9th Apr 2016 Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 33)

matches:2015-16: ← 39game 4041 →

Match Information

			Jim McIntyre		Alan Archibald			38y, 8m, 27d
					Ryan Scully; Mustapha Dumbuya; Mathias Pogba; Ryan Edwards
					Tomáš Černý; Freddy Frans; Kris Doolan; Gary Fraser
Alex Schalk (0-1, 14 mins)
Brian Graham (0-1, 14 mins)
Stewart Murdoch					Gary Miller; Steven Lawless; Dan Seaborne
Brian Graham (Liam Boyce, 56 mins); Alex Schalk (Ian McShane, 63 mins); Chris McLaughlin (Jonathan Franks, 64 mins)					Mathias Pogba (Kris Doolan, 57 mins); David Amoo (Kevin Nisbet, 69 mins); Sean Welsh (Aidan Nesbitt, 74 mins)
			former Jag Scott Fox		Ryan Scully			23y, 5m, 11d
			Paul Quinn		Mustapha Dumbuya			28y, 8m, 2d
			Chris McLaughlin		Callum Booth			24y, 10m, 10d
			future Jag Martin Woods		Dan Seaborne			29y, 1m, 4d
			Michael Gardyne		Gary Miller			28y, 11m, 25d
			Alex Schalk		Abdul Osman			29y, 1m, 13d
			future Jag Richard Foster		David Amoo			24y, 11m, 27d
			Andrew Davies		Sean Welsh			26y, 0m, 25d
			Marcus Fraser		Mathias Pogba			25y, 7m, 21d
			Stewart Murdoch		Ryan Edwards			22y, 4m, 23d
			future Jag Brian Graham		Steven Lawless			24y, 11m, 28d
								26y, 2m, 15d
			Chris Konopka		Paul Gallacher			36y, 7m, 24d
			Liam Boyce		Kris Doolan			29y, 3m, 29d
			Ian McShane		Christie Elliott			24y, 10m, 14d
			Chris Robertson		Aidan Nesbitt			19y, 2m, 4d
			Jonathan Franks		Liam Lindsay			20y, 5m, 28d
			David Goodwillie		David Wilson [ii]			21y, 7m, 3d
			future Jag Raffaele De Vita		Kevin Nisbet			19y, 1m, 1d

Match Report

TTA report

Top 6 finish blown. A low shot from 18 yards (14), the defence backing off, separated the teams. Pogba's header just after half-time was well saved by Fox and he smothered a 1-on-1 with Booth. Loads of possession and effort but not enough quality or penetration to turn it round. County didn't even have a corner.

Media report

09-Apr-2016, bbc.com

Ross County secured their place in the Premiership's top six with victory over Partick Thistle. And Alex Schalk's early strike consigned Thistle to the bottom half of the table for the season run-in. Schalk turned on to his right foot and fired a firm effort low to Ryan Scully's right to hand Jim McIntyre's side a crucial advantage. The Dutch striker almost created a decisive second when he teed up Brian Graham only for Gary Miller to block. Thistle knew an equaliser might be enough for them to finish in the top six and came close through Mathias Pogba and Kris Doolan but Alan Archibald's side will have to settle for being comfortably clear of a relegation fight. Ross County add a top-half finish to their Scottish League Cup triumph in what's proving to be a very successful season.

Both sides knew a win was the most likely route to their ambition of getting above seventh before the split and it was the home side who seized the initiative with an early opener. Forward Schalk showed great confidence when he picked up possession in an inside left position and smashed a low shot past Scully. It was his eighth strike since arriving in January and proved to be another vital contribution after his late League Cup final winner against Hibernian last month. Thistle tried to respond when Abdul Osman nodded towards the back post but the onrushing Pogba was offside when he tried to connect. Schalk seemed central to most positive County moments and did superbly to escape down the left. As the angle got too tight he laid the ball into the path of the onrushing Graham, who tried to place a low shot across Scully, but Miller positioned himself wonderfully to snuff out the danger. Almost instantly, Dundee fell behind to Hamilton Academical in South Lanarkshire and all of a sudden County were in pole position for that top-six place. A timely reminder arrived when Ryan Edwards tried to curl a shot beyond Scott Fox, which the keeper palmed narrowly over whilst appearing to be slightly unsighted by the sun. Schalk seemed at the top of his game and almost netted again when he fired another low effort narrowly past. He was sharp and threatening every time he gathered possession throughout the first half.

Thistle started the second period very positively with Pogba watching his close range header palmed away and Edwards failing to hit the target with a diving header. Callum Booth looked like he had broken through but Fox raced off his line brilliantly to gather before substitute Doolan shot straight at the keeper from close range. Booth had a claim for a penalty dismissed as County held out in a nervy finale.

Gallery

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Video Highlights

(credit: SPFL YouTube )

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Stats Watch

FOX THWARTS THISTLE

● 30 year-old Nick Walsh takes charge of his first match in the Scottish Premiership. It's his first competitive Jags game as whistler. He has issued the most Red cards among Scotland’s referees this season with 12 in 28 competitive matches. His 4 cards on Saturday brought his Yellow tally up to 114.

● For the first-time-ever, Thistle went into the final round of pre-split League fixtures with a chance to make the Top 6 cut, but it wasn't to be. However, with 41 points, Thistle register their highest-ever tally at split-time. In this regard, season-on-season progress has been made since our return to the top-flight. In all, our five relevant campaigns have resulted: 29 pts (2003); 18 pts (2004); 30 pts (2014); 38 pts (2015); 41 pts (2016).

● After 270 minutes of effort, no Thistle player has managed to put the ball past Scott Fox in the Ross County goal. You have to rewind all the way back to 2006 to find the last time a Jag scored for Thistle against Scott Fox - Greg Strong (as a trialist) netted against a Celtic XI in Kenny Arthur's testimonial.

● Thistle have now failed to score in 44.4% of their competitive games this campaign. If maintained, this failure-rate will stand as the highest in the club's history. The existing record, 43.6%, was set in 1920-21.

● With the results from the 3 money sides (Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts) excluded, Thistle finished top of the 9-team "Alternative Premiership", amassing an impressive 40 points from 24 games.

● Arithmetical safety from relegation could be confirmed by match day 35, should results be favourable to Thistle.

ongoing sequences:

● 7 competitive games without a first-half goal, 5th Mar 2016 to date. (Longest run since: 8 games; 27th Oct 2013 to 26th Dec 2013.)

● 46 competitive away games without a penalty award, 1st Mar 2014 to date. (Longest run since: 64 games; 17th Apr 1948 to 3rd Mar 1951. Club-record: 73 games; 1st Apr 1911 to 7th Nov 1914.)

● 46 consecutive competitive appearances for Callum Booth, 14th Mar 2015 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Aaron Taylor-Sinclair - 55 games; 27th Oct 2012 to 18th Jan 2014. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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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