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matches:2019-20: ← 21game 2223 →

	former Jag Davie Irons	Ian McCall	55y, 1m, 17d

		Ryan Williamson; Craig Slater; Joe Cardle; Lewis Mansell; Raffaele De Vita
		Osman Kakay; Sean McGinty; Stuart Bannigan; Cammy Palmer; Dario Zanatta

David Hopkirk (1-1, 68 mins)‎		Reece Cole (1-0, 34 mins)‎; Gary Harkins (2-1, 70‎ mins); Craig Slater (3-1, 79‎ mins); Kenny Miller (4-1, 86 mins)
David Marsh (1-1, 68 mins)‎		Craig Slater (1-0, 34 mins)‎; Ben Hall (2-1, 70‎ mins); Joe Cardle (3-1, 79‎ mins); Reece Cole (4-1, 86 mins)
		Raffaele De Vita; Reece Cole

Mark McGuigan (Kieran Anderson, 63 mins); Dylan Dykes (Thomas Halleran, 81 mins); Willie Gibson (Conor McBride, 81 mins)		Raffaele De Vita (Tommy Robson, 53 mins); Lewis Mansell (Gary Harkins, 62 mins)

	former Jag Graeme Smith	Scott Fox	32y, 4m, 19d
	Jordan Armstrong	Ryan Williamson	23y, 8m, 2d
	David Marsh	James Penrice	20y, 10m, 25d
	Dylan Dykes	Tam O'Ware	26y, 7m, 27d
	former Jag Mark McGuigan	Ben Hall	22y, 10m, 0d
	David Hopkirk	Craig Slater	25y, 6m, 21d
	Alan Cook	Reece Cole	21y, 8m, 30d
	Scott McLaughlin	Joe Cardle	32y, 9m, 9d
	Andy Munro	Lewis Mansell	22y, 1m, 27d
	Jonathan Tiffoney	Kenny Miller	39y, 10m, 24d
	Willie Gibson	Raffaele De Vita	32y, 1m, 24d

			27y, 4m, 3d

	Kyle Marley	Jamie Sneddon	22y, 2m, 10d
	Chris O'Neill	Sean McGinty	26y, 3m, 5d
	Thomas Halleran	Gary Harkins	34y, 10m, 14d
	Ryan Watters	Tommy Robson	24y, 2m, 5d
	Conor McBride	Steven Saunders	28y, 7m, 17d
	Kieran Anderson
	Max Potter

	Teamlines derived from PTFC / SPFL. Both sides generally in playing order. Thistle filled only 5 of their 7 allocated bench slots.
	SPFL incorrectly credits Reece Cole with Thistle's 2nd assist; Ben Hall is confirmed via the match highlights video.
	1244 (SPFL)

Cole scored from 25 yards into the right hand corner (34) and it was only what Thistle's play deserved. It was level (68) but the goal shook Thistle out of a complacent spell. Sub Harkins restored the lead 2 minutes later at the back post following a corner. Slater (79) then Miller (86) put the tie well beyond Stenhousemuir.

Ian McCall is hoping his side can build momentum after snuffing out a brief Stenhousemuir comeback to comfortably claim a place in the last four of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup. Having finally won at home in the league last week, they now face Penicuik in the Scottish Cup next week and three wins in a row will surely breed confidence.

Stenhousemuir had their goalkeeper to thank for not conceding early as Graeme Smith made two terrific saves in the space of a minute. The former Motherwell stopper brilliantly pushed Lewis Mansell’s header over the bar in 13 minutes after James Penrice had crossed from the left. Then Smith made a fine block on Penrice’s stinging left-foot shot 60 seconds later. The Thistle full-back was the supplier again in 17 minutes when his deep cross seemed perfect for Joe Cardle but the winger made a complete mess of an attempted volley. It was no surprise Penrice was involved as Partick finally made the breakthrough four minutes later. He slid a great ball down the left for Craig Slater who played a pass inside and Reece Cole slammed a right-foot shot that flew past Smith into the right corner of the net. Thistle, however, made life difficult for themselves by not really kicking on and the Warriors grew in confidence.

They found an equaliser in 68 minutes when Partick did not deal with Alan Cook’s cross into the box, the ball broke to David Hopkirk and he expertly fired a left-foot shot into the left corner. The Stenny celebrations were short-lived as Thistle regained the lead less than two minutes later. Cole’s corner from the left dropped nicely for Harkins, who shot home from barely two yards out. Craig Slater sealed the semi-final place 11 minutes from time when Cardle teed him up and he clinically shot past Smith. Then Kenny Miller – who scored ten goals in 13 games in a loan spell with Stenny 20 years ago – added some gloss to the victory four minutes from time. He took a pass from Cardle and brilliantly slammed a right-foot shot into the top right corner.

Stenhousemuir manager Davie Irons:

When we got back level I thought they looked a wee bit shaky but to lose a goal soon after that was criminal. You talk about key moments in games and the second goal just took the steam right out of us and left us a mountain to climb.

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall:

I thought we were sloppy for 15 or 20 minutes at the start of the second half. But Gary Harkins scoring right after they equalised took a lot of energy out of them. None of the games are ever easy. We have Penicuik next week and then two league games after that. Hopefully we can build some momentum. I think we got a lot from the Morton game last week. Not in a football sense but in a grit and determination sense. Penicuik will bring about 1500 supporters so it should be a good atmosphere.

Lindsay Herron, 16-Nov-2019, The Scotsman

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