3rd Jul 2021 East Kilbride 1 Partick Thistle 2 (Friendly)

matches:2021-22: ← 01game 0203 →

Match Information

			Stephen Aitken		Ian McCall			56y, 9m, 3d
					Ciaran McKenna; Tam O'Ware; Daniel Steedman; Billy Owens
					Kevin Holt; Darren Brownlie; Shea Gordon; Kyle Turner
Neil McLaughlin (1-1, 81 mins)					Brian Graham (1-0, 31 mins); Gospel Ocholi (2-1, 89 mins)
Sean Slaven (1-1, 81 mins)					none (1-0, 31 mins); Zander MacKenzie (2-1, 89 mins)
Craig Malcolm (Sean Slaven, 60 mins); Joao Victoria (Shaun Rodgers, 60 mins); Blair Malcolm (Greig Stewart, 68 mins); Cameron Elliott (Alex McCaw, 73 mins); Jamie Stevenson (Gio Vezza, 73 mins)					Richard Foster (Matthew Doherty, HT); Brian Graham (Gospel Ocholi, HT); Steven Bell (Kevin Holt, HT); Ross Docherty (Zander MacKenzie, HT); Tam O'Ware (Ji Stevenson, 60 mins); Connor Murray (Oliver Black, 60 mins); Jamie Sneddon (Mason McCready, 68 mins); Daniel Steedman (Jojo Gillespie, 68 mins); Ross MacIver (Greg Harrower, 68 mins)
			Conor Brennan		Jamie Sneddon			23y, 9m, 27d
			Jamie Stevenson		Ciaran McKenna			23y, 3m, 8d
			Gregg Wylde		Richard Foster			35y, 11m, 2d
			Blair Richardson		Tam O'Ware			28y, 3m, 13d
			Steven Old		Steven Bell			36y, 4m, 9d
			Blair Malcolm		Ross Docherty			28y, 5m, 10d
			former Jag Neil McLaughlin		Daniel Steedman			21y, 5m, 2d
			Chris Millar		Billy Owens			18y, 0m, 27d
			Craig Malcolm		Brian Graham			33y, 7m, 10d
			Joao Victoria		Ross MacIver			22y, 4m, 5d
			Cameron Elliott		Connor Murray			24y, 2m, 9d
								26y, 10m, 19d
			Dylan Orr		Mason McCready			18y, 3m, 28d
			Greig Stewart		Kevin Holt			28y, 5m, 8d
			Shaun Rodgers		Ji Stevenson			15y, 11m, 4d
			Sean Slaven		Oliver Black			16y, 11m, 28d
			Gio Vezza		Jojo Gillespie			18y, 5m, 2d
			Alex McCaw		Zander MacKenzie			15y, 10m, 5d
					Greg Harrower			16y, 0m, 10d
					Gospel Ocholi			18y, 2m, 24d
					Matthew Doherty			16y, 2m, 20d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order. Shaun Rodgers, Sean Slaven & Alex McCaw played as genuine trialists for EK. Daniel Steedman and Jojo Gillespie played as trialists for Thistle. Crowd limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Match Report

TTA report

EK had some early chances and Foster cleared off the line. Thistle got into the game and Graham scored with a low drive (31) for a half-time lead. The second half saw 9 Thistle (mainly academy) subs. Ex-JAG McLaughlin weaved his way into the box and scored from a tight angle (81) but Ocholi got a fine winner from an acute angle (89).

Media report

Euan Robertson, 03-Jul-2021, Daily Record

Gospel Ocholi scored a last-minute winner to hand Partick Thistle a win over East Kilbride. Kilby welcomed the Championship side for a tough pre-season test but they held their own. Brian Graham fired Thistle ahead on 30 minutes before Neil McLaughlin equalised with ten minutes to go. The game was heading for a draw before Thistle youngster Ocholi scored a brilliant late winner.

Stevie Aitken handed as start to trialist Blair Richardson at centre-back and the EK boss named four trialists on the bench - Shaun Rodgers, Sean Slaven, Alexander McCaw and Dillon Orr. Partick Thistle were without some key players through injury but Ian McCall named a strong side with former EK defender Steven Bell in defence. The opening stages felt very much like a pre-season game due to the slow tempo as both sides enjoyed spells in possession. Kilby created the first chance on eight minutes when defender Steven Old connected with a corner but Richard Foster cleared off the line for Thistle. McCall's side responded well and Brian Graham almost connected with Connor Murray's deep cross on 13 minutes but it sailed behind to safety. Minutes later, Ross MacIver burst through on goal for the Jags after a miscommunication in the East Kilbride defence but he blazed wildly over.

Kilby looked comfortable against their Championship opposition and they spurned a brilliant opportunity on 20 minutes. James Stevenson played a pinpoint diagonal pass over the defence for Neil McLaughlin but the former Thistle academy graduate couldn't bring the ball under control and Jamie Sneddon thwarted the danger. A corner fell invitingly in the six-yard box for the 35-year-old but he dallied on the ball as he looked to the linesman and the chance was gone. The Lowland League side were punished minutes later when Brian Graham fired past Connor Brennan to give Thistle the lead. Ex-Kilmarnock goalkeeper Brennan couldn't do much about Thistle's opener but he made an excellent save to deny Connor Murray just before the break.

East Kilbride continued to threaten after the break and Craig Malcolm forced Sneddon into a brilliant low save on 57 minutes. Defender Old looked Kilby's biggest goal threat and he powered a header towards goal on the hour but it hit Malcolm and flew over the ball. Both managers made a host of changes for the final twenty minutes with former Hamilton Accies striker Sean Slaven entering the fray for Kilby. McLaughlin was East Kilbride's best player throughout the game and he capped an excellent performance with an equaliser on 80 minutes. The 22-year-old weaved past Kevin Holt before arrowing a lovely finish across goal into the bottom corner off the post. Ocholi scored a brilliant winner after cutting in from the right to fire past Brennan from range.

Reaction

Partick Thistle coach Alan Archibald (speaking to Jagzone):

It's good to get the victory, but more important to get the workout. Obviously we've got the game on Monday night and we took that into consideration with selection and the minutes guys got on the pitch. The majority of those older guys will get a lot longer on Monday; we had pre-planned the subs regardless of the result. We brought the young lads into training with us this week and the first thing we noticed about them was their demeanour. They looked good players and they wanted the ball. They weren't shy - in a good way - and they showed that today again. They really showed up really well and I'm delighted for them.

Gallery

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Video Highlights

(credit: EastKilbrideFC TV )

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Stats Watch

A DAY OF MANY FIRSTS

● Thistle play on the 3rd July for the first-time ever. 11 calendar dates remain unplayed.

● 15-year-old Ji Stevenson makes his Thistle debut.

● 15-year-old Zander MacKenzie makes his Thistle debut.

● 16-year-old Greg Harrower plays his one and only game for Thistle.

● 16-year-old Matthew Doherty plays his one and only game for Thistle.

● 16-year-old Oliver Black makes his Thistle debut.

● 18-year-old Jojo Gillespie plays his only game for Thistle (as a trialist).

● 18-year-old Mason McCready makes his Thistle debut.

● 21-year-old Daniel Steedman makes his Thistle debut (as a trialist).

● Gospel Ocholi scores his only goal for Thistle.

● Gospel Ocholi becomes the first Nigerian to score for Thistle.

● Nigeria becomes the 24th country to be represented in the Thistle goal-scoring charts.

ongoing sequences:

● 22 consecutive competitive appearances for Joe Cardle, 7th Nov 2020 to date. (Longest run since: Darren Brownlie - 30 games, 3rd Mar 2020 to 29th Apr 2021. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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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