23rd Apr 2016 Partick Thistle 1 Dundee 2 (SPFL Premiership - game 34)

matches:2015-16: ← 40game 4142 →

38y, 9m, 10d	Alan Archibald	Paul Hartley

Christie Elliott; Liam Lindsay; Aidan Nesbitt; Kris Doolan
Callum Booth; Dan Seaborne; David Amoo; Mathias Pogba

Kris Doolan (1-1, 70 mins)		Kane Hemmings (0-1, 34 mins); Kane Hemmings (1-2, 81 mins)
Abdul Osman (1-1, 70 mins)		Paul McGinn (0-1, 34 mins); Greg Stewart (1-2, 81 mins)
		Paul McGowan; Greg Stewart

Aidan Nesbitt (David Amoo, 59 mins); Ryan Edwards (Mathias Pogba, 68 mins); Kris Doolan (Kevin Nisbet, 86 mins)		Craig Wighton (Cameron Kerr, 72 mins); Gary Harkins (Calvin Colquhoun, 90 mins)

23y, 5m, 25d	Ryan Scully	Scott Bain
24y, 10m, 28d	Christie Elliott	Kevin Holt future Jag
28y, 8m, 16d	Mustapha Dumbuya	Greg Stewart
29y, 0m, 8d	Gary Miller	Kane Hemmings former Jag
20y, 6m, 11d	Liam Lindsay	Nick Ross
29y, 1m, 27d	Abdul Osman	Paul McGowan
19y, 2m, 18d	Aidan Nesbitt	Paul McGinn future Jag
26y, 1m, 8d	Sean Welsh	Darren O'Dea
29y, 4m, 12d	Kris Doolan	Kostadin Gadzhalov
22y, 5m, 6d	Ryan Edwards	Gary Harkins former Jag
25y, 0m, 11d	Steven Lawless	Craig Wighton

25y, 3m, 7d

36y, 8m, 7d	Paul Gallacher	David Mitchell future Jag
25y, 0m, 10d	David Amoo	Arturo Perez-Reverte
27y, 3m, 20d	Freddy Frans	Cameron Kerr
19y, 1m, 15d	Kevin Nisbet	Calvin Colquhoun
17y, 4m, 1d	James Penrice
25y, 8m, 4d	Mathias Pogba

notes

Thistle filled only 6 of their 7 allocated bench slots, whilst Dundee filled only 4 of theirs.

TTA report

A near-post flick (34) put Dundee ahead and Thistle lost their way somewhat. A better second half saw Doolan's header from Osman's cross level things (70) but poor defending down the left set up a low shot on the angle (81) to give Dundee a 3rd Firhill win this season. Lack of punch up front yet again.

Media report

23-Apr-2016, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle began their post-split fixtures with a third Firhill fixture of the season against Dundee. The Dens Park side had won the previous two fixtures against Thistle in Maryhill and Alan Archibald’s side were looking to get a first victory of the Premiership era against Dundee. In a Thistle squad that only had six substitutes, Thistle made four changes from the side which lost in DIngwall a fortnight ago. Suspension ruled out Dan Seaborne and Callum Booth with Christie Elliott starting at right back, Mustapha Dumbuya started at left back while the returning Liam Lindsay partnered Gary Miller in central defence. Aidan Nesbitt replaced David Amoo while up front Kris Doolan was preferred to Mathias Pogba. Dundee were struggling for players too with their bench listing only 4 substitutes.

After a quiet opening spell, Thistle began to impose themselves on the game winning a succession of free kicks but Bain in the Dundee goal was able to claim the ball ahead of Thistle’s attackers. When Thistle were able to penetrate the Dundee defence, he was quick off his line to smother an Edwards effort from inside the penalty area. It was Dundee that had the best chance of the opening 20 minutes when McGowan slotted a through ball to Harkins who, with just Scully to beat, fired wide of the post from around eight yards out. Thistle were having plenty of possession, but were lacking the cutting edge required to test Bain in the Dundee goal with Lawless having an effort from the edge of the box rolling just wide of the Dundee goal. With just over half an hour played Dundee took the lead. The play originated from a free kick just inside the Dundee half and culminated in Stewart having far too much time on the right hand side of Thistle’s box. His low cross was perfect for Hemmings who flicked the ball past Scully from inside the six yard box. Dundee took a firm grip of the game since scoring and had a couple of efforts to double the lead, but struggled to test Scully in the Thistle goal.

Thistle came out in the second half with a renewed desire and Doolan came close in the 50th minute when his low shot was deflected inches wide of target. From the resulting corner, Thistle were unable to create a goalscoring opportunity. Greg Stewart had an effort on target when poor defending allowed Stewart an opportunity inside the box but Ryan Scully blocked his shot well with his body. With just over 20 minutes to go, Thistle dragged themselves level. Patient play culminated in Osman having the ball wide in the Dundee half. His excellent cross was powered home by Kris Doolan to bag his 10th goal of the season. Thistle had their tales up and some neat play from Thistle’s attackers almost presented Doolan with an attempt in the box but his effort was blocked. Lawless was next to sting the palms of Bain with an effort from distance which was deflected into the path of the goalkeeper. It wasn’t all one way traffic with Dundee presented with opportunities in the Thistle boxes but he reacted well to deny Kane Hemmings. He was powerless, however, when Hemmings burst through with nine minutes remaining, firing a low effort beyond the goalkeeper from Greg Stewart’s pass. Thistle pounded the Dundee goal in the closing stages but were unable to find a way past an inspired Bain. The best chance feel to Amoo from a Pogba knockdown but he was unable to find the target from 10 yards out. In the end, Thistle had to settle for a third Firhill defeat of the season to Dundee, with a result that saw Dundee move three points clear in 7th place.

PATHETIC STATS

● Thistle's last two Premiership matches have been handled by Nick Walsh. Adding to the strangeness is the fact that these are also the whistler's only two Premiership games. He's the first ref to take charge of two consecutive Thistle matches since Des Roache handled two games against Culter over the course of conscutive Saturday's in November 2011. Back in October 2010, David Somers took charge of our 8th and 9th League games of the season, away to Ross County and at home to Falkirk.

● Personal best competitive Thistle-game appearance runs of 28 (for Dan Seaborne) and 46 (for Callum Booth) come to an end due to suspension.

● Somewhat pathetically, Thistle have only scored first-half goals in 2 of the last 20 matches.

● Kris Doolan takes his competitive goals tally into double figures for the 6th consecutive season, becoming only the second man in history to do so. Jimmy Walker's 62-year-old record of 7-in-a-row is now in his sights!

● Doolan's goal is the 8th consecutive Jags goal at the Bing end.

● Thistle have only scored one solitary goal in front of the North Stand in the last 5 months.

● For the first time in history, Thistle have lost 3 home League games to the same team in the same season. Compounding the pain of this pitiful stat is the fact that, visits to Firhill excepted, Dundee are 17 competitive away fixtures without a win.* Thistle are on a 22-year-run of 14 top-flight games without a win versus Dundee. Albert Craig's winner in a 1-0 Firhill win in April '94 stands as the last time we had any joy against them at this level.

● Thistle will become mathematically safe from relegation should they gain one more point than Kilmarnock next Saturday.

ongoing sequences:

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

● 36 consecutive competitive appearances for Steven Lawless, 9th Aug 2015 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Callum Booth - 46 games; 14th Mar 2015 to 9th Apr 2016. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 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.)

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.

match hubs

match

The Thistle Archive

Partick Thistle stats and stories 1876 to date