7th Mar 2015 Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 28)

matches:2014-15: ← 38game 3940 →

Match Information

			Jim McIntyre		Alan Archibald			37y, 7m, 22d
					Dale Keenan
					Christie Elliott
Craig Curran (0-1, 33 mins)
none (0-1, 33 mins)
Michael Gardyne					Abdul Osman; Steven Lawless; Dale Keenan; Stuart Bannigan
					Kallum Higginbotham (@ 0-1, 59 mins)
Liam Boyce (Jake Jervis, 78 mins); Craig Curran (Filip Kiss, 84 mins); Michael Gardyne (Graham Carey, 89 mins)					James Craigen (Kris Doolan, 56 mins); Lyle Taylor (David Wilson [ii], 69 mins); Steven Lawless (Ryan Stevenson, 69 mins)
			Mark Brown		Paul Gallacher			35y, 6m, 19d
			former Jag Scott Boyd		Stephen O'Donnell			22y, 9m, 24d
			Jackson Irvine		Dale Keenan			20y, 8m, 8d
			Michael Gardyne		Conrad Balatoni			24y, 1m, 8d
			Craig Curran		Freddy Frans			26y, 2m, 4d
			future Jag Raffaele De Vita		Abdul Osman			28y, 0m, 8d
			Jamie Reckord		Stuart Bannigan			22y, 5m, 18d
			Paul Quinn		James Craigen			23y, 11m, 7d
			Liam Boyce		Lyle Taylor			24y, 11m, 6d
			future Jag Martin Woods		Steven Lawless			23y, 10m, 23d
			Marcus Fraser		Kallum Higginbotham			25y, 8m, 20d
								25y, 3m, 20d
			Antonio Reguero		Scott Fox			27y, 8m, 7d
			Jake Jervis		Kris Doolan			28y, 2m, 24d
			Filip Kiss		Ryan Stevenson			30y, 6m, 11d
			Abdoulaye Méïté		Ben Richards-Everton			22y, 4m, 18d
			future Jag Joe Cardle		Gary Fraser			20y, 8m, 5d
			Darvydas Šernas		David Wilson [ii]			20y, 6m, 1d
			Graham Carey		Declan McDaid			19y, 3m, 13d

Match Report

TTA report

Lawless blasted a cut back over the bar (11). A header from 3 yards after Gallacher had blocked a shot (33) made the difference. Higginbotham was sent off for a bad foul (59). Thistle went down fighting but a battling last 20 minutes with 10 men wasn't enough. Still 9th but play-offs (or worse) beckoned.

Media report

07-Mar-2015, ptfc.co.uk

Having picked up a terrific three points the previous week and ending a terrible run with victory at Tannadice confidence was high among the Thistle players and fans alike. With the team looking to redress their poor performance against County 14 days earlier, manager, Alan Archibald, was forced to make one change from the victory over United, Christie Elliott missing out through injury and Dale Keenan slotting in to replace him at left back. Callum Booth also missed out through injury and his place on the bench went to David Wilson.

It was County who got the game started but it was Thistle who were on the front foot early, a Higginbotham free kick caught easily by Brown after Craigen had been the victim of a late challenge. The Jags were playing into a strong wind in the first half, evident by the fact that Gallacher’s kicks were struggling to reach the halfway line, while his opposite number saw more than a couple of his kicks go straight through to the Thistle keeper. In the 9th minute Craigen picked up a loose ball in midfield and found the run of Lyle Taylor but he could only shoot wide from 22 yards. Brilliant skill from Kallum Higginbotham saw him leave the County defence on the deck and his cut back found Lawless who had a real chance to put Thistle ahead. Unfortunately for the visitors though the wee man’s shot was blasted over from no more than 10 yards. The Thistle pressure kept coming and Frans did well to get his head to a Bannigan free kick, but the keeper saved and County cleared, Frans’ claims for a penalty falling on deaf ears. Lawless, who continued to look dangerous early on, then did well to win a header and find Taylor who could again only shoot wide when perhaps he had better options to his right. Osman then saw a header go wide at the back post as Thistle continued to dominate. As the half wore on the home side did begin to find their feet as Irvine headed wide from a Reckford cross having got in behind Dale Keenan. It was an early warning for Thistle that showed they must stay focused. Stephen O’Donnell, one of the Thistle standouts in the game, then side footed an effort just past the post after County had only half cleared. In the 33rd minute Thistle failed to heed the earlier warning and another ball in behind would ultimately cost them the game. An angled pass in behind Keenan found Boyce, his shot was saved by Gallacher but the ball spun up in the air and Curran headed home from 6 yards out, Balatoni unable to get in front of the effort to prevent County making it 1-0. Just before half time Higginbotham saw his shot from a tight angle deflected into the side netting and, despite long spells of dominance for the Jags, it was the home side who led at the break.

With Thistle now having the wind at their backs it was hoped that they could break down a stubborn home defence. It was a scrappy opening to the half with no fluency in the play from either side, but in the 52nd minute, a long ball found Irvine and his cross picked out Gardyne, but thankfully for Thistle his turn and shot went wide of the target. Doolan replaced Craigen as Thistle went with two up front and it almost paid off when a fierce Lawless shot was well saved by Brown who couldn’t hold on to it. Lyle Taylor pounced on the loose ball and fired home from the close range only to see the linesman’s flag raised as he wheeled away to celebrate. It was certainly a tight call. In the 59th minute the game changed again when Higginbotham lost possession and, as he chased Gardyne scythed down the County player. Despite the reckless challenge it was still a surprise to many in the ground when the referee flashed a red card. With the Jags now down to ten men it was going to make things even more difficult to get back in the game. Quinn saw his shot deflected wide by Doolan on the post although no corner was given. Substitute, David Wilson, who was impressive when he came on, found O’Donnell with a great pass. He in turn fed Stevenson but his shot only hit the side netting. Thistle showed real character and bite to not only remain in the game but also to create chances, Frans doing well to head De Vita’s dangerous cross over as County tried to hit the Jags on the break. Stevenson then curled a free kick just wide and Wilson saw his 25 yard shot saved by Brown as Thistle continued to search for an elusive equaliser. Frans then saw his shot blocked as he played up front for the last ten minutes. As the minutes ticked away Gallacher saved well from Kiss, who then nearly grabbed another by robbing Gallacher of the ball and poking just wide of an empty net. The game finished 1-0 and brought to an end a disappointing match for Thistle and made for a long trip home for the 298 hardy souls who made the trip up.

Gallery

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Video Highlights

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Stats Watch

WILDCARD KALLUM

● Earlier this week, Kris Doolan deservedly picked up the McCrea Financial Service player for his work in the month of January. He's the sixth different player to have picked up the fan-voted award this season.

● 20-year-old Dale Keenan plays his last game for Thistle.

● Wildcard Kallum, whose card total was in double-figures last term, sees red, whilst Stuart sees yellow, and they both join Dan at the top of our bad-boy table. In competitive games, all 3 of these players are now on 7 yellows and 1 red for the season.

● 4 yellows and a red marks Thistle's costliest disciplinary return since 4 yellows and 2 reds at Tannadice in November 2013.

● Kris's appearance with 21 minutes to play, takes his on/off competitive-game substitutions tally to 25 for the season. This continues a distinctly 21st century pattern where certain individuals are routinely and predominantly featured in substitutions. With a potential 12 matches to play, the player could theoretically match the all-time club-record for the category, which was 37 games set by himself in season 2012-13.

● Since scoring 4 against Hamilton, Kris has played 8 games without a goal, albeit with an average of just 41 minutes per game since then. Back in the day when the concept of substitutes was alien, yer Sandy Hair and yer Willie Sharp would net 4 times and follow it up the very next week with a brace, then bag another the week after, maybe a hat-trick in the next month. How times have changed. Before Kris, our last player to grab a haul of 4 was, of course, Ian Cameron, who scored 4 goals against Albion Rovers in August 1993. Ian then played 27 competitive games before netting again, as a substitute, against Rangers. Hopefully, Ian's highly strange competitive-game record will never be broken.

● Thistle lose a top-flight game in Dingwall for the first time.

● The first goal has become all-important for Thistle in these most recent months. We are currently on a run of 10 games without defeat when we score the first goal. We are currently on a run of 15 games without a win when we lose the first goal.

● Thistle have now lost 7-in-a-row in games where the first goal has been conceded to the opposition.

● Thistle lose one-nil in the League for the 7th time this season. Ian McCall's Jags hold the all-time club-record with 9 such losses in season 2009-10.

● Thistle lose to nil for the 11th time time in the League this season. We've only went beyond this total in 5 seasons in our history. The club's all-time record was 15 League losses to nil in season 1995-96.

● Irrespective of the outcome, next week's game at home to St Johnstone will see Thistle equal a 115-year-old club-record of playing 69 competitive games without back-to-back wins.

ongoing sequences:

● 4 consecutive competitive home defeats; 30th Jan 2015 to date. (Longest run since: 4 defeats; 7th Oct 2013 to 1st Dec 2013. Club-record: 10 defeats; 5th Dec 1908 to 25th Aug 1909.)

● 19 consecutive competitive appearances for Stephen O'Donnell, 8th Nov 2014 to date. (Longest run since: Abdul Osman - 22 games, 13th Aug 2014 to 27th Dec 2014. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 35 competitive games since back-to-back draws, 7th May 2014 to date. (Longest run since: 59 games, 18th Aug 2009 to 11th Dec 2010. Club-record: 201 games, 11th Feb 1957 to 1st Apr 1961.)

● 68 competitive games since back-to-back wins, 14th Sep 2013 to date. (Longest run since the club-record: 69 games, 31st Dec 1907 to 9th Oct 1909.)

● 68 League games since back-to-back Top Flight wins, 9th May 2004 to date. (Longest run since the club-record: 77 games, 2nd Nov 1912 to 5th Dec 1914.)

● 74 competitive games since back-to-back clean-sheets, 6th Aug 2013 to date. (Longest run since: 102 games, 27th Apr 2002 to 23rd Oct 2004. Club-record: 303 games, 26th Feb 1938 to 23rd Jun 1945.)

● Thistle stay 9th in the Premiership for the 16th match in a row. (Longest run since the club-record: 33 games in 12th, 20th Sep 2003 to 15th May 2004.)

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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