4th May 2018 Partick Thistle 1 Ross County 1 (SPFL Premiership - game 36)

matches:2017-18: ← 45game 4647 →

Match Information

40y, 9m, 21d			Alan Archibald		Steven Ferguson
					Stuart Kettlewell
Paul McGinn; Danny Devine; Ryan Edwards; Conor Sammon
Callum Booth; Niall Keown; Blair Spittal; Steven Lawless
Chris Erskine (1-0, 21 mins)					Billy McKay (1-1, 42 mins)
Kris Doolan (1-0, 21 mins)					Liam Fontaine (1-1, 42 mins)
Ryan Edwards; Andy McCarthy; Martin Woods; Chris Erskine
Baily Cargill (Adam Barton, 57 mins); Ryan Edwards (Blair Spittal, 65 mins); Kris Doolan (Miles Storey, 74 mins)					Max Melbourne (Davis Keillor-Dunn, 69 mins); Jamie Lindsay (Mattias Käit, 82 mins); Billy McKay (Craig Curran, 86 mins)
33y, 0m, 24d			Tomáš Černý		Scott Fox former Jag
27y, 6m, 12d			Paul McGinn		Marcus Fraser
26y, 11m, 8d			Christie Elliott		Harry Souttar
22y, 9m, 29d			Baily Cargill		Liam Fontaine
25y, 7m, 27d			Danny Devine		Jason Naismith
32y, 4m, 3d			Martin Woods		Ross Draper
19y, 6m, 14d			Andy McCarthy		Jamie Lindsay
24y, 5m, 17d			Ryan Edwards		Max Melbourne future Jag
31y, 5m, 28d			Conor Sammon		Michael Gardyne
31y, 4m, 23d			Kris Doolan		Alex Schalk
31y, 2m, 26d			Chris Erskine		Billy McKay
27y, 10m, 10d
25y, 6m, 5d			Ryan Scully		Aaron McCarey
30y, 8m, 27d			Mustapha Dumbuya		Ryan Dow
31y, 2m, 7d			Abdul Osman		Craig Curran
22y, 4m, 15d			Blair Spittal		David N'Gog
27y, 0m, 22d			Steven Lawless		Jim O'Brien
27y, 3m, 27d			Adam Barton		Davis Keillor-Dunn
24y, 4m, 0d			Miles Storey		Mattias Käit

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

Match Report

TTA report

11th v 12th. Doolan laid on a perfect cross for Erskine to hook home (21) but County levelled (42) as the defence dithered. Thistle's early promise faded and County looked the more dangerous side until late on. There were near things and penalty claims at both ends but it ended a draw neither team wanted.

Media report

Brian McLauchlin, 04-May-2018, bbc.com

Ross County remain two points adrift of Partick Thistle at the bottom of the Premiership after coming from behind to draw with the Jags. Chris Erskine fired the hosts ahead after Kris Doolan took advantage of a mistake by County defender Harry Souttar. Billy Mckay levelled when he beat the offside trap and knocked the ball in from close range. Both sides missed chances to find a winner in a frantic finale. The result leaves County on 28 points with just two games remaining - five points behind Dundee and Hamilton Academical, who meet on Saturday.

Thistle knew that a victory would all but ensure they will not face automatic relegation and straight from the first whistle they were on the front foot. Conor Sammon had the ball in the net early only for the referee to blow for an infringement. Sammon, who will be heading back to Tynecastle at the end of the season when his loan period ends, was proving to be a real handful for the visiting defence. The striker was inches away from connecting with a Ryan Edwards cross as Alan Archibald's side searched for the opener. And then when allowed space down the left hand side he managed to send a cross into the box that was cleared as Erskine waited all alone at the back post. Eventually, the pressure for the Jags paid off, but only thanks to some terrible defending by County. A long ball down the left was missed completely by Souttar, which Doolan picked up. His cross into the box was inch perfect for Erskine who sent a lovely left-foot volley beyond goalkeeper Scott Fox. The goal, however, was a wake up call for the visitors. Liam Fontaine was close with a header that goalkeeper Tomas Cerny saved low to his left, and a Jason Naismith effort was blocked by Baily Cargill. However, when Thistle cleared a free kick only as far as Fontaine, he clipped the ball into the six-yard area. With the home defence claiming for offside, McKay hooked the ball into the net.

The visitors charged out of their dressing room after the break with a spring in their step. Naismith sent a shot from the edge of the box just wide and Christie Elliott had to be on his toes to block a Max Melbourne effort as the home side looked nervous under the mounting pressure. Michael Gardyne was next to have a pop, shooting over the bar. On a rare venture forward Thistle had a fair shout for a penalty tuned down when Martin Woods' shot from the edge of the 18-yard box came off the outstretched arm of Souttar. Then Blair Spittal spotted fellow substitute Miles Storey making a run into the box, and goalkeeper Fox tipped the volley over. Danny Devine's header was blocked on the line by Fox, before at the other end a Craig Curran header was knocked away by team-mate Alex Schalk.

Reaction

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

We're the home team, we needed the points tonight, we were desperate to get them. I thought we were playing really well until we scored. But that's just where you are, it's pressure sometimes, the decision making goes. I think the teams above us will be delighted, that's for sure.

Ross County co-manager Steven Ferguson (speaking to the BBC):

It was two teams fighting for their lives. We're disappointed we didn't get the result we wanted but can't fault the effort. We came here to try and win the game, and Partick deserve a lot of credit because they stopped us winning the game. We're still fighting, albeit we're still bottom of the league. If we go and win the two games we've got left then we may have a chance.

Scrapbook

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The Sun, 5th May, 2018

Video Highlights

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Stats Watch

BYE BYE PRECIOUS POINTS (AGAIN)

● Chris Erskine nets his 6th goal against County, cementing his place as our 2nd highest scorer of all-time against them.

● With his 53rd goal in competitive action for the Jags, Squiddy rises into the All-Time Top 40 of our scorers chart.

● Baily Cargill retires injured in the 57th minute, thereby missing his first game time since joining the club in January.

● Thistle's yellow card count rises to 83 in competitive action this season, now the highest tally of the 21 seasons recorded by The Thistle Archive.

● Thistle have taken a single goal lead in 17 of their League games this season, but in the end have failed to win 10 of those matches, relinquishing 25 points all-told.

● Thistle go 5 competitive home games without defeat versus County, and are 2 away from matching the H2H record of 7.

ongoing sequences:

● 6 away League games without a win; 3rd Feb 2018 to date. (Longest run since: 16 games; 18th Mar 2017 to 27th Dec 2017. Club-record: 26 games; 20th Mar 1935 to 29th Aug 1936.)

● 7 competitive away games without a win; 3rd Feb 2018 to date. (Longest run since: 10 games; 19th Aug 2017 to 27th Dec 2017. Club-record: 25 games; 20th Apr 1908 to 28th Aug 1909.)

● 15 competitive away games without a clean-sheet; 4th Nov 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 16 games; 14th Oct 1989 to 25th Aug 1990. Club-record: 90 games; 31st Oct 1885 to 23rd Jan 1897.)

● 15 consecutive competitive appearances for Baily Cargill, 23rd Jan 2018 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Ryan Edwards - 35 games; 8th Aug 2017 to 3rd Apr 2018. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 47 games since back-to-back League wins, 11th Mar 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 71 games; 16th Apr 2013 to 14th Mar 2015. Club-record: 77 games; 2nd Nov 1912 to 5th Dec 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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