8th Dec 2018 Partick Thistle 2 Dunfermline Athletic 0 (SPFL Championship - game 16)

matches:2018-19: ← 23game 2425 →

36y, 7m, 26d	Gary Caldwell	Allan Johnston

Dan Jefferies; Andréa M'Buyi-Mutombo; Miles Storey
Niall Keown; Aidan Fitzpatrick; Chris Erskine

Blair Spittal (1-0, 12 mins); Miles Storey (2-0, 56 mins)
none (1-0, 12 mins); James Penrice (2-0, 56 mins)
Stuart Bannigan; Andy McCarthy		Robbie Muirhead; Myles Hippolyte

Andréa M'Buyi-Mutombo (Andy McCarthy, 44 mins); Kris Doolan (Chris Erskine, 80 mins); Miles Storey (Jai Quitongo, 88 mins)		James Vincent (Myles Hippolyte, 59 mins); James Craigen (Tom Beadling, 59 mins); Robbie Muirhead (Lewis McCann, 86 mins)

21y, 3m, 2d	Jamie Sneddon	Lee Robinson
27y, 6m, 12d	Christie Elliott	Ryan Williamson future Jag
19y, 11m, 16d	James Penrice	Jackson Longridge
19y, 10m, 8d	Dan Jefferies	Lee Ashcroft future Jag
25y, 3m, 27d	Sean McGinty	Danny Devine former Jag
30y, 8m, 7d	Tam Scobbie	Joe Thomson
26y, 2m, 21d	Stuart Bannigan	Faissal El Bakhtaoui
22y, 11m, 19d	Blair Spittal	James Vincent
31y, 11m, 27d	Kris Doolan	James Craigen former Jag
28y, 6m, 2d	Andréa M'Buyi-Mutombo	Aidan Keena
24y, 11m, 4d	Miles Storey	Robbie Muirhead former Jag

25y, 4m, 20d

17y, 8m, 25d	Jamie Stevenson	Cammy Gill
23y, 8m, 3d	Niall Keown	Lewis Martin
31y, 10m, 0d	Chris Erskine	Mark Durnan
20y, 11m, 6d	Jack Storer	Tom Beadling
20y, 1m, 18d	Andy McCarthy	Maulary Martin
21y, 2m, 24d	Jai Quitongo	Myles Hippolyte
25y, 7m, 9d	Brice Ntambwe	Lewis McCann

notes

Thistle generally in playing order, opposition in squad number order.

TTA report

The excellent Spittal shot home from 20 yards (12) and chances followed but Dunfermline became more of a threat towards half-time. They hit the bar twice and Sneddon had a fine save. Storey (who missed three 1-on-1s in the match) flicked home a low cross deemed by the linesman to have gone in (56). A win at last!

Media report

Lindsay Herron, 08-Dec-2018, Scotsman

Gary Caldwell heaved a sigh of relief as he finally achieved his first win as Partick Thistle manager. After claiming just one point from six matches in charge since replacing Alan Archibald in October, goals from Blair Spittal and Miles Storey ended the agony to pull Partick off the foot of the table. However, nothing is ever straight-forward at Firhill and Dunfermline are not convinced that Storey’s clinching goal was over the line.

Thistle were ahead in 12 minutes and it was fitting that the game’s best player was on the score sheet. James Penrice, who also had a fine match, crossed from the left, Kris Doolan won the aerial battle to knock it down to the edge of the box and Spittal drove a terrific shot into the left corner. Lee Robinson made a fine save to deny Storey in 21 minutes, Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo should have scored but headed over the bar and Robinson then denied Doolan in 31 minutes, assessing the situation quickly to make a fine block after Dan Jefferies, making his Thistle debut, played the ball forward.

Suddenly the Pars came to life just before half-time but, crucially, Thistle survived. Robbie Muirhead hit the top of the bar with a ferocious left-foot shot in 39 minutes then Danny Devine’s downward header bounced up to hit the bar in 43 minutes before Jamie Sneddon clawed it away. In first-half injury time Sneddon superbly pushed Faisal El Bakhtaoui’s header over the top after Ryan Williamson crossed from the right. Partick then sealed the victory they craved 11 minutes into the second half. Penrice took a pass from Christie Elliott and brilliantly burst into the box to set up Storey, who sent a clever back heel towards the left corner. Robinson desperately tried to claw the ball out but assistant Alan Grainger flagged that the ball was over the line.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Gary Caldwell (speaking to The Scotsman):

We’ll take the decision [for Storey’s goal]. Miles has pace and when he wants to run behind defenders he must be difficult to play against. I’m delighted for everyone at the club. It’s been a long time coming but we got what we deserved. It’s a start and we have to put a run of results together. With that desire and commitment, I’m sure we can do that.

Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston (speaking to The Scotsman):

It was a big call for the second goal which was the sucker blow. It’s impossible for the linesman to see if the ball’s in or not with the way Lee dives. I don’t know how the linesman can give that. Usually players are honest, but they were adamant that it hadn’t gone over. It was very close but they’re probably the defining moments that kill you.

4 GOALS AND 4 WINS FOR MILES

● 19-year-old Dan Jefferies makes his Thistle debut.

● 28-year-old Andréa M'Buyi-Mutombo plays his last game for Thistle.

● Blair Spittal, currently on his personal-best appearance run for the club, hits the top of our competitive scorers chart with his 4th goal of the season.

● Every time Miles Storey has scored for Thistle we've won, his run now standing at 4-in-a-row (2-1 v Dundee in Oct' 17; 1-0 v St Johnstone in Oct' 17, 2-0 v Albion Rovers in Jul' 18 and now 2-0 v Dunfermline in Dec' 18). More of this please!

● Gary Caldwell wins his first game as Thistle manager at the 7th time of asking, jointly the third longest run of its kind for any Jags gaffer. With his winless opening run of 10 in 1986, Derek Johnstone still stands with the unwanted club-record.

ongoing sequences:

● 8 away League games without a win; 4th Aug 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.)

● 8 competitive away games without a win; 25th Aug 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 home games without a draw, 8th May 2018 to date. (Longest run since: 21 games; 21st Jul 2012 to 10th Apr 2013. Club-record: 26 games; 11th Mar 1899 to 13th Oct 1900 & 4th Mar 1944 to 5th May 1945.)

● 33 consecutive competitive appearances for Blair Spittal, 31st Mar 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.)

● 65 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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