netting. A third Thistle goal though wasn’t far away and it arrived in the 72nd minute. John Robertson was again a danger coming forward and when he was tugged to the ground by Ross Forsyth, Thistle had their second penalty of the season. Leading scorer Kris Doolan was the man to take it and he duly tucked away his sixth goal of the season against Stirling Albion. The remaining 18 minutes gave Ian McCall the opportunity to give Shaun Fraser, Jamie Campbell and Ross McGeough game time as Thistle coasted to victory.

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