25th Feb 2012 Raith Rovers 2 Partick Thistle 1 (SFL First Division - game 24)

matches:2011-12: ← 33game 3435 →

	John McGlynn	Jackie McNamara	38y, 4m, 1d

		Kal Naismith
		Christie Elliott

Brian Graham (1-1, 61 mins); John Baird (1-2, 72 mins)		Kris Doolan (1-0, 29 mins)
Jamie Walker; Brian Graham
		Paul Paton (@ 1-1, 68 mins)
Allan Walker (Jamie Walker, 64 mins); Brian Graham (Pat Clarke, 75 mins)		Kal Naismith (Scott Robertson, 71 mins); Paul Cairney (Christie Elliott, 84 mins)

	David McGurn	Scott Fox	24y, 7m, 28d
	Reece Donaldson	Stephen O'Donnell	19y, 9m, 14d
	Willie Dyer	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	20y, 10m, 17d
	Laurie Ellis	Paul Paton	24y, 10m, 7d
	Dougie Hill	Darren Cole	20y, 1m, 22d
	former Jag Grant Murray	Alan Archibald	34y, 2m, 12d
	Allan Walker	Paul Cairney	24y, 5m, 27d
	Iain Davidson	David Rowson	35y, 5m, 11d
	future Jag John Baird	Kris Doolan	25y, 2m, 14d
	future Jag Brian Graham	Kal Naismith	20y, 0m, 7d
	Joe Hamill	Chris Erskine	25y, 0m, 17d

			24y, 11m, 22d

	Ross Laidlaw	Ryan Scully	19y, 3m, 27d
	Damian Casalinuovo	Christie Elliott	20y, 8m, 30d
	Pat Clarke	Tommy Stewart	25y, 3m, 13d
	Iain Williamson	Scott Robertson	24y, 2m, 30d
	Jamie Walker	Stuart Bannigan	19y, 5m, 8d

TTA report

Thistle were good value for the lead when Doolan scored with a glancing header (29). Naismith headed against the bar but Rovers finished the first half the stronger. Poor defending at a free-kick and it was 1-1 (61). Paton was sent off (off the ball incident, 68) and a looping header over Fox won it (72).

Media report

25-Feb-2012, ptfc.co.uk

Hoping to record back to back league wins for only the second time this season manager Jackie McNamara made just one change to the side that defeated Ayr United midweek. Kal Naismith had impressed coming off the bench in that fixture and he was given the nod to start against Raith Rovers ahead of Christie Elliott who dropped to the bench. For periods of a game at a venue that Thistle have only very rarely down well at in recent history, it did look as if back to back victories would be recorded.

Little, however, went right for Thistle in a second half to forget.

Perhaps with confidence still flowing for the second half display midweek against Ayr United, Thistle began the game firmly on the front foot and Chris Erskine nearly unlocked the home defence in the game’s opening minutes with his cross cleared for a corner just before it reached Kris Doolan lurking in and around the Raith Rovers six yard box. Against Ayr striker Kris Doolan took his tally for the season to eight and will certainly be claiming that the game’s opening goal in the 29th minute was his ninth of the campaign. Thistle had been the better side up to this point and when the goal arrived it gave Thistle a deserved lead even though there was a touch of good fortune surrounding it. Stephen O’Donnell galloped up the right hand side and his cross was flicked goalwards by Doolan who saw the ball deflect off Rovers defender Ellis and into the back of the net. Thistle were close to extending their advantage just minutes after opening the scoring with Kal Naimsith heading against the crossbar. With Thistle well on top at this stage a second goal may well have all but secured maximum points and they would live to regret not pushing home their advantage while on top. Indeed it was the home side that finished the first half the stronger. They felt that they could have had a penalty when Darren Cole’s foul on Brian Graham was adjudged to have been committed just outside, rather than inside, the penalty box. Rovers still had a free kick in a highly promising position but Davidson saw his driven effort blocked inside the box. Scott Fox, otherwise largely untroubled in the first 45 minutes, did well to punch clear a corner kick from the left as the half finished with Thistle under some pressure.

That spell of late pressure from Rovers at the end of the first half should have acted as a warning to Thistle that the points hadn’t yet been secured, but that proved to be anything but the case. Thistle though did have an excellent chance to double their lead in the opening minutes of the half but Chris Erskine could find a way past David McGurn when left with just the Rovers keeper to beat. The fact that proved to be Thistle’s last worthwhile attempt on goal is an indictment of just how poor the second half display. Rovers were looking more and more dangerous with Alan Archibald and Darren Cole both making timely interventions but Rovers were level in the 61st minute and it was probably a deserved equaliser. Like the Thistle goal in the first half there was a touch of good fortune surrounding it. Right in front of the main stand side referee’s assistant, who would have a major role to play in events of the second half, adjudged that David Rowson’s challenge on John Baird was worthy of a foul. It was a soft award, and one hotly disputed by Rowson, but there was little doubt surrounding the quality of Brian Graham’s finish after the free kick reached him at the far side of the penalty box. The Thistle defence though should have dealt more effectively with the free kick in the first place. Now with their tails firmly up Rovers were given a further boost seven minutes later when Thistle were reduced to ten men. The same assistant that gave Rovers the free kick that led to the equaliser was the man whose interpretation of an off the ball incident involving Paul Paton and Brian Graham resulted in a red card for the Thistle man but no punishment for the Rovers player. Within minutes of going a man down Thistle found themselves a goal down as well. John Baird has often been a thorn in Thistle’s side and so he was again, his looping header going over Scott Fox and into the back of the net.

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