7th Dec 2013 Hibernian 1 Partick Thistle 1 (SPFL Premiership - game 15)

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matches:2013-14: ← 24game 2526 →

	Terry Butcher	Alan Archibald	36y, 4m, 24d

		Jordan McMillan; Aaron Muirhead; Steven Lawless
		Conrad Balatoni; Ross Forbes; Mark Kerr

James Collins (1-1, 90+3 mins)		Kris Doolan (1-0, 49 mins)
Paul Hanlon (1-1, 90+3 mins)		Kallum Higginbotham (1-0, 49 mins)
Ryan McGivern; Alan Maybury; James Collins		Christie Elliott; Kris Doolan

Danny Handling (Abdellah Zoubir, 60 mins); Lewis Stevenson (Jason Cummings, 77 mins); Alan Maybury (Michael Nelson, 87 mins)		Steven Lawless (Ross Forbes, 32 mins); Kallum Higginbotham (John Baird, 70 mins); Kris Doolan (Liam Lindsay, 89 mins)

	Ben Williams	Scott Fox	26y, 5m, 9d
	Alan Maybury	Jordan McMillan	25y, 1m, 21d
	Jordon Forster	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	22y, 7m, 29d
	Paul Hanlon	Aaron Muirhead	23y, 3m, 7d
	Ryan McGivern	Gabriel Piccolo	24y, 1m, 22d
	former Jag Paul Cairney	Isaac Osbourne	27y, 5m, 15d
	Owain Tudur Jones	Steven Lawless	22y, 7m, 25d
	Liam Craig	James Craigen	22y, 8m, 9d
	Lewis Stevenson	Kris Doolan	26y, 11m, 26d
	Danny Handling	Christie Elliott	22y, 6m, 11d
	James Collins	Kallum Higginbotham	24y, 5m, 22d

			24y, 4m, 28d

	Sean Murdoch	Paul Gallacher	34y, 3m, 21d
	Michael Nelson	Ross Forbes	24y, 9m, 4d
	Tom Taiwo	John Baird	28y, 3m, 15d
	Abdellah Zoubir	Mark Kerr	31y, 9m, 5d
	Ross Caldwell	Liam Lindsay	18y, 1m, 25d
	Jason Cummings	David Wilson [ii]	19y, 3m, 1d
	Kevin Thomson	Ross Meechan	19y, 0m, 27d

TTA report

After a hesitant start and several corners conceded, Higginbotham went close. McMillan had a brilliant tackle to deny Hibs. Doolan scored (49) with a brilliant run from half-way, past 3 defenders and lob over the keeper. Long in the memory. Slack defending in the 6-yard box let Hibs in to equalise (93). Sickening.

Media report

07-Dec-2013, ptfc.co.uk

There was heartbreak for Thistle at Easter Road as a Hibs equaliser deep into injury time denied Thistle their first win since October. Injury and suspension impacted upon the manager’s selection for this game and he made three changes from the side knocked out the Scottish Cup by Aberdeen. Aaron Muirhead replaced the suspended Conrad Balatoni, Jordan McMillan returned at right back and Steven Lawless returned to the starting eleven.

It was the home side that started the game the better and there seemed to be a touch of nervousness surrounding the Thistle performance in the opening ten minutes or so. Hibs were able to win a series of corners and Scott Fox was forced to turn a shot from ex Jag Paul Cairney round the post. Thistle though started to settle and they had their first effort on goal in the 11th minute when Ben Williams saved from Steven Lawless. Seconds later Thistle threatened again with this time Williams pushing away a fiercely driven effort from Kallum Higginbotham. This was a good spell for Thistle and as they grew in confidence Steven Lawless was just unable to gather a chipped pass from Kallum Higginbotham and a Christie Elliott shot spun off a Hibs defender into the path of Kris Doolan only for the flag to go up for offside against the Thistle striker. Hibs saw the bulk of the possession and they were able to put Thistle under pressure at times but only rarely was Scott Fox called into direct action. Thistle though were thankful for a fantastic Jordan McMillan clearance from a Maybury cross and an important block at the edge of the box from Aaron Muirhead as Thistle defended well when required to do so. Thistle were forced into a change during the first half when Steven Lawless picked up a heavy knock and he was replaced by Ross Forbes.

It was Forbes that had the first effort of the second half although Williams was well placed to make a fairly comfortable save. At the other end Scott Fox was a little more hard pressed to keep out a long range effort from Tudor Jones; the Thistle keeper having to dive full length to save at his left hand post. It was an important save as a mere 30 seconds later Thistle took a 49th minute lead with a superbly taken goal from Kris Doolan his 6th of the current season and the 60th of his Thistle career. Thistle’s confidence took an understandable boost from that goal and a lovely reverse pass from Ross Forbes just failed to reach its’ intended target of Kris Doolan as Thistle looked to press home their advantage. It took, however, a quite magnificent save from Scott Fox in the 66th minute to deny James Collins and preserve Thistle’s lead. That was a lead that Thistle could, and perhaps should, have extended with 15 minutes remaining. Ross Forbes enjoyed the break of the ball leaving him with just Williams in the Hibs goal to beat but he rather snatched at the opportunity and sent the ball wide of goal. Thistle were nearly made to pay for that miss just two minutes later. Jason Cummings, just on as a sub for Hibs, only had to connect with the ball at the back post following a corner from the left but he missed the ball completely. You did wonder at that point if this was going to be Thistle’s day. There was plenty of late Hibs pressure and on a couple of occasions Thistle really had to scramble the ball clear from their own penalty box. There would, however, be a late, late blow for Thistle. The game was well into the third minute of injury time when a free kick was launched deep into the Thistle box and Thistle, who had otherwise defended so well, gave James Collins the space he needed to lash home and level the scores.

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