7th May 2016 Kilmarnock 0 Partick Thistle 2 (SPFL Premiership - game 36)

matches:2015-16: ← 42game 4344 →

	Lee Clark	Alan Archibald	38y, 9m, 24d

		Gary Miller; Freddy Frans
		Callum Booth; Liam Lindsay

		Steven Lawless (1-0, 33 mins); Kris Doolan (2-0, 66 mins)
		Abdul Osman (1-0, 33 mins); Abdul Osman (2-0, 66 mins)
Josh Magennis		Abdul Osman; Mustapha Dumbuya

Craig Slater (Kallum Higginbotham, 67 mins); Greg Kiltie (Tope Obadeyi, 67 mins); Conrad Balatoni (Alex Henshall, 83 mins)		David Amoo (Christie Elliott, 18 mins); Kris Doolan (Kevin Nisbet, 90 mins)

	Jamie MacDonald	Ryan Scully	23y, 6m, 8d
	Miles Addison	Gary Miller	29y, 0m, 22d
	Rory McKenzie	Mustapha Dumbuya	28y, 9m, 0d
	Kris Boyd	Dan Seaborne	29y, 2m, 2d
	Mark O'Hara	Freddy Frans	27y, 4m, 4d
	future Jag Craig Slater	Abdul Osman	29y, 2m, 10d
	Greg Kiltie	David Amoo	25y, 0m, 24d
	former Jag Conrad Balatoni	Sean Welsh	26y, 1m, 22d
	future Jag Lee Hodson	Kris Doolan	29y, 4m, 26d
	Josh Magennis	Ryan Edwards	22y, 5m, 20d
	Gary Dicker	Steven Lawless	25y, 0m, 25d

			26y, 9m, 31d

	Conor Brennan	Paul Gallacher	36y, 8m, 21d
	Stuart Findlay	Christie Elliott	24y, 11m, 11d
	Alex Henshall	Aidan Nesbitt	19y, 3m, 2d
	former Jag Kallum Higginbotham	Liam Lindsay	20y, 6m, 25d
	Tope Obadeyi	David Wilson [ii]	21y, 8m, 1d
	Julien Faubert	Kevin Nisbet	19y, 1m, 29d
	Adam Frizzell	Mathias Pogba	25y, 8m, 18d

TTA report

Play-off averted! Lawless' left foot shot from 20 yards (33) made Killie even more desperate to avoid a play-off but Scully had only a few saves to make and the defence was in excellent form. Doolan's left foot 1-on-1 strike (66) eased the pressure. Welsh hit the bar from distance with the last kick.

Media report

07-May-2016, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle travelled to Rugby Park knowing that a win would secure the sides Premiership status for another season. Kilmarnock, meanwhile, were looking to drag the Jags back into the relegation playoff fight with just two games of the season remaining after this clash. Manager Alan Archibald made two changes from the side which lost disasterously to Inverness last week with injury forcing him to reshuffle his defence. Callum Booth dropped out of the squad, allowing Mustapha Dumbuya to move to left back. Gary Miller came into the side at right back while Frederic Frans partnered Dan Seaborne in defence, with Liam Lindsay struggling to shake off a knock.

Kilmarnock started the game brightly forcing a succession of early throw ins, putting the Jags rear-guard on the back foot. Miles Addison was proving a danger and he was the target for Josh Magennis’ long throws. Scully had to be alert to instinctively tip the ball around for a corner. As news filtered through of Hamilton taking the lead in Dundee, Kilmarnock came close to opening the scoring when Kiltie fired an effort just over Scully’s bar. Thistle had their first chance on goal after 15 minutes, Dumbuya’s cross was met by David Amoo who couldn’t get any power in his header, allowing Jamie MacDonald to comfortably collect. Amoo was hurt in the process and his game was brought to an early conclusion with Christie Elliott summoned to replace him. Josh Magennis was next to test Scully in the Jags goal tipping the ball around the post from the edge of the box. The game picked up a frantic pace and with just over half an hour played, Thistle took the lead. Thistle won a corner, which was partially cleared to Abdul Osman. He was able to slip the ball to Steven Lawless, who cut inside onto his favoured left foot before drilling a low effort powerfully past MacDonald in the Kilmarnock goal. It was a powerful effort and left the goalkeeper with no chance to save. Kris Boyd has been a menace for Thistle in the past and he tried to drag Killie level just before half time, but his cut back, intended for Magennis was deflected behind for a corner by Seaborne. It was Magennis who had the last effort with a swerving effort from the corner of the box, but it was high and wide of goal.

The results at half time meant Kilmarnock would be consigned to the playoffs if it stayed the same, so it was no surprise that Kilmarnock came out straight from kick off to grab an equaliser. Magennis teed up Kris Boyd on the edge of the box but his effort was tame and cleared the ball by a number of feet. Thistle were defending excellently to restrict the efforts on goal that Ryan Scully had to contend with. Kilmarnock were presented with an excellent opportunity to level on the hour mark when they won a free kick on the very edge of the Thistle box, but Kris Boyd could only smash his effort into the Jags defensive wall. With 25 minutes remaining, Thistle all but sealed the game through a goal from talisman Kris Doolan. Ryan Scully’s kick out was headed on by Abdul Osman, missed by Addison, presenting Kris Doolan with a run through on goal. With Balatoni coming over to try and challenge the striker, Doolan fired an effort into the turf and beyond the helpless MacDonald. The noise coming from the Thistle support was ramped up by a few decibels with that crucial goal but Kilmarnock still posed a danger, introducing former Jag Kallum Higginbotham to the action. He sent over a succession of deliveries from corner kicks, but Ryan Scully and his defence were able to repel all crosses and clear away for another attack. A Kilmarnock goal would have renewed the belief of the home side, while also sending the tension factor for the Jags support. Kris Boyd was able to get away from Seaborne inside the six yard box, but couldn’t fire his effort on target. Kallum Higginbotham had the final Kilmarnock effort, his shot getting deflected beyond the reach of Scully, but Gary Miller was swiftly across to clear off the line. Thistle saw out the final moments in relative comfort winning corner after corner. In stoppage time, Thistle nearly put the shine on a tremendous victory when Sean Welsh smashed an effort off the cross bar. Kevin Nisbet’s rebound header appeared goal bound until a Kilmarnock player cleared off the line. Referee Andrew Dallas blew the full time whistle and the players were able to take a richly deserved applause from the large Thistle backing that travelled to Rugby Park. Thistle will spend a fourth consecutive season in the Premiership, a feat not achieved since the 1990s.

DOOLAN CHASING SHARP

● With Callum Booth's absence, Steven Lawless and David Amoo now sit on top of the competitive appearances chart for 2015-16 with 38 outings each. Both players are currently on impressive personal best unbroken appearance runs; Stevie with 38 and David with 32.* Thistle win both halves of a match for the first time since… our last trip to Rugby Park in November!

● Steven Lawless bags his 5th goal of the season - all left-footers from outside of the box, carrying on his established pattern from last season. Stevie hasn't lowered himself to scoring from inside the box since September 2014 vs ICT in front of the Northy.

● Abdul Osman becomes the 3rd Jag to register an assist double this season. All 5 of his assists this term have came in 2016, with 3 in the last 3 games.

● The amazing Kris Doolan now takes his place as Thistle's highest League goal scorer (79) since Willie Sharp, who played his last game for the club more than 59 years ago in February, 1957.

● Kris Doolan is the first Jag to net in three consecutive top-flight games since, er, Kris Doolan in December 2015. James Grady was the last Jag to go further in the top-flight, registering 4-in-a-row in May 2004.

● Kris bags the first "Hogan" since Stevie Lawless did it to the Pars in season 2012-2013.

● Kris becomes the first Jag in history to register 3 Hogans; vs QOS 11-12; vs Ayr Utd 11-12; vs Kilmarnock 15-16.

● Kilmarnock are now officially "most Hoganed", having suffered four times.

● Freddy Frans improves his supreme clean-sheet ratio with Thistle; now 9 in 20 competitive games for this season (45%) and 19 in 42 competitive games overall (45.2%).

● The tractor-driving pie-munchers take their 67th top-flight beating from the Jags, cementing their place as our most-conquered opponent at this level.

● Alan Archibald registers his 32nd top-flight victory as Thistle manager, surpassing Davie McParland's tally of 31. Next target: 6th placed John Lambie with 42 wins.

● The Thistle have successfully survived the "third season back" in the top-flight 5 times out of 5; 1905, 1974, 1979, 1995 and 2016.

● In 2016-17, Alan Archibald is now all-set to become the first manager since Bertie Auld to boss Thistle in four consecutive top-flight campaigns.

● Wins at Tannadice on Tuesday and Firhill on Saturday would see Archie's Jags surpass Bertie Auld's post-reconstruction record of 1.31 points-per-game in the top-flight (with all eras calculated @ 3-points-per-win). 50 points would equate to a new post-reconstruction high of 1.32 points-per-game.

ongoing sequences:

● 5 competitive games without a draw, 5th Apr 2016 to date. (Longest run since: 9 games; 2nd Feb 2016 to 19th Mar 2016. Club-record: 27 games; 18th Feb 1899 to 23rd Dec 1899.)

● 7 competitive away games without a draw, 6th Feb 2016 to date. (Longest run since: 22 games; 7th Nov 2009 to 20th Nov 2010. Club-record: 24 games; 20th Sep 1995 to 17th Sep 1996.)

● 38 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.)

● 47 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.)

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