The Thistle Archive

Joe Garner scored a stoppage-time winner as Rangers came from behind to beat Partick Thistle at Firhill. Kris Doolan nodded home at the end of a great move as Thistle took the lead and complete control of the first half following early Rangers pressure. Substitute Barrie McKay produced a moment of quality to poke home and haul his side level. And Garner superbly headed in Kenny Miller's cross to complete the comeback and hand his side all three points. The win, which ensures a top-four finish and secures European football for Rangers next season, takes the third-placed Ibrox side to within six points of second-placed Aberdeen, who play Hearts later. For Partick, it was deja vu after November's match in which Doolan gave them the lead only for a late Joe Dodoo brace to win it for Rangers.

Pedro Caixinha sent out an attacking line-up with Garner, Dodoo, Miller and Martyn Waghorn looking to take the game to Thistle, and for the first 10 minutes the visitors enjoyed plenty of possession in the final third. Miller pulled an angled effort wide, Garner knocked a near-post effort into the side netting and Josh Windass was looking lively in midfield. The question was always going to centre on how the defence would cope in such a line-up and the answer came when Partick sliced through the back-line all too easily. Doolan held the ball up brilliantly and played in Steven Lawless before breaking into the box to nod a superb Christie Elliott cross beyond Wes Foderingham. Niall Keown headed a great chance over the bar soon after and Ryan Edwards found himself in acres of space three yards from goal but Foderingham managed to divert it wide as the home side pressed for a second. Rangers' early confidence was gone, Partick's was growing by the second and they controlled the remainder of the opening 45 minutes.

Caixinha sent the same side out for the second half but soon added the experienced Clint Hill to the defence, with Waghorn making way. Miller had a sniff at goal but Tomas Cerny snuffed that out superbly and Thistle went up the park where Doolan nodded wide after a Danny Wilson slip afforded him the freedom of the six-yard box. Edwards was dictating the play for Partick in midfield, looking a yard ahead of his Rangers counterparts in terms of pace and thought. On came youngster Jamie Barjonas for his debut in an attempt to bolster the Rangers midfield, with Wilson going off and Jason Holt soon making way for McKay. Caixinha's final roll of the dice made a difference as McKay hauled Rangers level, the winger showing great composure and touch to go past two Thistle defenders before beating Cerny. Garner won it with seconds to play, rising to expertly head beyond Cerny after excellent work on the right from Miller. Rangers will be delighted to return to winning ways following back-to-back Old Firm defeats, but the performance against Partick will have done little to convince their fans of any major improvement. They started well but as soon as Partick settled into the game the Ibrox players look disjointed and directionless. Boss Caixinha made changes to his system and personnel throughout the match, suggesting he is still struggling to discover how to get the best from this group. Partick boss Archibald will be disappointed to yet again lose out to late Rangers goals, and this is a match his side probably deserved a point from.

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald:

It's a sore one. We put a lot into that first-half performance. We created a number of good opportunities - that was the only negative, not adding to our 1-0 lead. We weren't outdone by tactics or anything like that. It's one long ball that outdoes us. You feel guilty about having a go but we've got to learn from it. We've got to move on. We want to be a top-six side, we want to stay away from the bottom end of the league. You've got to see games out and manage them and learn from it. Once we lost the goal we didn't react in the right way. We didn't do the basics. With 30 seconds to go, you've got to go and defend your box as if your life depends on it.

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha:

If we were not together as a group I don't think the players would celebrate like that at the end. I really like the way the players understood and were committed. There were a lot of moments I really felt the passion from the players. Today was really important for us to show a reaction. We showed it in the second half and I need to be happy with that. We needed to change the course of the game and we managed it. My passion and dedication to this sport is that I would rather die trying it rather than be alive to see what happens. And that is what the players did.

bbc.com

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BT Sport

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A RECORD LOSING RUN

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