24th Mar 2012 Partick Thistle 0 Ross County 1 (SFL First Division - game 29)

matches:2011-12: ← 38game 3940 →

Match Information

38y, 5m, 0d			Jackie McNamara		Derek Adams
Stuart Bannigan; Willie Kinniburgh
Aaron Taylor-Sinclair; Scott Robertson
					Colin McMenamin (0-1, 44 mins)
					Rocco Quinn; Iain Vigurs
Stephen O'Donnell (Christie Elliott, 65 mins); Stuart Bannigan (Kal Naismith, 73 mins)					Rocco Quinn (Steven Craig, 75 mins); Michael Gardyne (Iain Vigurs, 75 mins); Colin McMenamin (Mark Corcoran, 85 mins)
19y, 4m, 24d			Ryan Scully		Michael Fraser
19y, 10m, 13d			Stephen O'Donnell		Gary Miller future Jag
19y, 6m, 7d			Stuart Bannigan		Scott Morrison
24y, 11m, 6d			Paul Paton		Scott Boyd former Jag
27y, 6m, 16d			Willie Kinniburgh		Grant Munro
34y, 3m, 11d			Alan Archibald		Paul Lawson
24y, 6m, 24d			Paul Cairney		Michael Gardyne
35y, 6m, 10d			David Rowson		Stuart Kettlewell
25y, 3m, 13d			Kris Doolan		Colin McMenamin
22y, 0m, 9d			Sean Welsh		Richard Brittain
25y, 1m, 16d			Chris Erskine		Rocco Quinn
25y, 3m, 10d
24y, 8m, 25d			Scott Fox		Joe Malin
20y, 9m, 27d			Christie Elliott		Mark Corcoran former Jag
20y, 0m, 0d			Kieran Burns		Steven Craig future Jag
25y, 4m, 12d			Tommy Stewart		Johnny Flynn
20y, 1m, 6d			Kal Naismith		Iain Vigurs

Match Report

TTA report

Thistle were the better team in the first half. Chances were few but they lacked a killer touch. Top of the league County scored close in from a corner (44). 1 defeat in 29 told its own story. Against a team that had made tight defending and time wasting an art form, Thistle could make little impression in the second half.

Media report

24-Mar-2012, ptfc.co.uk

Suspension ruled out Aaron Sinclair and Scott Robertson from the team for this match thus denying manager Jackie McNamara the opportunity of fielding the same side that had defeated Queen of the South in such fine style seven days earlier. Stuart Bannigan was the man drafted in to replace Aaron Sinclair in the left wing back role while Willie Kinniburgh replaced Scott Robertson. Elsewhere despite Scott Fox returning to fitness, Ryan Scully kept his place in the side.

The first half of this game belonged in the main to Thistle but they somehow found themselves trailing at the break, County scoring on the stroke of half-time with their first serious effort on goal. Thistle perhaps hadn’t had a plethora of first half chances themselves but they were clearly the better side. In Thistle’s first attack Chris Erskine flick forward just caught Paul Cairney in an offside position. Thistle were playing some neat football on a tricky surface and they won the game’s first corner in the 11th minute when Michael Fraser wasn’t able to keep Chris Erskine’s deflected effort from crossing the goal line. Erskine took the corner himself but although Kris Doolan was able to nod the ball forward his header dropped wide of goal. The better football though continued to come from Thistle. Stephen O’Donnell sent a left foot shot over the bar from just outside the box and a Chris Erskine free kick was on target but lacked just a little height with the result that Fraser was able to save at his right hand post. Another positive Thistle move involving Chris Erskine and Kris Doolan finished with Paul Cairney sending a shot over the bar as Thistle tried to find the goal that their first half performance probably deserved. Instead they found themselves trailing at the break. Paul Paton was forced to head behind for a corner a Richard Brittain free kick and from that corner the league leaders nudged themselves in front. Ryan Scully had been largely idle during the first 45 minutes but he made an excellent save from the corner but Colin McMenamin was on hand to, just, knock the ball over the line for a half-time lead that County scarcely merited.

The second 45 minutes was a frustrating experience for Thistle. County have won plenty of points this season and deserve their comfortable position at the top of the table but they have earned little praise for their style of football. They were again well organised and in no hurry to take free kicks and throw ins, much to the frustration of the Thistle support. Thistle were able to win a number of corner kicks but there was no way through a resolute County defence. The County fans and players were certainly happy at full-time but this wasn’t a football match that will live long in the memory of the majority of the crowd.

Scrapbook

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BBC, 24th March, 2012

Stats Watch

● 20-year-old Kal Naismith plays his last game for Thistle.

● 27-year-old Willie Kinniburgh plays his last game for Thistle.

● Thistle go 8 competitive games without a win versus Ross County, the H2H record.

ongoing sequences:

● 34 consecutive competitive appearances for Paul Cairney, 30th Jul 2011 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Kris Doolan - 49 games, 12th Feb 2011 to 3rd Mar 2012. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

Stats Watch adheres to our stated definitions of League, League Max, Major Competitive, Competitive or All Games. Where there is no written qualification, you should presume that the Stat in question is compiled from the All Games criteria.

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