20th Nov 2021 Partick Thistle 1 Hamilton Academical 0 (SPFL Championship - game 15)

matches:2021-22: ← 23game 2425 →

57y, 1m, 21d	Ian McCall	Stuart Taylor former Jag

Lewis Mayo
Richard Foster

Lewis Mayo (1-0, 57 mins)
Kyle Turner (1-0, 57‎ mins)
Scott Tiffoney; Ciaran McKenna; Tunji Akinola		Miko Virtanen; Reegan Mimnaugh

Zak Rudden (Cammy Smith, 58 mins); Brian Graham (Ross MacIver, 79 mins)		Scott Martin (Miko Virtanen, HT); Shaun Want (Ben Stirling, 67 mins); Lewis Smith (Marley Redfern, 82 mins)

24y, 2m, 14d	Jamie Sneddon	Joe Hilton
23y, 7m, 26d	Ciaran McKenna	Shaun Want
28y, 9m, 26d	Kevin Holt	Kieran MacDonald
21y, 8m, 1d	Lewis Mayo	Mihai Popescu
22y, 11m, 30d	Tunji Akinola	Brian Easton
29y, 2m, 3d	Stuart Bannigan	Reegan Mimnaugh
28y, 9m, 28d	Ross Docherty	Andy Ryan
24y, 0m, 10d	Kyle Turner	David Moyo
33y, 11m, 28d	Brian Graham	Josh Mullin
21y, 9m, 14d	Zak Rudden	Scott Martin future Jag
23y, 2m, 25d	Scott Tiffoney	Lewis Smith

25y, 8m, 1d

19y, 7m, 0d	Harry Stone	Ryan Scully former Jag
26y, 2m, 27d	Cammy Smith	Miko Virtanen
23y, 6m, 4d	Shea Gordon	Ben Stirling
24y, 6m, 27d	Connor Murray	Ronan Hughes
22y, 8m, 23d	Ross MacIver	Kyle Munro
22y, 8m, 2d	Jake Hastie	Luke Matheson
26y, 10m, 12d	Stephen Hendrie	Marley Redfern

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

A hard-fought, ugly win. Thistle scored with their only attempt on target (Mayo's header from Turner's corner, 57). Hamilton had a number of chances but didn't trouble Sneddon (with his 6th consecutive clean-sheet despite flapping at a couple late on). Smith deserved better with a vicious volley off the bar. On balance Thistle just shaved it.

Media report

Ben Banks, 20-Nov-2021, Daily Record

Hamilton were left ruing missed chances again after Rangers loanee Lewis Mayo's first career goal handed Partick Thistle a 1-0 Championship victory. A cagey first half had one big chance as Hamilton striker David Moyo was given the freedom of the Thistle box to shoot, but he dragged his effort wide nine minutes before half-time. Lewis Smith missed an even better chance to put Hamilton ahead after half-time, and they were soon punished as on-loan Rangers defender Mayo scored for Thistle with their first attempt at goal. It proved to be the winner as Hamilton drop to eighth in the league. Thistle remain fourth.

Hamilton made three changes to the side which lost 3-0 to Raith Rovers last weekend. Marley Redfern, Luke Matheson and Ronan Hughes made way for Moyo, Shaun Want and Scott Martin. Taylor was also a man light in the technical area as assistant manager Guillaume Beuzelin moved on by mutual consent after almost seven years at the New Douglas Park. Thistle meanwhile made one change from their impressive 4-0 win away to Ayr, Mayo coming in for Richard Foster at the back. Last time out between the pair, the Jags handed Hamilton a harsh lesson, defeating Taylor's men 6-1. They looked like ominous opposition, having not conceded a goal since Moyo's header for Hamilton five games ago.

It was a scrappy start that Accies edged the chances out of the opening 10 minutes. Moyo's good run on seven minutes earned his side a corner, but Firhill goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon easily punched clear. Thistle have proven their dangerous attacking credentials before and Scott Tiffoney sent Want sliding along the ground with a nice turn on 16 minutes. But overall it had been a low-key start to the game with few chances to write home about. Tiffoney looked set to slip in behind on 25 minutes but a good challenge from Hamilton's Hearts loanee Mihai Popescu denied him. Accies goalkeeper Joe Hilton almost made life difficult for himself on the half-hour mark by fumbling a routine cross, but made up for it a minute later by snatching the ball from Zak Rudden's feet as he approached the goal. Pace had picked up in the match as Accies broke off this, Kieran MacDonald's cross not finding anyone after a good counter. Moyo couldn't find the target with his header from the resulting corner. The goal opened up for Moyo on 36 minutes as the Zimbabwean international got through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he trundled his shot wide. Half-time came with little fuss as Hamilton had limited their hosts to zero shots, but hadn't registered a single shot on target themselves.

Smith should have put Accies ahead three minutes after half-time when a MacDonald cross found him free inside the box, but he could only head wide. Accies had been punished for not taking their chances in recent 1-1 draws with Morton and Arbroath, and a similar story would curse them at Firhill. Kyle Turner's pinpoint corner met Mayo free in the box, who with Thistle's first chance, headed into the corner. It was almost 2-0 three minutes later as Cammy Smith's spectacular effort crashed off the underside of the bar. The goal had put the home side in the ascendency and it became one-way traffic. Tiffoney should done better with 15 minutes to go, blasting over the bar after a slick counter-attack. Taylor's side did try and mount a comeback but attacks came with little fruition. Jags goalkeeper Sneddon did offer them a chance though, misreading a cross which Popescu took a shot from. But the Accies defender lobbed over on 88 minutes.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall (speaking to Jagzone):

I said at halftime that it was a horrible game and it wasn’t pleasant on the eye but at the end of the day it’s a huge three points and it could be one of our best results of the season so far considering the conditions and the opposition. The reason it was a particularly pleasing result was because it was a very hard game and we weren’t able to play the way we wanted to but still got the victory. It felt like a game that was going to be decided by a set piece or something and when you’ve got someone delivering balls like Kyle Turner does, you’re always in with a shout. I was really pleased for the fans at the end of the match as well because I think they understood that it was going to be one of those days where we’d have to grind out a result. It’s been a very impressive run for us and it’s really been the basis of the unbeaten run that we’re on. The defence have been great but it’s a real team effort and everyone has played their part. It starts up front with Zak and Brian and then the midfielders and the defenders all the way back to Jamie in goals who has been terrific.

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