16th Dec 2017 Dundee 3 Partick Thistle 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 18)

matches:2017-18: ← 24game 2526 →

	Neil McCann	Alan Archibald	40y, 5m, 3d

		no changes
		no changes

Sofien Moussa (0-1, pen 19 mins); Mark O'Hara (0-2, 35 mins); Sofien Moussa (0-3, pen 65 mins)
none (0-1, pen 19 mins); none (0-2, 35 mins); none (0-3, pen 65 mins)
Sofien Moussa		Martin Woods; Jordan Turnbull

Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Scott Allan, 67 mins); Sofien Moussa (Marcus Haber, 75 mins); Mark O'Hara (Jesse Curran, 89 mins)		Miles Storey (Chris Erskine, HT); Martin Woods (Steven Lawless, 51 mins); Conor Sammon (Kris Doolan, 62 mins)

	Elliot Parish	Tomáš Černý	32y, 8m, 6d
	Cameron Kerr	Paul McGinn	27y, 1m, 24d
	former Jag Jack W. Hendry	Blair Spittal	21y, 11m, 27d
	Josh Meekings	Jordan Turnbull	23y, 1m, 16d
	Glen Kamara	Niall Keown	22y, 8m, 11d
	Mark O'Hara	Danny Devine	25y, 3m, 9d
	Jon Aurtenetxe	Martin Woods	31y, 11m, 15d
	Paul McGowan	Adam Barton	26y, 11m, 9d
	A-Jay Leitch-Smith	Conor Sammon	31y, 1m, 10d
	Sofien Moussa	Ryan Edwards	24y, 0m, 29d
	Faissal El Bakhtaoui	Miles Storey	23y, 11m, 12d

			26y, 5m, 13d

	Calum Ferie	Ryan Scully	25y, 1m, 17d
	future Jag Kevin Holt	Kris Doolan	31y, 0m, 5d
	Darren O'Dea	Chris Erskine	30y, 10m, 8d
	Scott Allan	Steven Lawless	26y, 8m, 4d
	Jesse Curran	Milan Nitrianský	27y, 0m, 3d
	Marcus Haber	Kevin Nisbet	20y, 9m, 8d
	Matthew Henvey	Andy McCarthy	19y, 1m, 26d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

Dundee, without being much better than Thistle, were far more direct and positive. Pens conceded by Devine (19 and 65) and a shot close in after Cerny had saved with his feet (35) did the damage. Fragile in defence, ponderous in possession and punchless in attack, only Storey and Edwards passed muster.

Media report

Jonathan Sutherland, 16-Dec-2017, bbc.com

Two penalties from Sofien Moussa helped Dundee to a much needed win over bottom of the table Partick Thistle. Thistle defender Danny Devine was culpable for both awards; bringing down Moussa in the first half, who rolled his effort into the bottom corner. After Mark O'Hara made it two when he was first to the rebound following A-Jay Leitch-Smith's initial shot, Moussa again scored from the spot. O'Hara forced a fine save from Tomas Cerny as Dundee threatened a fourth.

It would be a miserable game for Partick Thistle captain Devine. The defender almost put through his own net in the early stages. Jon Aurtenetxe played a ball into the box from the left. Devine miscued his clearance and Thistle goalkeeper Cerny had to save well to stop his skipper from putting his side 1-0 down. It would get worse for Devine. One on one with Moussa in the penalty area, Devine tripped the striker. Despite having only one league goal to his name this season there were no signs of nerves from Moussa as he dispatched the ball into the bottom corner. Dundee then doubled their lead with a quick break. Moussa played a ball down the wing for Faissal El Bakhtaoui which sliced the Thistle defence open. He slung a ball into the box from which Leitch-Smith forced a save from Cerny, but there was O'Hara to fire home from close range. Just before half-time Ryan Edwards had an effort over the bar. The Glasgow side made an early switch from a back three to a back four, but they struggled to make an impression.

At the start of the second half Moussa had a header go just wide of the post as Dundee looked to seal all three points. They would make it 3-0, and it would come from Moussa again after Devine brought down Kerr, and despite his protests referee Greg Aitken pointed to the spot. Moussa confidently stepped up and made no mistake. It was almost a fourth soon after. This time Moussa the provider as he laid off a pass to O'Hara who smashed a fierce drive that flew narrowly wide of the post. The midfielder would go close once more, this time powering a shot that look destined for the top corner but Cerny pulled off a great one handed save. Substitute Scott Allan fired a long range effort just over the bar as Dundee looked to inflict even further pain on the visitors. A richly deserved win for the home side which moves them above Ross County into 10th.

Reaction

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

We didn't put enough into the game. I think some of our players thought they were just going to turn up and win today because we won on Wednesday night, but football is not like that. We were second to every ball and Dundee looked like they had more desire than us, certainly in the middle of the pitch. The goals we have given away are comedy stuff. It was the same last week at Kilmarnock and it was the same today, the two penalties give the referee a decision to make. I've not seen them back to see if it's a penalty or not, but we put him in a position to make a decision.

Dundee manager Neil McCann (speaking to the BBC):

Totally dominant performance I think. Partick changed their formation because we were well on top from the first whistle. It's brilliant, because that's the level back now to where they have been performing like. I thought we had some unbelievably good performances today, but overall the most pleasing factor for me was that we got a total team performance and a fantastic result to back that up.

AWAY DAY DISASTER ZONE

● 24 out of the last 26 penalties in Thistle's League games have went to the opposition, a startling run, completely without precedent.

● The current run of one-way League penalty concessions now stretches to 11-in-a-row. Surprisingly, this is not the club-record. The actual club-record of 12-in-a-row lies with, er, Archie's Jags, set between September 2014 and February 2016. Before all of this craziness, the worst-known run was only 9, set between September 1913 and Augsut 1914.

● Away from home in the League, 14 consecutive penalty awards have now went to the opposition, from August 2014 to date. Needless to say, this is a club-record.

● Thistle have scored just 0.44 away League goals-per-game this term (4 in 9 games). This is on-course to be the lowest return since 1912-13, and the second lowest ratio of all-time.

● Thistle have conceded 2.22 away League goals-per-game this term (20 in 9 games). This is on-course to be the highest concession rate in almost 40 years.

● The class of 2017-18 have returned 0.33 League pts-per-game away from home (3 pts in 9 games). This is on-course to be the lowest return since 1935-36, and the 4th lowest return of all-time.

● Failure to win at either Celtic Park or Pittodrie will leave Thistle with one away League win in the entire calendar year, matching the somewhat pathetic club-record which was set in 1898 and equalled in 1901, 1937, 1939 and 1970.

ongoing sequences:

● 8 competitive away games without a win; 19th Aug 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 11 games; 24th Feb 2007 to 6th Oct 2007. Club-record: 25 games; 20th Apr 1908 to 28th Aug 1909.)

● 14 away League games without a win; 18th Mar 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 14 games; 11th Sep 2004 to 9th Apr 2005. Club-record: 26 games; 20th Mar 1935 to 29th Aug 1936.)

● 46 consecutive competitive appearances for Adam Barton, 28th Dec 2016 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Ade Azeez - 46 games; 15th Jul 2016 to 21st May 2017. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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

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