30th Sep 2017 Motherwell 3 Partick Thistle 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 8)

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matches:2017-18: ← 14game 1516 →

	Stephen Robinson	Alan Archibald	40y, 2m, 17d

		Tomáš Černý; Milan Nitrianský
		Ryan Scully; Christie Elliott

Peter Hartley (0-1, 7 mins); Craig Tanner (0-2, 56 mins); Ryan Bowman (0-3, 82 mins)
none (0-1, 7 mins); Richard Tait (0-2, 56 mins); Chris Cadden (0-3, 82 mins)
		Tomáš Černý; Adam Barton; Steven Lawless; Ryan Edwards

Craig Tanner (Andy Rose, 66 mins); Louis Moult (Elliott Frear, 77 mins); Carl McHugh (Liam Grimshaw, 83 mins)		Kris Doolan (Conor Sammon, 55 mins); Danny Devine (Chris Erskine, 57 mins); Blair Spittal (Steven Lawless, 66 mins)

	Trevor Carson	Tomáš Černý	32y, 5m, 20d
	Richard Tait	Milan Nitrianský	26y, 9m, 17d
	Peter Hartley	Paul McGinn	26y, 11m, 8d
	Chris Cadden	Jordan Turnbull	22y, 11m, 0d
	Carl McHugh	Niall Keown	22y, 5m, 25d
	Louis Moult	Danny Devine	25y, 0m, 23d
	Ryan Bowman	Adam Barton	26y, 8m, 23d
	Charles Dunne	Blair Spittal	21y, 9m, 11d
	Cédric Kipré	Kris Doolan	30y, 9m, 19d
	Allan Campbell	Ryan Edwards	23y, 10m, 13d
	Craig Tanner	Miles Storey	23y, 8m, 26d

			25y, 9m, 11d

	Russell Griffiths	Ryan Scully	24y, 11m, 1d
	Steven Hammell	Chris Erskine	30y, 7m, 22d
	Liam Grimshaw	Steven Lawless	26y, 5m, 18d
	Gael Bigirimana	Conor Sammon	30y, 10m, 24d
	Elliott Frear	Kevin Nisbet	20y, 6m, 22d
	Andy Rose	Andy McCarthy	18y, 11m, 10d
	Alex Fisher

notes

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

TTA report

A rebounded free-kick off a post bundled in (7), a shot from 12 yards (56) and a shot at the 2nd attempt after Cerny had parried (82) ensured in-form and robust Motherwell won with ease. An inept display with poor defending, nothing creative in midfield and no shots on target. The outcome was inevitable.

Media report

John Barnes, 30-Sep-2017, bbc.com

Goals from Peter Hartley, Craig Tanner and Ryan Bowman secured victory for an impressive Motherwell against Partick Thistle. The home side dominated and although top scorer Louis Moult didn't find the net, he was prominent for Motherwell. Moult's free-kick hit the post in the first-half, with Hartley converting the rebound from close range. Tanner added the second after the break from Richard Tait's cross, with Bowman finishing crisply for the third. Moult saw a second-half effort deflected wide, with Motherwell's dominance of possession reflected in the number of chances they created. Motherwell's victory leaves Partick Thistle second bottom of the Premiership and still looking for their first league win of the season.

The home side delivered the first effort of the game, which came from Moult as he created space on the edge of the penalty area. But his defected shot was held by Partick Thistle Tomas Cerny low to his right. Cerny was involved again moments later, as he escaped with a yellow card when he clattered Bowman after advancing out of his area to try to clear a Moult through pass. From the resultant free kick, Motherwell opened the scoring. Moult's strike from the set piece rebounded off the right-hand post and Hartley adjusted his footing six yards out to knock the ball over the line for his second goal of the season. The home side came close to doubling their lead with two fine efforts. Moult's shot was superbly saved by Cerny then fell to Chris Cadden and his follow-up effort was blocked on the line by Partick defender Paul McGinn. Thistle haven't won at Fir Park since January 1996 and on their showing in the early exchanges that statistic did not look like changing. The tenacious style of Motherwell's midfield did not allow the visitors to settle and only a cross from Miles Storey which Kris Doolan managed to get his head on looked like a threat to Trevor Carson's goal, but it flew well wide.

Thistle began the second half livelier than they finished the first. Blair Spittal saw a free kick blocked by 'Well's defensive wall, then McGinn fired wide from the edge of the area. But 'Well were still dangerous and doubled their lead through Tanner. Richard Tait cut the ball back from the left and the former Reading midfielder met it first time on his left foot to claim his second goal of the season. Partick manager Alan Archibald rang the changes as he looked for his side to get back in the game. Doolan, Danny Devine and Spittal all made way for Conor Sammon, Chris Erskine and Steven Lawless as he looked for a response in the last half hour. But it was Motherwell who continued to dominate and Moult watched in agony as his shot took a deflection before clipping the outside of the post. Elliot Frear, who had replaced Moult, tried his luck from a wide left area, but Cerny did well to turn the ball round the post. But from the resultant corner kick, Thistle struggled to clear their lines and Bowman took full advantage to shoot high into the net from eight yards.

Reaction

Speaking to the BBC, Alan Archibald was asked, "was it Partick's worst performance of the season?"

It probably was. We didn't cause them any problems, we didn't work their goalkeeper. We started poorly, we knew what was coming, the style of their play and their good players. We didn't stop it, then lost a poor first goal. A lot of our play we played into their hands, which was disappointing when we've been really positive in our last four or five outings. It was basic stuff, clear your lines, and the corner typified that at the end when they picked up the ball three times [then Bowman's] goal typified our whole performance. There's pressure every week, with every game you take on. It doesn't change that, but the next home game against Kilmarnock is massive.

Speaking to the BBC, Motherwell manager Steve Robinson described the win as his side's "most important result of the season" and praised the players for showing that there is more to their side than the goals of top scorer Louis Moult:

We showed we are a good team. Moulty was excellent, his holdup play was as good as it's been for us. But we have got other players as well. People say it's a one-man team, but it isn't: Louis would be the first to recognise that. Three different scorers, and we're happy with that. We thought [Tanner] might be able to find little pockets in behind and he did. He got better as the game went on.

ALL-TIME LOWS AT FIR PARK

● For the third match-in-a-row, Thistle fill only 6 of the 7 permitted bench slots. In total, 7 slots have been left unfilled in competitive action this term, already matching what was an unprecedented tally of 7 unfilled slots last season. During the same period, our Premiership opponents have been complete every time.

● 4 consecutive League losses at Fir Park (26.09.2015 to date) matches the H2H record which set in 1960, then equalled in 1972 and 2014.

● 12 League games without a win at Fir Park (10.08.2002 to date) re-sets the H2H record.

● 13 competitive games without a win at Fir Park (10.08.2002 to date) re-sets the H2H record.

● These two sides have now played 11 successive competitive games without a repeated outcome (04.10.2014 to date). As a theoretical crumb of comfort, Thistle fans can look forward to not losing at Firhill in December!

● Thistle go 14 League games without a win, now jointly our second longest streak in history, only trumped by the club-record run of 26, set in October, 1909.

ongoing sequences:

● 7 home League games without a win; 7th May 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 8 games; 27th Aug 2016 to 9th Dec 2016. Joint club-record: 15 games; 5th Dec 1908 to 11th Dec 1909 & 16th Apr 2013 to 1st Feb 2014.)

● 8 competitive games without a win, 11th Aug 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 9 games, 9th Aug 2016 to 22nd Oct 2016. Club-record: 26 games, 28th Nov 1908 to 28th Aug 1909.)

● 9 away League games without a win; 18th Mar 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 9 games; 10th Mar 2007 to 6th Oct 2007. Club-record: 26 games; 20th Mar 1935 to 29th Aug 1936.)

● 14 games without a clean-sheet in the League; 15th Apr 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 14 games; 1st Feb 2014 to 10th May 2014. Club-record: 46 games; 20th Apr 1908 to 30th Oct 1909.)

● 14 League games without a win; 15th Apr 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 14 games; 9th Aug 2003 to 29th Nov 2003. Club-record: 26 games; 28th Nov 1908 to 2nd Oct 1909.)

● 36 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.)

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

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