27th Sep 2014 Kilmarnock 3 Partick Thistle 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 7)

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matches:2014-15: ← 14game 1516 →

	Allan Johnston	Alan Archibald	37y, 2m, 14d

		Ryan Stevenson
		James Craigen

Tope Obadeyi (0-1, 24 mins); Manuel Pascali (0-2, 51 mins); Tope Obadeyi (0-3, 57 mins)
Ross Barbour (0-1, 24 mins); Alexei Eremenko (0-2, 51 mins); Alexei Eremenko (0-3, 57 mins)
		Aaron Muirhead; Jake Carroll; Kris Doolan

Josh Magennis (Michael Ngoo, 82 mins); Tope Obadeyi (Robbie Muirhead, 82 mins); Alexei Eremenko (Craig Slater, 88 mins)		Dan Seaborne (Aaron Muirhead, 25 mins); Kallum Higginbotham (Christie Elliott, HT); Steven Lawless (Nathan Eccleston, 57 mins)

	Craig Samson	Scott Fox	27y, 2m, 30d
	Ross Barbour	Jordan McMillan	25y, 11m, 11d
	Jamie Hamill	Jake Carroll	23y, 1m, 16d
	Mark Connolly	Dan Seaborne	27y, 6m, 22d
	Sammy Clingan	Conrad Balatoni	23y, 8m, 0d
	Chris Johnston	Abdul Osman	27y, 7m, 0d
	Tope Obadeyi	Stuart Bannigan	22y, 0m, 10d
	Alexei Eremenko	Ryan Stevenson	30y, 1m, 3d
	Darryl Westlake	Kris Doolan	27y, 9m, 16d
	Josh Magennis	Steven Lawless	23y, 5m, 15d
	Manuel Pascali	Kallum Higginbotham	25y, 3m, 12d

			25y, 9m, 18d

	Conor Brennan	Paul Gallacher	35y, 1m, 11d
	Lee Miller	Stephen O'Donnell	22y, 4m, 16d
	future Jag Lee Ashcroft	Aaron Muirhead	24y, 0m, 28d
	future Jag Craig Slater	James Craigen	23y, 5m, 30d
	Michael Ngoo	Christie Elliott	23y, 4m, 1d
	Mark O'Hara	Nathan Eccleston	23y, 8m, 28d
	future Jag Robbie Muirhead	David Wilson [ii]	20y, 0m, 21d

notes

PTFC give the 3rd Thistle booking to Jordan McMillan. Directly confirmed as Kris Doolan with SPFL.

TTA report

Thistle had most of the play in the first half and Stevenson hit the bar from 25 yards. Other efforts went close but they trailed to a downward header (24) at half-time. The second half was tamely conceded. A header from a corner (51) and a low shot (57) did the damage. A worrying lack off fight. Well beaten.

Media report

27-Sep-2014, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle made the short journey down the M77 to Kilmarnock on Saturday for our first visit to Ayrshire of the season. It was also the first time the Jags had to experience the new artificial pitch at Rugby Park. Hopes were high among the travelling support, with the team coming into the game on the back of a positive result against St Mirren in the League Cup. Manager Alan Archibald made one change to the starting line up from Tuesday night’s cup victory, with Ryan Stevenson, recovering from an ankle knock, starting in place of James Craigen. Kallum Higginbotham also recovered from an ankle knock to take his place in the starting eleven, despite media reports that neither would play.

The home side were on the front foot early in the game and Eremenko, who was excellent throughout the match, crossed in from a corner only to see Westlake put his effort wide under pressure from the Jags defence. A delightful ball in behind Carroll, again from Eremenko, then found Johnston whose dangerous ball across the six yard box was scrambled clear by the Thistle defence. It was Eremenko who claimed all the post-match plaudits and quite rightly as he found Josh Magennis next who in turn played the ball back to Johnston who saw the chance disappear ass he was crowded out by the Thistle defence.

Captain, Ryan Stevenson, was the first of the Thistle team to get a real chance away when he tried his luck from 30 yards but, unlike his later attempt, there was no power in his shot and Samson saved easily. Thistle did come closer to breaking the deadlock when Doolan found Lawless. The wee winger cut inside and created space for a shot from the edge of the box. Again though Samson, the Killie keeper, was equal to it but could only parry his shot into the path of the quick thinking Doolan. Dools got an effort away from close range but somehow the home keeper recovered well to make the second save. Eremenko was back in the thick of it before half time whipping in a cross which Carroll did well to clear before a vital touch from Balatoni prevented another Eremenko pass finding Obadeyi. It was to be the home side that opened the scoring though. Hamill’s pass found Barbour with acres of space to deliver an inch perfect cross with which Obadeyi made no mistake to make it 1-0. It was only a fantastic piece of defending from Balatoni which prevented Obadeyi getting a chance to make it two – the Thistle centre half taking the ball off the striker to prevent him going one on one with Fox.

As half time approached there was nearly an equaliser for the Jags when Stevenson smashed a 25 yard effort off the Killie crossbar with Samson beaten. There was a blow for the Jags before the break when Seaborne had to be replaced by Muirhead after a nasty clash of heads left him with a deep gash above his eye. Magennis then outmuscled Muirhead but the angle was tight and Fox saved. Higginbotham went just inches wide with a 22 yard effort but it remained 1-0 to the home side at half time.

Christie Elliott replaced the injured Higginbotham at half time and at the start of the second half Thistle controlled possession without creating a clear cut chance. Eremenko started the second half as he had ended the first, forcing a corner from which the home side would double their lead. The Finnish international delivered the cross and perfectly for the unmarked Pascali who was in the right place to head home. It was to get worse for the visitors when, in the 56th minute, Killie increased their lead. Obadeyi collected Eremenko’s pass wide and was allowed to cut inside onto his right foot and fire a low powerful shot past Fox at his near post from 16 yards out.

The home side continued to press forward against a Thistle side under pressure. Barbour then found Eremenko whose shot was saved by Fox while Pascali then got another header on target which Fox saved again. As the game ticked on there was very little coming from Thistle although a quicker through ball from Elliott might have found substitute, Eccleston, but he was offside. There were a couple more chances for Killie with Magennis firing over, having done well to create space for himself and Balatoni did well to stop N’Goo getting a shot on target. As the final whistle went though, the Jags found themselves well beaten and an Eremenko inspired Kilmarnock finished the game 3-0 up.

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