23rd Dec 2016 Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 3 (SPFL Premiership - game 19)

matches:2016-17: ← 27game 2829 →

	Jim McIntyre	Alan Archibald	39y, 5m, 10d

		Christie Elliott; Kris Doolan; Chris Erskine
		Ziggy Gordon; David Amoo; Ade Azeez

Liam Boyce (3-1, 83 mins)		Liam Lindsay (1-0, 50 mins); Kris Doolan (2-0, 62 mins); Chris Erskine (3-0, 78 mins)
Marcus Fraser (3-1, 83 mins)		Sean Welsh (1-0, 50 mins); Callum Booth (2-0, 62 mins); Ade Azeez (3-0, 78 mins)
Christopher Routis

Craig Curran (Alex Schalk, 55 mins); Ryan Dow (Jonathan Franks, 63 mins); Tony Dingwall (Christopher McLaughlin, 63 mins)		Kris Doolan (Ade Azeez, 73 mins); Steven Lawless (David Amoo, 88 mins)

	former Jag Scott Fox	Tomáš Černý	31y, 8m, 13d
	Liam Boyce	Christie Elliott	25y, 6m, 27d
	Jay McEveley	Callum Booth	25y, 6m, 23d
	Andrew Davies	Liam Lindsay	21y, 2m, 11d
	Christopher Routis	Danny Devine	24y, 3m, 16d
	Craig Curran	Abdul Osman	29y, 9m, 26d
	Marcus Fraser	Steven Lawless	25y, 8m, 11d
	Paul Quinn	Ryan Edwards	23y, 1m, 6d
	Ryan Dow	Kris Doolan	30y, 0m, 12d
	Tony Dingwall	Chris Erskine	29y, 10m, 15d
	Tim Chow	Sean Welsh	26y, 9m, 8d

			26y, 8m, 10d

	Aaron McCarey	Thorsten Stuckmann	35y, 9m, 6d
	Jonathan Franks	David Amoo	25y, 8m, 10d
	Alex Schalk	Adam Barton	25y, 11m, 16d
	Greg Morrison	Ade Azeez	22y, 11m, 15d
	Christopher McLaughlin	David Wilson [ii]	22y, 3m, 17d
	Ian McShane	Declan McDaid	21y, 1m, 1d
	Erik Cikos	Ziggy Gordon	23y, 8m, 0d

notes

Thistle generally in playing order, opposition in squad number order.

TTA report

After an even, goalless first half, Thistle dominated and goals by Lindsay (header from a corner, 50), Doolan (header from 10 yards, (62) and Erskine (top right-hand corner after weaving his way through, 78) put Thistle well in control before a header by County (83). Excellent performance and a welcome 3 points.

Media report

Martin Dowden, 23-Dec-2016, bbc.com

Partick Thistle ended a seven-game run without a win to move off the bottom of the Premiership with a comprehensive victory over Ross County in Dingwall. After a goalless first half, Liam Lindsay headed home from a corner for his sixth goal of the season. Kris Doolan, all alone six yards out, made it two as he headed home Callum Booth's cross from the left flank. Chris Erskine fired home the third before Liam Boyce headed in his 11th goal of the season for County late on. But it proved meagre consolation for the hosts, who slipped to a fourth home league defeat of the season and despite holding onto sixth place, are only four points off the bottom.

Consistent performance levels are usually rewarded and on this occasion Thistle got what they deserved. After an initially bright start from County, the visitors took control of the ball and played the game largely in their opponents' half. Erskine was unlucky to see a powerful effort parried, while Steven Lawless and Christie Elliott also had good chances and you wondered if Thistle might again rue their recent inability to convert them. But they stayed positive and early in the second half got the vital breakthrough. Lawless' shot was blocked for a corner from which Lindsay timed his run perfectly, rising above everyone to power his header past Scott Fox. Then Doolan seized his opportunity to direct a header into the corner to effectively seal the win just after the hour. Fox gathered a long-range Erskine effort but the midfielder was not to be denied, twisting in the box to fire home into the top-right corner and earn Thistle a resounding win. It lifted them three places up to ninth, and if they maintain this form, they will be looking up rather than down for the rest of the season.

There was a tangible confidence about County early on after an excellent win against Aberdeen and a six-game unbeaten run, Tim Chow and Chris Routis both firing efforts wide. But from there the home side were unable to retain possession and build any sustained pressure. Tony Dingwall did have one surging run through the middle but couldn't produce a finish. At 2-0 down their best chance fell to Boyce, who wheeled away from two defenders only to be denied by a wonderful Tomas Cerny save. With that their chance of a comeback seemed to evaporate, but Boyce did grab his fifth goal in six games with a late header from Marcus Fraser's right-wing cross. Victory would have taken County eight points clear of Thistle, but defeat drags them back into the bottom-seven dogfight ahead of a challenging trip to runaway leaders Celtic.

Reaction

Thistle boss Alan Archibald (speaking to the BBC):

We did a lot of things very, very well. We worked hard for chances tonight. The first one got us on the way and that gave us the confidence to go and build on it. We were clinical at the right times. We're getting that consistency. Hopefully the corner is turned. We need to make sure we get our rewards at home as well and turn draws into victories as we've not won enough home games. This gives us a platform to build on.

County boss Jim McIntyre (speaking to the BBC):

It's extremely disappointing. It was a chance for us to get back to back wins for the first time this season at home. Conditions were difficult but there were too many misplaced passes, we didn't win enough individual battles either. We've lost two goals to set plays which we've done really well at lately. That was particularly disappointing. We've got to take it on the chin. Credit to them, they took their chances. We need to lick our wounds and get ready for Celtic.

KRIS DOOLAN, PARTICK THISTLE GOALS CENTURION

● With his sixth goal of the season, Liam Lindsay remains joint-top of our competitive scoring charts, alongside Chris Erskine. The intriguing possibility remains that he could be the first Thistle defender in history to finish outright top at the summit. Jered Stirling got closest to that feat, finishing as joint-top competitive scorer with 6 goals in 1997-98.

● Sean Welsh extends his lead at the top of our assists chart with his 4th in 8 games.

● The ever-neat Kris Doolan makes his 200th start to go with with his 100 appearances as a sub as he reaches his excellent 300 competitive games milestone.

● Kris becomes the twelfth man to become a Partick Thistle goals centurion in the "all-games" category, a truly fantastic achievement in the modern era.

● In the 62nd minute, Kris became Thistle's all-time leading competitive scorer vs. County with 5 goals. His spell at the outright top lasted just a quarter of an hour as Chris Erskine joined him at the summit!

● There has been no repeat outcome in the last seven Thistle v County tussles, an unprecedented occurrence in the H2H.

ongoing sequences:

● 8 competitive games without a first-half goal. (Longest run since: 9 games; 5th Mar 2016 to 30th Apr 2016.)

● 8 competitive games without a home win; 27th Aug 2016 to date. (Longest run since: 12 games; 14th Sep 2013 to 1st Feb 2014. Club-record: 13 games; 13th Apr 1988 to 3rd Dec 1988.)

● 8 home League games without a win; 27th Aug 2016 to date. (Longest run since the joint club-record: 15 games; 16th Apr 2013 to 1st Feb 2014 & 5th Dec 1908 to 11th Dec 1909.)

● 37 consecutive competitive appearances for Ryan Edwards, 2nd Mar 2016 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Steven Lawless - 53 games; 9th Aug 2015 to 15th Oct 2016. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 54 away League games without a penalty award, 1st Mar 2014 to date. (Longest run since the club-record: 62 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.

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