9th Sep 2017 Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 1 (SPFL Premiership - game 5)

matches:2017-18: ← 10game 1112 →

	Jim McIntyre	Alan Archibald	40y, 1m, 27d

		Danny Devine; Ryan Edwards
		Niall Keown; Chris Erskine

Alex Schalk (1-1, pen 86 mins)		Blair Spittal (1-0, 22 mins)
none (1-1, pen 86 mins)		Kris Doolan (1-0, 22 mins)
Sean Kelly; Christopher Routis; Andrew Davies		Danny Devine

Craig Curran (Alex Schalk, 66 mins); Thomas Mikkelsen (Billy McKay, 69 mins); Andrew Davies (Kenny van der Weg, 81 mins)		Tomáš Černý (Ryan Scully, 31 mins); Kris Doolan (Miles Storey, 75 mins); Stuart Bannigan (Chris Erskine, 83 mins)

	Aaron McCarey	Tomáš Černý	32y, 4m, 30d
	Marcus Fraser	Milan Nitrianský	26y, 8m, 27d
	Jason Naismith	Christie Elliott	26y, 3m, 14d
	former Jag Sean Kelly	Jordan Turnbull	22y, 10m, 10d
	Andrew Davies	Danny Devine	25y, 0m, 2d
	Christopher Routis	Adam Barton	26y, 8m, 2d
	Michael Gardyne	Blair Spittal	21y, 8m, 21d
	Ross Draper	Stuart Bannigan	24y, 11m, 23d
	Davis Keillor-Dunn	Kris Doolan	30y, 8m, 29d
	Craig Curran	Ryan Edwards	23y, 9m, 23d
	Thomas Mikkelsen	Conor Sammon	30y, 10m, 3d

			26y, 6m, 20d

	former Jag Scott Fox	Ryan Scully	24y, 10m, 11d
	Tim Chow	Chris Erskine	30y, 7m, 1d
	Ryan Dow	Steven Lawless	26y, 4m, 28d
	Alex Schalk	Kevin Nisbet	20y, 6m, 1d
	Jamie Lindsay	Andy McCarthy	18y, 10m, 20d
	Billy McKay	Miles Storey	23y, 8m, 5d
	Kenny van der Weg

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Thistle filled only 6 of their 7 allocated bench slots.

TTA report

Thistle were going nowhere until Spittal latched on to a throw-in (22) against the run of play. Long spells of County pressure saw fine defending and Scully (replaced Cerny, 33) played his part. Finally, just as 3 points looked possible, panic in the box led to a soft pen (86). 1 point. 3 would have been welcome if undeserved.

Media report

Jonathan Sutherland, 09-Sep-2017, bbc.com

Alex Schalk's late penalty extended Partick Thistle run of Premiership games without a win to 11 games. Scott Fox had been replaced with Aaron McCarey after his blunder against Rangers and the Irish goalkeeper was beaten by a low Blair Spittal drive. The goal had come after 23 minutes against the run of play, with summer signing Davis Keillor-Dunn impressing. Thistle looked to have managed the game excellently until Schalk equalised after winning the penalty himself. It was a deserved point that ended County's run of three straight league defeats. The consolation for Thistle was avoiding a ninth straight defeat and moving off the bottom of the table, although they remain three behind their hosts.

County came flying out of the traps with Keillor-Dunn at the centre of most of it. The 19-year-old was making his first start for County and wasted no time in making an impression, testing Tomas Cerny with a shot in the first minute. There then followed a couple of chances from team-mate Craig Curran before Keillor-Dunn was at the fore again. His header was cleared off the line by Danny Devine and then had a shot deflected wide. Spittal had an early shot for Thistle turned wide by McCarey, but better was to come from the former Dundee United midfielder for the travelling fans to savour. Against the run of play, he burst through the County defence before calmly firing past the goalkeeper to put Thistle into what was a surprise lead given the balance of play. County tried to hit back and it was Keillor-Dunn again pulling the strings. This time, he supplied a dangerous cross into the box and there was Thomas Mikkelsen, but the Danish striker went with his foot when a header may have been the better option and the chance was gone.

Into the second-half, a big chance for Mikkelsen, but this time he was denied by a sensational blocking challenge by Devine. Devine had his own chance as he fired a shot wide of the post. The defender claimed he had his shirt pulled in the box, but referee John Beaton gave a shake of the head. Substitute Schalk fired in a low shot that was well saved by Ryan Scully - who had replaced the injured Cerny in the home goal. A great move from County down the left almost fashioned an equaliser. Keillor-Dunn played the ball into the path of Sean Kelly and Schalk failed to connect with a cross when a touch would have almost certainly secured a goal. However, Schalk would get his chance. The Dutch striker felled in the box and a penalty given by the referee. Up stepped Schalk himself to fire past Scully into the bottom left corner with real confidence to level the scores. Ross Draper almost scored a winner for County. His header was arrowing into the top corner, but Scully produced a stunning save to keep it all square.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald (speaking to the BBC):

I thought we had the better chances first-half. I thought we dealt with the onslaught in the first 10 or 15 minutes. We knew that was coming. Once we dealt with that, it opened up a bit and I thought we looked really dangerous on the counter-attack and picked some great areas up. Delighted with the performance. Obviously we were penned in in the second-half, but I thought we rode the storm actually and dealt with their two strikers up to that point - and then we don't deal with an aimless ball into the box. That's the positive - we got a point and we're not sitting on zero points so that's a big positive, but it feels like a defeat because we were leading for so long.

Ross County manager Jim McIntyre (speaking to the BBC):

I think, on the balance of chances, we created, we definitely had the more threatening chances to go on and score more goals, but unfortunately we couldn't go on and take them. I thought we started the game really well. I was pleased with the way we started. We asked the boys for a fast start. I thought both wide players were causing problems for Thistle. They score from a breakaway throw, which is really frustrating and we switch off and we get done. That just puts that seed of doubt in your minds when you have lost the last three matches. Credit to the players, they stuck at it. We told them to keep believing at half-time and it would come. To a man in the second half, they were excellent. We had to deal with enforced injuries as well, but I thought every substitute that came on really played their part as well.

TWO NEW CLUB-RECORDS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

● For the fifth time, ten non-Scots appear for Thistle, matching the club-record first set in July, 2014.

● For the second time in competitive action, ten non-Scots appear for Thistle, matching the club-record set in August, 2017.

● Blair Spittal's 22nd minute strike maintains his impressive goals/assists tally, now sitting at 7 in just 6 games.

● The injury-prone Tomáš Černý becomes the first Thistle 'keeper in history to be substituted 4 times in competitive action.

● Ryan Scully sets a new club-record by coming on as a substitute 'keeper for the 4th time in competitive action for Thistle.

● Thistle concede their 6th penalty in the last 10 League games.

● It's now more than 3½ years since Thistle won a penalty away from home in the League.

● Thistle and County have now met on 50 occasions in competitive action, and remain deadlocked on 18 wins apiece.

ongoing sequences:

● 5 consecutive home League defeats; 7th May 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 5 defeats; 23rd Aug 2003 to 22nd Nov 2003. Club-record: 10 defeats; 5th Dec 1908 to 25th Aug 1909.)

● 8 away League games without a win; 18th Mar 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 8 games; 29th Sep 2012 to 16th Feb 2013. Club-record: 26 games; 20th Mar 1935 to 29th Aug 1936.)

● 11 League games without a win; 15th Apr 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 12 games; 9th May 2015 to 26th Sep 2015. Club-record: 26 games; 28th Nov 1908 to 2nd Oct 1909.)

● 32 consecutive competitive appearances for Adam Barton, 28th Dec 2016 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Kris Doolan - 39 games; 15th Oct 2016 to 5th Aug 2017. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 65 away League games without a penalty award, 1st Mar 2014 to date. (A new club-record.)

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