27th Aug 2011 Partick Thistle 2 Queen of the South 1 (SFL First Division - game 4)

matches:2011-12: ← 10game 1112 →

37y, 10m, 3d	Jackie McNamara	Gus MacPherson

Christie Elliott
Tommy Stewart

Kris Doolan (1-0, 20 mins); Christie Elliott (2-1, 85 mins)		Mark Campbell (1-1, 61 mins)
Alan Archibald; Conrad Balatoni; Paul Cairney

Iain Flannigan (Chris Erskine, 62 mins); Conrad Balatoni (Tommy Stewart, 72 mins)		Dan Carmichael (Nicky Clark, 62 mins); Kevin Smith (Tom Brighton, 81 mins)

24y, 1m, 30d	Scott Fox	Lee Robinson
24y, 4m, 9d	Paul Paton	Craig Reid
20y, 4m, 19d	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	Alan Reid
23y, 9m, 1d	Scott Robertson	Stephen Simmons
20y, 7m, 0d	Conrad Balatoni	Mark Campbell
33y, 8m, 14d	Alan Archibald	Chris Higgins
23y, 11m, 29d	Paul Cairney	Allan Johnston
34y, 11m, 13d	David Rowson	Stephen McKenna
24y, 8m, 16d	Kris Doolan	Kevin Smith
20y, 3m, 1d	Christie Elliott	Scott McLaughlin
23y, 7m, 12d	Iain Flannigan	Dan Carmichael

24y, 11m, 12d

18y, 9m, 29d	Ryan Scully	Roddy McKenzie former Jag
24y, 6m, 19d	Chris Erskine	Nicky Clark
18y, 10m, 11d	Johnny Lindsay	Tom Brighton
19y, 3m, 16d	Stephen O'Donnell	Ryan McGuffie
24y, 9m, 15d	Tommy Stewart	Ian McShane

TTA report

Doolan scored when the ball broke to him in the box (20). A much better second half saw Elliot go close then a fine block by Balatoni prevented an equaliser. Queens did equalise (Fox suspect, 61) then both teams had claims for a penalty. Elliot scored from 12 yards (85) before Queens hit the post.

Media report

27-Aug-2011, ptfc.co.uk

Manager Jackie McNamara, in search of that elusive first league win of the season, made just the one change to his starting eleven for the visit of Queen of the South. Christie Elliott so impressive in his thirty minutes as a sub against Hamilton, started this game with Tommy Stewart dropping to the bench to accommodate him.

The first 45 minutes of this game were uninspired yet Thistle, enjoying a rare break of good fortune this season, were able to go into the dressing room at the break leading by a goal to nil. That goal arrived after 19 minutes and owed more to good fortune than it did anything else. To be fair Christie Elliott was rewarded for closing down Queens keeper Lee Robinson and when Robinson’s clearance struck Elliot and fell nicely for Kris Doolan, Doolan was left with the easy task of rolling the ball into the empty to net. Prior to the goal there had been precious little to excite the crowd of just a shade over 2,000. To Queens fell the game’s first half chance in the 10th but Scott McLaughlin wasn’t able to force the ball home at the back post after Kevin Smith had managed to get the better of Alan Archibald. The Thistle goal suffered a let off too when Conrad Balatoni allowed Carmichael to skip past him with the ball on the bye line but Queens couldn’t make the most of the situation. At the other end there were appeals for a penalty in the 13th minute when Scott Robertson went to ground under Lee Robinson’s challenge but Robertson first touch, when collecting an excellent pass from Paul Cairney, had let the midfielder down. With the exception of Doolan’s goal all that Thistle had to offer was an Iain Flannigan shot that drifted well wide of goal and a forceful run from Christie Elliott that earned Thistle an unproductive corner.

There was a promise of better things to come in the second half with a run from Iain Flannigan that ended with Thistle winning a free kick a couple of yards outside the Queens box. The free kick was touched to Christie Elliott but his effort was blocked before the ball spun into the arms of Lee Robinson. Thistle missed an even better chance to double their lead just a couple of minutes later. Scott Robertson knocked the ball forward to Christie Elliott who was left with just Robinson to beat. The Queens keeper though was sharp off his line and was able to deflect the ball wide for a corner. From the corner that followed, Kris Doolan saw his header cleared off the line. Thistle though nearly found themselves back on level terms in the 57th minute. Alan Archibald misjudged a ball forward leaving Danny Carmichael clear on goal. Just as an equaliser was looking likely though Conrad Balatoni made an excellent block to keep Thistle’s lead intact. That lead though remained intact only to the 61st minute. Scott Fox came a long way to collect a free kick on the left and when he didn’t get the ball Mark Campbell’s header found the net. With the game now coming to life we had three penalty appeals in the space of just a couple of minutes. Allan Johnston went to ground in the box for Queens while Chris Erskine, just on a sub, looked to be fouled as he surged into the Queens box before Balatoni effort looked to strike the arm of a Queens player. If Scott Fox had been at fault for the Queens equaliser then he made partial amends at least in the 65th minute. He made a fine stop to deny Nicky Clark a goal with Alan Archibald doing just enough to prevent pushing the loose ball into the net. Thistle had looked nervy since conceding the equaliser but were close to regaining the lead in the 75th minute. Paul Cairney’s excellent cross field pass was collected by Chris Erskine who from the right corner of the box sent a shot wide of target. Both sides were looking or a winning goal and in the 82nd minute Queens nearly nudged themselves in front. Allan Johnston was able to take advantage of indecision from Alan Archibald but his shot was off target. In the 85th minute it was Thistle though that were in front. David Rowson’s cross was touched into the path of Christie Elliott by Kris Doolan and for the second week in a row Elliot found the back of the net. It was going to be anything but a nerve free final five minutes for Thistle as underlined by a Nicky Clark shot that struck the post with Scott Fox beaten. We were into the 4th minute of injury time before referee McKendrick finally put the Thistle fans out their misery as the first league win of the season was recorded.

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