26th Sep 2021 Raith Rovers 3 Partick Thistle 2 (SPFL Championship - game 7)

matches:2021-22: ← 14game 1516 →

Match Information

			John McGlynn		Ian McCall			56y, 11m, 27d
					Cammy Smith
					Zak Rudden
Dario Zanatta (0-1, 22 mins); Kyle Benedictus (0-2, pen 64 mins); Kyle Benedictus (0-3, 78 mins)					Brian Graham (1-3, 86 mins); Zak Rudden (2-3, 90+5 mins)
Aidan Connolly (0-1, 22 mins); none (0-2, 64 mins); Ethon Varian (0-3, 78 mins)					Tunji Akinola (1-3, 86 mins); none (2-3, 90+5 mins)
Brad Spencer; Blaise Riley-Snow					Kyle Turner; Richard Foster; Scott Tiffoney
Brad Spencer (Blaise Riley-Snow, 71 mins); Ethon Varian (Matej Poplatnik, 80 mins); Dario Zanatta (Kieran Mitchell, 83 mins)					Ciaran McKenna (Tunji Akinola, HT); Stuart Bannigan (Zak Rudden, 72 mins); Cammy Smith (Shea Gordon, 81 mins)
			Jamie McDonald		Jamie Sneddon			24y, 0m, 20d
			Reghan Tumilty		Ciaran McKenna			23y, 6m, 1d
			Liam Dick		Richard Foster			36y, 1m, 26d
			Kyle Benedictus		Lewis Mayo			21y, 6m, 7d
			Christophe Berra		Kevin Holt			28y, 8m, 1d
			Ross Matthews		Stuart Bannigan			29y, 0m, 9d
			Brad Spencer		Ross Docherty			28y, 8m, 3d
			Aidan Connolly		Kyle Turner			23y, 10m, 16d
			Ethon Varian		Brian Graham			33y, 10m, 3d
			Dylan Tait		Cammy Smith			26y, 1m, 2d
			former Jag Dario Zanatta		Scott Tiffoney			23y, 1m, 0d
								27y, 1m, 18d
			Robbie Thomson		Harry Stone			19y, 5m, 6d
			Tom Lang		Zak Rudden			21y, 7m, 20d
			David McKay		Shea Gordon			23y, 4m, 10d
			Kai Fotheringham		Connor Murray			24y, 5m, 2d
			Blaise Riley-Snow		Tunji Akinola			22y, 10m, 5d
			Kieran Mitchell		Ross MacIver			22y, 6m, 29d
			Matej Poplatnik		Stephen Hendrie			26y, 8m, 18d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order. Originally scheduled for Saturday, 25th September, 2021, put back 24 hours due to Raith Rovers playing Celtic Park in the League Cup on the Thursday 23rd. The 'network' attributes Brad Spencer with the first Rovers assist, but video evidence is clear with Aidan Connolly. Likewise, several outlets attribute Thistle's first goal to Kyle Turner but, as video evidence clearly shows, it was Brian Graham. With regards to the assist for that one, first impressions were for 'none', but closer video inspection reveals that Akinola's blocked shot ricocheted back onto him before finding Graham's path, so it's a 'lucky' assist for him.

Match Report

TTA report

A decent start but failing to score and a whirlwind ending. The bit in the middle was the problem. Turner hit the post (18) before Ex-Jag Zanatta wasn't closed down and his low shot made in 1-0 (22). A pen (hand ball, 64) and a snap shot (78) made it 3. Graham and Rudden put a better complexion on things (86 and 90+5) close in.

Media report

26-Sep-2021 bbc.com

Raith Rovers moved into the Scottish Championship play-off places after holding on to beat Partick Thistle and leapfrog their visitors in the table. The Fifers led 3-0 at Stark's Park thanks to Dario Zanatta's opener and a second-half Kyle Benedictus brace, the first coming from the spot. Thistle pulled one back with four to play through Kyle Turner [correction - Brian Graham], before Zak Rudden netted deep into stoppage time. But Raith held on to go nine behind leaders Inverness with a game in hand. John McGlynn's side have the chance to cut that gap further when they host Fife rivals Dunfermline Athletic on Wednesday live on BBC Scotland (19:45 BST). Ian McCall's Thistle, meanwhile, drop down to fifth.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall (speaking to Jagzone):

That was a really frustrating one because we showed late on that we can be dangerous but it was too little too late. We started the first half well and finished the game strongly but that spell in between cost us. At 1-0 you’re always in with a chance but we end up three down which is a mountain to climb. There were a couple of big decisions in terms of penalties that we didn’t get. I know the Thistle fans will have had a great view of them but that happens in football. We allow ourselves to get caught out at the other end and we give ourselves a long way back.

Scrapbook

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The Sun, 27th September, 2021

Gallery

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Video Highlights

(credit: Raith TV )

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Stats Watch

EMBARRASSING DEFENCE

● The last 5 penalty awards have went to the opposition.

● Do Thistle have a discipline problem? In the 'crime count' it's now 7 losses and 2 draws in the last 9.

● Conceding 3 goals in 3 consecutive 2nd tier away games is a new low for Ian McCall's reign. Partick Thistle haven't been so embarrassed since a run of 5 in 1896.

● John McGlynn continues to majorly hold the upper hand over Thistle with 8 wins and 4 draws in his 14 managerial bouts (9 of which have been against Ian McCall), 2009 to date.

● It's now 5 competitive away games without a Thistle win in Kirkcaldy (2011 to date), the worst run since the H2H record (12) was set in 1927.

● In all games, Thistle are currently on a run of 17 games since a match was drawn. Surprisingly, this pales against a run of 25 which was set as recently as November, 2018.

ongoing sequences:

● 22 consecutive competitive appearances for Richard Foster, 3rd Apr 2021 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Joe Cardle - 22 games, 7th Nov 2020 to 4th May 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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