14th Apr 2012 Partick Thistle 1 Raith Rovers 1 (SFL First Division - game 33)

matches:2011-12: ← 42game 4344 →

38y, 5m, 21d	Jackie McNamara	John McGlynn

Conrad Balatoni; Mark McGuigan
Aaron Taylor-Sinclair; Scott Robertson

Sean Welsh (1-0, 64 mins)		Paul Paton (1-1, og 74 mins)


Kris Doolan (Christie Elliott, HT)		Scott McBride (Jamie Walker, 57 mins); Pat Clarke (John Baird, 57 mins); Iain Williamson (Jonathan Stewart, 77 mins)

24y, 9m, 17d	Scott Fox	David McGurn
19y, 11m, 3d	Stephen O'Donnell	Jason Thomson
19y, 6m, 28d	Stuart Bannigan	Willie Dyer
24y, 11m, 27d	Paul Paton	Laurie Ellis
21y, 2m, 18d	Conrad Balatoni	Dougie Hill
34y, 4m, 1d	Alan Archibald	Grant Murray former Jag
24y, 7m, 16d	Paul Cairney	Iain Williamson
22y, 0m, 30d	Sean Welsh	Allan Walker
25y, 4m, 3d	Kris Doolan	Brian Graham future Jag
23y, 5m, 7d	Mark McGuigan	Pat Clarke
25y, 2m, 6d	Chris Erskine	Scott McBride

24y, 1m, 18d

19y, 5m, 16d	Ryan Scully	Ross Laidlaw
20y, 10m, 19d	Christie Elliott	Damian Casalinuovo
18y, 7m, 26d	Caolan McAleer	John Baird future Jag
27y, 7m, 6d	Willie Kinniburgh	Jonathan Stewart
18y, 6m, 28d	Gavin Griffin	Jamie Walker

TTA report

A point off Rovers at last but Thistle almost threw it away. Chances were few in the goalless first half but a goal finally arrived from Welsh when he scored from a corner (64). An OG by Paton (helping a Graham shot into the net, 74) made it 1-1. Rovers had a goal disallowed and hit the bar in added time. Happy to draw.

Media report

14-Apr-2012, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle haven’t enjoyed the best of fortunes against Raith Rovers this season and the jinx continued yesterday at Firhill. Thistle did at least collect their first, and only, point of the season against the side from Kirkcaldy but they came preciously close to losing a game that they had controlled long spells of. After defeat at Cappielow in the previous game, Thistle manager Jackie McNamara made two changes to his side. The two players injured against Morton, Aaron Sinclair and Scott Robertson, missed out with Conrad Balatoni and Mark McGuigan starting against Raith Rovers.

Thistle set the tone for a first half of almost total domination inside the first minute of the game. Raith keeper David McGurn was only able to punch clear a dangerous ball into the box as far as Chris Erskine. Erskine though, from the edge of the box, wasn’t able to keep his shot down and the ball cleared the bar. Paul Cairney sent a free kick a foot or so over the bar in the 5th minute as Thistle continued to search for an early opener. That early goal didn’t arrive, however, but Thistle remained well in control and were close to opening the scoring in the 26th minute. Stephen O’Donnell’s pass into the box picked out the run of Chris Erskine. McGurn was able to get a hand to Erskine’s shot and again made an important save as the ball broke loose with Thistle appealing for a penalty for an apparent infringement on Paul Cairney as he tried to force the ball home. That was probably the closest Thistle came to a goal during the opening 45 minutes despite winning numerous corners and a number of free kicks just outside the Rovers penalty box. At one free kick Alan Archibald, making his 398th Thistle appearance, thumped the ball off the Rovers wall while Sean Welsh ended the half by sending a dipping effort just over the bar.

Thistle started the second half with Christie Elliott replacing Kris Doolan who had picked up a knock in the early stages of the first half. The pattern of the game, however, changed little with Thistle continuing to do the bulk of the pressing. The first chance of the second half arrived just three minutes after the restart. Mark McGuigan did well to hold the ball up for Chris Erskine but Erskine’s effort was too high. McGuigan himself had a chance a few minutes later when he hit the side netting after Sean Welsh had rolled a pass through to him. Stuart Bannigan was impressing down the left flank and his driven cross into the box in the 56th minute nearly produced a goal with a Rovers defender doing well to clear the ball without putting it into his own net. On the hour mark Bannigan again delivered a good ball into the box, although this time his cross was just a little too deep. As Thistle continued to build up the pressure on the Rovers goal both Sean Welsh and Paul Cairney had efforts that came close to opening the scoring. Welsh dragging his effort just wide and Cairney forcing McGurn into a save low to his left. In the 64th minute Thistle finally make the breakthrough and took a deserved lead. It was ultimately a fairly simple goal. Paul Cairney’s corner from the left hand side was met by Sean Welsh who fired the ball into the net for his first Thistle goal. Five minutes later Mark McGuigan was close to extending the Thistle lead but his shot, after he had robbed Ellis of the ball, was blocked by McGurn. A second Thistle goal at this point may well have sealed the win but in the 74th minute the game was once more level. Rovers had offered little threat up front up to this point and there was more than a touch of good fortune about their goal, Paul Paton helping Brian Graham’s effort past Scott Fox and into the net. A game that Thistle had previously been in control of was suddenly turned on its’ head and in the time remaining it was Raith Rovers that were the closest team to finding a winning goal. With three minutes remaining former Jag Grant Murray headed past Scott Fox and into the net but the flag was up for offside before the ball hit the back of the net. If that close shave wasn’t enough with the game in injury time Rovers sub, and frequent thorn in Thistle’s side, John Baird smacked a shot off the Thistle post with Scott Fox making a fantastic save to keep out Brian Graham’s effort from the rebound, though the flag was again raised for offside.

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