10th Sep 2011 Ross County 2 Partick Thistle 2 (SFL First Division - game 5)

matches:2011-12: ← 11game 1213 →

	Derek Adams	Jackie McNamara	37y, 10m, 17d

		Kyle Hutton; Tommy Stewart
		Conrad Balatoni; Iain Flannigan

Richard Brittain (0-1, pen 13 mins); Michael Gardyne (0-2, 47 mins)		Paul Cairney (1-2, pen 73 mins); Chris Erskine (2-2, 89 mins)
Paul Lawson		Kyle Hutton; Christie Elliott
Gary Miller (@ 0-2, 72 mins)
Mark Corcoran (Kurtis Byrne, 68 mins); Steven Craig (Johnny Flynn, 74 mins); Paul Lawson (Russell Duncan, 75 mins)		Tommy Stewart (Chris Erskine, 57 mins)

	Michael Fraser	Scott Fox	24y, 2m, 13d
	future Jag Gary Miller	Paul Paton	24y, 4m, 23d
	Marc Fitzpatrick	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	20y, 5m, 2d
	former Jag Scott Boyd	Kyle Hutton	20y, 7m, 5d
	Grant Munro	Scott Robertson	23y, 9m, 15d
	Paul Lawson	Alan Archibald	33y, 8m, 28d
	Michael Gardyne	Paul Cairney	24y, 0m, 12d
	Rocco Quinn	David Rowson	34y, 11m, 27d
	future Jag Steven Craig	Kris Doolan	24y, 8m, 30d
	Richard Brittain	Christie Elliott	20y, 3m, 15d
	former Jag Mark Corcoran	Tommy Stewart	24y, 9m, 29d

			25y, 1m, 2d

	Joe Malin	Ryan Scully	18y, 10m, 12d
	Kurtis Byrne	Stuart Bannigan	18y, 11m, 24d
	Chris McMenamin	Chris Erskine	24y, 7m, 2d
	Johnny Flynn	Stephen O'Donnell	19y, 3m, 30d
	Russell Duncan	Conrad Balatoni	20y, 7m, 14d

notes

Brian Colvin replaced the advertised Crawford Allan as referee.

TTA report

A soft penalty (13) gave County the lead. Doolan went close with a header, Fox had a fine save then Elliot saw his shot well saved. Slack defending early in the second half saw County make it 2-0 but Cairney scored with a penalty (73) then several chances were missed before Erskine fired home for a point (89). County had a man sent off (72).

Media report

10-Sep-2011, ptfc.co.uk

During his Thistle career Chris Erskine has developed the happy knack of scoring against Ross County at Victoria Park and he continued that trend in this fixture with an 89th minute equaliser that rescued a point for Thistle in a game that they had found themselves trailing by two goals with three quarters of the game played. Manager Jackie McNamara was able to include new loan signing from Rangers, Kyle Hutton, in his starting eleven and there was also a starting slot for Tommy Stewart who had come off the bench in the previous fixture with Queen of the South. That match with Queen of the South had produced Thistle’s first win of the season and there was a natural determination to build upon that victory with a positive result in this match as well.

There were some early positive signs from Thistle as well with some neat passing moves nearly creating a couple of openings in front of goal but it was in front of the Thistle goal that the first half chances came. In the first of a series of contentious decisions from the match officials, the far side assistant kept his flag down as Steven Craig raced towards the Thistle goal in the sixth minute. The Thistle defence though was able to snuff out any immediate danger to their goal. Two minutes later there was a further scare for Thistle. Michael Gardyne was able to make progress down the Thistle right but Steven Craig, at the back post, wasn’t able to convert Gardyne’s cross. The home side were beginning to get on top at this stage of the match but their opening goal in the 13th minute was still an unexpected one. Kyle Hutton had been forced to turn a Richard Brittain cross over his own bar for a corner. Brittain himself took the corner and when it struck Aaron Sinclair on the hand the referee decided there was sufficient intent to merit a penalty. Brittain duly sunk the spot kick to give the home side an early advantage. Thistle were close to once more levelling the scores just three minutes after falling behind. Paul Paton’s cross was met by the head of Kris Doolan and he was a little unlucky to see his header go wide of goal. As much as County were having the better of things they weren’t creating a plethora of chances either but in in the 31st minute Scott Fox had to make a fine save low down to his right to keep out a well struck shot from Richard Brittain that skidded across the slick playing surface. At the other end Paul Cairney was able to connect with another dangerous cross from the right from Paul Paton but Cairney’s header, like Kris Doolan’s before it, slipped the wrong side of the post. Thistle were even closer to an equaliser in the 35th minute. The ball was played up to the feet of Christie Elliott at the edge of the County box and after the Thistle striker had created space for himself he had to watch in frustration as Fraser in the County goal turned his shot round the post for a corner.

The second goal in a match is often the most vital and County must have thought that they were well on the way to three points when they struck right at the start of the second half. Michael Gardyne was given far too much time and space inside the box following a free kick and despite the best efforts of Alan Archibald on the goal line he was unable to prevent Gardyne’s shot from finding the back of the net. With the benefit of a two goal lead, County were comfortable repelling Thistle’s infrequent assaults on their goal. Only Kris Doolan, with a shot from 20 yards that Fraser had to turn round the post for a corner, posing any real threat to the Ross County goal. Thistle though were handed a lifeline in the 70th minute. Paul Cairney’s perfectly weighted pass was collected by sub Chris Erskine who was left with just Fraser to beat. Initially it looked as if Erskine might have taken the ball too wide but he still managed to squeeze in a shot that looked net bound until it struck the hand of County defender Miller. The result was a Thistle penalty and a red card for the County full-back. Paul Cairney was the man entrusted with thee kick and he made an efficient job of despatching the penalty. Suddenly a game that had looked like slipping away from Thistle was very much back in the balance. Just four minutes after Cairney’s penalty the midfielder slid the ball through to Christie Elliott who dragged his shot from a tight angle wide of goal. With the game inside its’ last ten minutes a Chris Erskine cross was just begging for a touch from a Thistle player and a Paul Paton effort from distance was only just too high. Thistle though weren’t to be denied the equaliser that a spirited comeback merited. Paul Paton’s cross was gathered by Chris Erskine who after steadying himself duly fired the ball home for an 89th minute equaliser.

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