21st Feb 2012 Partick Thistle 4 Ayr United 2 (SFL First Division - game 23)

matches:2011-12: ← 32game 3334 →

38y, 3m, 28d	Jackie McNamara	Brian Reid

no changes
no changes

Kris Doolan (1-1, 55 mins, 64 mins); Kris Doolan (2-1, 64 mins); Paul Cairney (3-1, pen 81 mins); Paul Cairney (4-2, 90 mins)		Keigan Parker (0-1, 3 mins); Michael McGowan (3-2, 88 mins)
		Ross Robertson; Keigan Parker

Christie Elliott (Kal Naismith, 73 mins); Chris Erskine (Stuart Bannigan, 89 mins)		John A. Robertson (Ross Robertson, 58 mins); Mark Roberts (Gareth Wardlaw, 69 mins); Michael Moffat (Jamie McKernon, 81 mins)

24y, 7m, 24d	Scott Fox	Kevin Cuthbert
19y, 9m, 10d	Stephen O'Donnell	John A. Robertson former Jag
20y, 10m, 13d	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	Adam Dodd
24y, 10m, 3d	Paul Paton	Eddie Malone
20y, 1m, 18d	Darren Cole	Chris Smith
34y, 2m, 8d	Alan Archibald	Andy Geggan future Jag
24y, 5m, 23d	Paul Cairney	Michael Moffat
35y, 5m, 7d	David Rowson	Liam Tomsett
25y, 2m, 10d	Kris Doolan	Keigan Parker
20y, 8m, 26d	Christie Elliott	Mark Roberts former Jag
25y, 0m, 13d	Chris Erskine	Michael McGowan

25y, 0m, 11d

19y, 3m, 23d	Ryan Scully	Ryan McWilliams
25y, 3m, 9d	Tommy Stewart	Gareth Wardlaw
20y, 0m, 3d	Kal Naismith	Jamie McKernon
19y, 5m, 4d	Stuart Bannigan	Ross Robertson
24y, 2m, 26d	Scott Robertson	Mark Shankland

TTA report

2 goals in 7 games then 4 come along at once. A poor first half saw Thistle go behind (3) and lucky to be only 1-down at half-time. Their 1st shot on target was on 33 mins. A 20-yard shot from Doolan (55) then a header (64) and a Cairney penalty (81) transformed the game. Ayr scored from 30 yards (88) then Cairney tapped in (90).

Media report

21-Feb-2012, ptfc.co.uk

Although frustrated not to have defeated Morton manager Jackie McNamara had been happy with his side’s performance and he kept the same starting eleven for the visit of Ayr United. The only change being on the bench where Stuart Bannigan was preferred to Sean Welsh. Happy he may have been with the display at the weekend but he couldn’t possibly have been pleased with Thistle’s first half performance in this fixture. Ayr’s interval lead was just a solitary goal but Thistle could count themselves not to be completely out of the game by the time the half-time whistle sounded.

The opening goal arrived after just three minutes. Adam Dodd crossed from the left and Keigan Parker slid in to take advantage of hesitation in the Thistle box and score. Ayr were desperately close to a second goal in the 12th minute. Scott Fox initially did well to deny Liam Tomsett and Thistle were thankful that Stephen O’Donnell was on hand to clear off the line when Tomsett got a second chance to score. Less than a minute later Ayr did have the ball in the net again but the flag went up for offside saving Thistle blushes as Ayr continued to cut open the Thistle defence with alarming ease. Mark Roberts was a player who scored many a Firhill goal while a Thistle player and he nearly added another to his collection, although this time in the colours of Ayr United, in the 20th minute but could hit the side netting when the ball broke to him at the bhack post. With the Thistle fans in the crowd of 1,439 growing more disgruntled with every passing second it took Thistle until the 33rd minute to muster a worthwhile effort on goal. David Rowson created the opening for Kris Doolan who saw his shot well saved by Cuthbert in the Ayr goal. Rowson himself tested the Ayr keeper as Thistle at least finished the half on the front foot but there was no disguising the fact that it had been a hugely disappointing first 45 minutes from a Thistle side badly in need of a goal.

Ten minutes into the second half and Thistle had that badly needed goal. The ball fell nicely into the path of Kris Doolan and the Thistle striker’s sweet shot from 20 yards found the bottom corner of the net. There was even better to follow for Thistle and Kris Doolan in the 64th minute. Chris Erskine chipped a cross into the box from the left hand side and Doolan was able to steer a header beyond Cuthbert and into the net. A third goal would have provided Thistle with some much needed breathing space and Paul Paton wasn’t too far away from supplying that third goal in the 72nd minute. When the ball was touched back into the path of Paton his shot from the edge of the box was just a foot too high. Chris Erskine too was close to supplying Thistle with a third goal. His drive going just wide and just out of the reach at Kris Doolan who tried to slide in at the back post. In the 75th minute Doolan was desperately unlucky not to complete a highly impressive hat-trick. Kal Naismith had just come on to replace Christie Elliott and his touch to the left set up Doolan who saw his shot blocked by the body of the Ayr keeper. In the 81st minute Thistle did get the third goal their second half performance deserved. Paton Paton’s run into the box was halted illegally by Eddie Malone, who was booked for his trouble. Although Doolan was on a hat-trick, Paul Cairney was the man to take the spot kick and he made no mistake with a powerful and confident strike. With Ayr pushing men forward, Thistle nearly caught United on the break with a surging run from Paul Cairney taking him clear of the the Ayr defence but, understandably, ran out of steam when he reached the penalty box. Thistle had been in complete control for the second half but Michael McGowan looked to set up a nervy ending when he cracked home a shot from fully 30 yards out with just two minutes of the game remaining. Thistle though restored their two goal lead in next to no time. Paul Cairney taking his tally for the season into double figures when he was on hand to tap home a Kris Doolan assist.

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