25th Oct 2014 Partick Thistle 0 St Johnstone 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 10)

matches:2014-15: ← 17game 1819 →

37y, 3m, 12d	Alan Archibald	Tommy Wright

Freddy Frans
Dan Seaborne



Christie Elliott; Jordan McMillan		Brian Graham; Lee Croft

Kris Doolan (Nathan Eccleston, 71 mins); Steven Lawless (Declan McDaid, 86 mins)		Lee Croft (David Wotherspoon, 78 mins); James McFadden (Michael O'Halloran, 71 mins)

27y, 3m, 27d	Scott Fox	Alan Mannus
22y, 5m, 14d	Stephen O'Donnell	Dave Mackay
26y, 0m, 9d	Jordan McMillan	Steven Anderson future Jag
25y, 9m, 22d	Freddy Frans	Frazer Wright
23y, 8m, 28d	Conrad Balatoni	Brian Easton
27y, 7m, 28d	Abdul Osman	Lee Croft
22y, 1m, 8d	Stuart Bannigan	Murray Davidson
23y, 6m, 27d	James Craigen	Chris Millar
27y, 10m, 14d	Kris Doolan	Simon Lappin
23y, 6m, 13d	Steven Lawless	James McFadden
23y, 4m, 29d	Christie Elliott	Brian Graham future Jag

24y, 10m, 11d

35y, 2m, 9d	Paul Gallacher	Steve Banks
30y, 2m, 1d	Ryan Stevenson	Gary McDonald
23y, 2m, 14d	Jake Carroll	David Wotherspoon
23y, 9m, 25d	Nathan Eccleston	Liam Caddis
20y, 1m, 19d	David Wilson [ii]	Gary Miller future Jag
19y, 0m, 13d	Liam Lindsay	Scott Brown
18y, 11m, 3d	Declan McDaid	Michael O'Halloran

TTA report

In driving rain and swirling wind, once again studied possession football only got Thistle so far. Craigen shot weakly straight at the keeper who was rarely troubled due to a lack of a cutting edge and flair needed to beat 2 ranks of 4. A goal line save by Fox (92) prevented what would have been a steal.

Media report

25-Oct-2014, ptfc.co.uk

It was a frustrating afternoon for Thistle as they were forced to settle for a point in a goalless draw played in difficult conditions at Firhill. Although defeated at Tannadice the previous weekend there had been much to be encouraged about in the performance produced by Thistle and manager Alan Archibald kept changes to his team from that game down to the bare minimum. Dan Seaborne’s red card against Dundee United meant that he missed this game and Freddy Frans replacing him, as he made his Jags debut, proved to be the only change to the starting eleven. While Frans himself settled well into his role in the centre of the Thistle defence the team struggled to find the same fluency of performance that they produced at Tannadice against a St Johnstone side on a poor return and perhaps approaching the game with not losing a priority.

It took Thistle 14 minutes to create their first real chance of the game. Steven Lawless did well to find some space just outside the St Johnstone box. There wasn’t, however, room for a shot so he pushed the ball into the path of James Craigen who from a promising position shot straight at Mannus in the St Johnstone goal. Thistle’s next opportunity came in the 27th minute with Steven Lawless again involved in the heart of the move; his cut back clipping the heel of Kris Doolan when he looked set for a scoring opportunity 8 yards from goal. Although the ball did break into the path of Stuart Bannigan he saw his effort blocked by a St Johnstone defender. The ball just wasn’t falling for Kris Doolan and he was unfortunate in the 35th minute when he was just unable to connect with a James Craigen cross from the left; the Thistle player picking up a knock in the process. St Johnstone up to this point had offered little as an attacking force but they ended the half after having had perhaps the best two chances of the opening 45 minutes. In the 38th minute Lee Croft found himself clear inside the Thistle box but was thwarted by Scott Fox who made a fine stop. Two minutes later a Croft corner from the left was met by the unchallenged head of Brian Graham who nodded wide of goal when he will feel that he should have done better.

Thistle started the second half in positive fashion and inside the first minute Christie Elliott threatened the St Johnstone goal when he cut inside from the left only to see his shot drift wide of goal. Elliott did have the ball in the net for Thistle in the 53rd minute and in spectacular fashion but play had already been halted for an earlier infringement although the player himself may not have been aware of that fact. Frustration continued to grow as Thistle struggled to get a clear look at goal despite dominating the game in terms of possession. Conrad Balatoni was able to head on a James Craigen corner but St Johnstone were able to clear in a perfect example of the frustrations that Thistle were encountering and Steven Lawless tamely lifted a free kick over the bar after Stephen O’Donnell had been fouled at the edge of the St Johnstone box. Although St Johnstone were a little limited in their ambitions there was always the chance that they would sneak a goal and James McFadden tried to curl an effort beyond the reach of Scott Fox but could only shot straight at the Thistle keeper. Scott Fox would claim his second clean sheet of the league season, the first since the opening league game, but he had to produce an important save close to his left hand post with the clock showing 90 minutes played when Davidson was able to head a Croft free kick towards the Thistle goal. Deep into injury time Thistle had a chance to snatch a late winner when they won a free kick close to the edge of the St Johnstone box but Eccleston could do more than strike the centre of the St Johnstone wall.

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