20th Apr 2021 Dumbarton 0 Partick Thistle 2 (SPFL League One - game 18)

matches:2020-21: ← 28game 2930 →

	former Jag Jim Duffy	Ian McCall	56y, 6m, 21d

		Ciaran McKenna
		Ryan Williamson

		Zak Rudden (1-0, 80 mins);‎ Ross MacIver (2-0, 89 mins)
		Richard Foster (1-0, 80 mins);‎ Zak Rudden (2-0, 89 mins)
Rico Quitongo; Rabin Omar		Brian Graham; Ross Docherty

Nat Wedderburn (Adam Frizzell, 20 mins); Sam Wardrop (Jaime Wilson, HT); Rob Jones (Conner Duthie, 81 mins)		Brian Graham (Ross MacIver, HT); Shea Gordon (Joe Cardle, 76 mins)

	Sam Ramsbottom	Jamie Sneddon	23y, 7m, 14d
	Sam Wardrop	Ciaran McKenna	23y, 0m, 26d
	Rico Quitongo	Richard Foster	35y, 8m, 20d
	Ryan McGeever	Darren Brownlie	27y, 0m, 10d
	Morgyn Neill	Steven Bell	36y, 1m, 27d
	former Jag Ross Forbes	Stuart Bannigan	28y, 7m, 3d
	Nat Wedderburn	Ross Docherty	28y, 2m, 28d
	Tomas Brindley	Shea Gordon	22y, 11m, 4d
	Nick McAllister	Brian Graham	33y, 4m, 28d
	Rabin Omar	Zak Rudden	21y, 2m, 14d
	Rob Jones	Scott Tiffoney	22y, 7m, 25d

			27y, 6m, 4d

	former Jag Jamie Barclay	Mason McCready	18y, 1m, 15d
	Ruaridh Langan	Ryan Williamson	25y, 1m, 6d
	James Wallace	James Penrice	22y, 3m, 29d
	Adam Frizzell	Joe Cardle	34y, 2m, 13d
	Jaime Wilson	Blair Lyons	24y, 6m, 28d
	Conner Duthie	Connor Murray	23y, 11m, 27d
		Mouhamed Niang	21y, 6m, 12d
		Ross MacIver	22y, 1m, 23d
		Andy Geggan	33y, 11m, 12d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Dumbarton only filled 6 of their 9 allocated bench slots.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, 6th March, 2021, the SPFL League One being suspended for nearly 10 weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 'network' missed Rabin Omar's yellow card, issued in the 87th minute for dissent.
Played closed-doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

TTA report

Thistle went top after a tough match against dogged Dumbarton on a dry, bumpy pitch. On the hour Rudden looked to have scored but the ball was deemed not to have gone in then Gordon hit the bar. Rudden scored from close in (80) then he put MacIver in to slip the ball past the keeper (89) to put the precious points safe.

Media report

Fraser Clarke, 20-Apr-2021, Daily Record

Second-half goals from Zak Rudden and Ross MacIver secured a well-deserved three points for the Glasgow side, with Sons now facing a crunch four game battle to avoid the drop. Dumbarton ensured that they would start the League One split in ninth position, after defeat to table topping Partick Thistle. Second-half strikes from Zak Rudden and substitute Ross MacIver consigned Jim Duffy’s side to a fifth home defeat without scoring of the season. Duffy made two changes to the side which had defeated Clyde five days previous, with Tomas Brindley and Rabin Omar replacing PJ Crossan and Adam Frizzell.

A low key first-half saw only one flashpoint of note, as Brian Graham looked to catch Sons’ defender Sam Wardrop with an elbow on the stroke of half-time. Referee Barry Cook elected to book the veteran Thistle forward, with Wardrop taken off as a result - and expected to have a scan for a cheekbone injury. What the first-half lacked in excitement was more than made up for in a second-half high on intensity, drama and feisty challenges.

In-form Jags forward Zak Rudden was the first to threaten as he burst in own goal, but was denied one-on-one by Dumbarton keeper Sam Ramsbottom. As the game neared the hour mark Rudden came even closer. Ramsbottom reacted brilliantly to deny Ross MacIver’s header with Rudden looking like knocking in the rebound at the far post - Rico Quitongo acrobatically cleared his effort from the line, with replays showing the ball to be at least a yard over. At this stage Sons were living dangerously as the hosts, buoyed by the news that a victory would likely take them top of the League One table, continued to dominate. Shea Gordon rattled the crossbar from Stuart Bannigan’s delivery, before Ross Docherty blazed over a golden chance after working his way into the box.

It felt like only a matter of time before Ian McCall’s side got the breakthrough, but it was the Sons who almost found it with 20 minutes remaining. Adam Frizzell did well to wriggle through a collection of challenges before drilling an effort into the gloves of Jamie Sneddon. Immediately however, the Jags punished Frizzell for not finding the target. Keeper Jamie Sneddon set up a quick counter attack, with Ricky Foster’s cross being turned into the net from six yards by Rudden. And the visitors sealed a priceless victory as the game ticked into the final minute. A long ball forward was flicked on by Rudden to strikepartner MacIver, who finished clinically from close range, to ensure that Sons’ battle for survival will start with a trip to face East Fife at New Bayview this Saturday.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall (speaking to Jagzone):

It was an incredibly tough game of football tonight because Dumbarton are a good team. The pitch wasn’t the greatest and it didn’t allow either team to play a lot on it but the key for us was that we kept at it and in the end Zak Rudden and Ross MacIver do the business to get us a big win. As I say, it didn’t make for a very good game with lots of technical play. It turned into a battle at times which meant effort was vital and we gave everything right up until the very end and that showed in the two late goals we got. It was another really solid showing I thought and again Jamie Sneddon didn’t have much to do. I have to say, Steven Bell and Richard Foster were magnificent; to be playing at the level they are with so many games at their age is brilliant and they’re helping everyone around them too. We’re really happy with how the team are defending at the moment.

Dumbarton manager Jim Duffy (speaking to Daily Record):

I think it was just a step too far for us tonight and Thistle deserved to win the match. Rico (Quitongo), Nick (McAllister) and a couple of others were struggling. All we can do is ask for 100 percent commitment and the players did that. We now look towards the split, and it’ll be down to who performs on the day - because there’s not much between the teams in terms of squad depth and everyone being part-time.

GOALS + CLEAN-SHEETS = TOP OF THE LEAGUE

● The Zak-Attack continues! In-form Zak Rudden registers his 7th goal involvement in 3 games (5 goals and 2 assists).

● Ross MacIver scores his first goal for Thistle.

● For the first time since 1967, Thistle have scored two or more goals in seven consecutive League games. The club-record (10) was set in 1895 and matched in 1897 & 1900.

● Thistle win without Connor Murray for the first time this season, meaning that no player can now finish above the club in our (fun) Points / Goal Difference table.

● Thistle register 4 consecutive wins to nil for the first time since March, 2017. It's the first instance wholly in the League since the joint-club-record run of 5, last equalled in March, 2013.

● Jamie Sneddon keeps a 4th consecutive clean-sheet in competitive action. The existing goalie-record (5) was set by Kenny Campbell (1921) and matched by Scott Fox (2013) and Kieran Wright (2020). Could it be matched twice in the same season?

● For the first time in history, Thistle keep a fourth consecutive clean-sheet versus Dumbarton.

● Ian McCall's Jags have a clean-sheet ratio of 54.2% (13/24) in competitive action this term. This is on-course to be the greatest figure since competitive football began in earnest in 1891-92. From that perspective, the current 'leader in the clubhouse' is 1991-92 with 46.9% (23/49).

● Ian McCall's Jags have a clean-sheet ratio of 50% (9/18) in League action. This is on-course to match the all-time club-record of 50% (22/44) which was set in 1991-92.

● Thistle go outright top of the League for the first time since winning the First Division title in 2013.

ongoing sequences:

● 7 away League games without defeat; 28th Nov 2020 to date. (Longest run since: 10 games; 16th Feb 2013 to 10th Aug 2013. Club-record: 13 games; 5th Dec 1970 to 11th Sep 1971.)

● 9 League games without defeat, 26th Dec 2020 to date. (Longest run since: 21 games; 19th Jan 2013 to 16th Aug 2013. Club-record: 27 games; 21st Nov 1970 to 18th Sep 1971.)

● 39 consecutive competitive appearances for Stuart Bannigan, 30th Nov 2019 to date. (Longest run since: James Penrice - 51 games, 7th Sep 2019 to 10th Apr 2021. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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