8th May 2018 Partick Thistle 0 Motherwell 1 (SPFL Premiership - game 37)

matches:2017-18: ← 46game 4748 →

40y, 9m, 25d	Alan Archibald	Stephen Robinson

Adam Barton
Andy McCarthy

		Ryan Bowman (0-1, 60 mins)
		David Turnbull (0-1, 60 mins)
Ryan Edwards		Allan Campbell; Ryan Bowman

Chris Erskine (Steven Lawless, 69 mins); Kris Doolan (Miles Storey, 69 mins); Adam Barton (Blair Spittal, 81 mins)		Stephen Hendrie (Gaël Bigirimana, HT); Curtis Main (Elliott Frear, 63 mins); David Turnbull (Nadir Çiftçi, 82 mins)

33y, 0m, 28d	Tomáš Černý	Trevor Carson
27y, 6m, 16d	Paul McGinn	Charles Dunne
26y, 11m, 12d	Christie Elliott	Tom Aldred
22y, 10m, 3d	Baily Cargill	Cédric Kipré
25y, 8m, 1d	Danny Devine	Stephen Hendrie future Jag
32y, 4m, 7d	Martin Woods	Chris Cadden
27y, 4m, 1d	Adam Barton	Carl McHugh
24y, 5m, 21d	Ryan Edwards	Allan Campbell
31y, 6m, 2d	Conor Sammon	David Turnbull
31y, 4m, 27d	Kris Doolan	Curtis Main
31y, 3m, 0d	Chris Erskine	Ryan Bowman

28y, 6m, 29d

25y, 6m, 9d	Ryan Scully	Russell Griffiths
30y, 9m, 1d	Mustapha Dumbuya	Gaël Bigirimana
31y, 2m, 11d	Abdul Osman	Elliott Frear
22y, 4m, 19d	Blair Spittal	Deimantas Petravičius
27y, 0m, 26d	Steven Lawless	Nadir Çiftçi
19y, 4m, 16d	James Penrice	Ross MacLean
24y, 4m, 4d	Miles Storey	Barry Maguire

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

Absolutely typical of the season! Start well, have lots of possession, lack penetration, lack creativity, fail to score while on top, don't react to opposition changes, defend poorly, concede a soft goal (in this case a header from a free-kick, 60), make strange substitutions, chase the game, try hard, lose.

Media report

Martin Dowden, 08-May-2018, bbc.com

Partick Thistle remain two points above bottom side Ross County in the Scottish Premiership after losing to Motherwell. Kris Doolan crosses provided chances for Conor Sammon and Ryan Edwards with Sammon nodding just wide and Edwards drawing a save from Trevor Carson. Ryan Bowman headed Well ahead from David Turnbull's free-kick. Christie Elliott stung the palms of Carson as Thistle pressed and their best hope of survival now looks to be in the Premiership play-off final. The side finishing bottom will go down automatically while the second bottom side will face either Livingston or Dundee United in that play-off for a place in next season's top flight. And with Hamilton Academical three points clear of Partick Thistle and 13 goals better off than the Jags, Alan Archibald's side are unlikely to catch Accies. Thistle visit Dundee on Saturday while County travel to take on St Johnstone and Hamilton visit Motherwell.

The Jags had been unbeaten in three before Well's visit as they searched for what would have been a vital win, at least in avoiding automatic relegation. They started brightly with Doolan, so often the finisher, turning provider with two excellent crosses. The first fell to Sammon, who flashed a header wide from close range. Doolan then tried from the other wing and found Edwards powering into the penalty area but his header was straight at Carson, who cleared with his legs. Anywhere to either side of the goalkeeper and it was surely a crucial opener. Motherwell, with Scottish Cup final places at stake and chasing a seventh-placed finish in the league, grew into the contest and forced a series of corners. They were restricted in terms of chances with Bowman seeing his shot on the turn sail well wide. He would make his mark later. With the onus on Thistle to go forward, Martin Woods tested Carson from distance with the keeper fortunate to see Charles Dunne racing back to deny Doolan a tap-in. Sammon used his powerful frame to outmuscle Cedric Kipre, laid the ball to Chris Erskine but the angle eventually beat him and Carson parried comfortably.

As news filtered through early in the second half that Ross County were trailing at Dundee, the home crowd came to life sensing a goal would see them at least avoid relegation on Saturday. Sammon came so close to capitalising when he gathered on the edge of the box and hit a low left-foot effort but it crept agonisingly past the upright. However, their worst nightmare was realised when Motherwell earned a free-kick just outside the area. It was the perfect delivery for Bowman, who thundered a header past Tomas Cerny to extend the home crowd's misery. Thistle battled to try and find a route back but seemed deflated by the situation they faced. Sammon fired narrowly over. Substitute Miles Storey then shot across goal beyond the far post. It was not to be. It was exactly the response Stephen Robinson required after his sides' 5-1 loss last weekend, building some momentum ahead of the Hampden meeting with Celtic on 18 May. At full-time the realisation dawned that Thistle's relegation fight will go to the wire.

Reaction

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

That much probably summed up our season to be honest with you in terms of not taking our chances. We started brightly, imposed ourselves on Motherwell and created a couple of really good opportunities that we didn't take then the Achilles heel they scored with a set play. The crowd responded to the team starting so well. Disappointed to not go and get that goal we can go and build on. Whether it's a foul or not [for the goal] it's a silly goal to give away against one of the biggest and best teams in the league at attacking set plays. We just need to make sure we're ready and recover. The focus is going to Dens and trying to get the victory. The league doesn't lie. You are where you are. We need to go and try and get the victory. If you go into any game and go and try and protect, it's very, very dangerous. Performance levels have been decent over the last four games. We need to look for that again but need to take our chances.

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson (speaking to the BBC):

I think that's us equalled the club's record clean sheets [over the course of a season] and you saw the desire from the players to make sure we didn't concede a goal. That's what our season has been built on and I'm very proud of them tonight. Thistle are fighting for their lives. Thistle are a decent side. Were delighted with the result. Every player in the second half gave me something to think about [heading into the cup final]. There's a lot of good performances there.

ANOTHER CLUB-RECORD FOR ARCHIE'S DUDS

● With an average age of 28y, 6m, 29d, this starting line-up resets the bar as the oldest of Alan Archibald's managerial career. You need to rewind back to February, 2011, to find an older Thistle team.

● Remarkably, the Thistle vs. Motherwell fixture has delivered 14 competitive games without a repeated outcome (04.10.2014 to date).

● Alan Archibald's Thistle lose to nil for the 15th time in this season's League campaign, duly matching the all-time club-record which was set by Murdo MacLeod's side in 1995-96.

● For only the second season in the last 103 years, Thistle have failed to win back-to-back League games. In all that time, the only other Thistle side to have returned this tragic stat were Archie's Jags themselves in season 2013-14.

● Thistle, with only ONE away League win in the last FIFTEEN months, and not a SINGLE away clean-sheet in 2018, travel to Dens Park on Saturday knowing that if Ross County win at McDiarmid Park, we must also win to avoid finishing bottom of the League and being automatically relegated.

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.)

● 16 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.)

● 48 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.)

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