The Thistle Archive

James Christie, 05-Nov-2022, dundeefc.co.uk

The Dark Blues came storming back from trailing 2-0 at half time to earn a marvellous 3-2 win against Partick Thistle in Glasgow this afternoon. Harry Milne scored twice to give the Jags a deserved half time lead but the Dee reorganised at half time and blew Thistle away in the second half. Substitute Zach Robinson pulled a goal back to give the Dark Blues hope. Ryan Sweeney equalised midway through the second half and Thistle defender Aaron Muirhead was red carded in the aftermath of the goal. Ferocious Dee pressure ended with Cammy Kerr scoring a superb winner and the Dark Blues held out comfortably to take all three points back up the road.

Dundee had a slight edge in a scrappy opening. Neither side could hold possession for long. The Dark Blues worked their way into a few promising positions without being able to deliver anything significant. The only goal attempt in the opening 20 minutes came when Tyler French broke down the right. His cutback found Paul McMullan whose shot struck teammate Jordan McGhee. Thistle opened the scoring after 20 minutes. Danny Mullen swung the ball out to the left. Wing back Harry MILNE cut inside and had a go from the angle of the penalty area. His effort took a deflection that helped the ball into the far top corner. Dundee almost snatched an instant equaliser. McMullan beat two men on a run to the byline and played a low cross into the goalmouth. Neither Derick Osei nor Luke McCowan could force the ball over the line in a scramble only a few feet from the line. The Dee continued to work their way into promising positions without troubling David Mitchell in the home goal. McGhee tried a volley from a McCowan cross, but he couldn’t make a clean connection and the keeper saved easily. Thistle had fewer opportunities to get the ball into the penalty area, but made better use of those that came their way. The Jags claimed their second goal after 37 minutes when the Dee lost possession as they tried to move forward. Mullen nodded down a cross into space in front of goal for MILNE to run in and score his second from six yards. The home side had their best spell of the half in the last few minutes before the break, keeping the Dee pinned back and winning a series of corners. As the cliché goes, goals change games. Partick had not been playing particularly well until they scored and grew in confidence from then on. Something had to change for Dundee!

It was Gary Bowyer’s responsibility to change things after that poor first half and, oh boy, did we see a spectacular improvement! Max Anderson, Zak Rudden and Zach Robinson replaced Josh Mulligan, Luke McCowan and Derick Osei at half time. Mulligan had picked up an unnecessary early yellow card and his energetic style would have put him in danger of a second yellow. Osei and McCowan had little joy in the first half and made way for the two Zs. Dundee switched to three at the back with McGhee dropping back and French and Kerr moving forward as wing backs. McMullan played a more central role, threatening the Jags defence from the hole behind the strikers. Right from the start of the second half, Dundee took the game by the throat and never allowed Thistle back ino the contest. Dundee were dominant for the rest of the game, attacking relentlessly and confidently. At first the Jags defended well, and perhaps grew too confident they could ride the storm and go on to win. Instead they lost the initiative and never regained it. An early goal was important and the Dee delivered. After 57 minutes McMullan hoisted a cross to the far post and Zach ROBINSON won the aerial battle with keeper Mitchell to nod the ball over the line. The momentum was all with the Dee and the Jags were visibly nervous as the Dark Blue attacks poured forward. Midway through the half the equaliser arrived. Joe Grayson whipped a corner into the goalmouth, Thistle couldn’t clear, and Ryan SWEENEY ended the scramble by knocking the ball over the line. There was a tussle in the back of the net as Dundee tried to recover the ball for the restart. Aaron Muirhead seemed to be largely responsible, with Cammy Kerr taking a blow. However, both were both booked. It was Muirhead’s second yellow and Thistle were down to 10 men in a game when they needed at least 12.

The Dundee pressure was fierce and constant. Thistle hardly had a chance to take a breather and have a spot of rest in the Dee half. Finally, after 76 minutes, the winner arrived. The first two Dee goals might have been ugly, but the third was a gem. French sent Anderson to the byline with a clever pass, and the deep cutback was rifled home by Cammy KERR from 18 yards to trigger wild celebrations in the away stand. There were 20 minutes still to play and the Dark Blues managed the game perfectly. They pushed for a fourth goal without ever taking any risks against 10 men. Anderson shot over when the ball broke to him following a free kick. McMullan curled a shot past the corner of the woodwork, and then tried to catch out Mitchell from 30 yards with the keeper only just managing to touch the shot round the post. Thistle did not manage to record a shot in a horrible second half for the home side. Dundee were excellent after the turnround with the three substitutes all making terrific contributions. Rudden and Robinson showed good linking, control, hold up play, and legitimate aggressison. Anderson brought drive and creativity, looking very much more like the player we saw last season. The Dark Blues’ aggressive start to the second half, with two strikers working Thistle’s defence hard, meant the Jags sat back and largely abandoned the midfield. That gave Anderson space coming into the final third to hurt them. He rose to the challenge impressively, running at them and making passes and runs off the ball through their defensive line.

Any away win is always welcome, but coming back from two goals down to win is particularly enjoyable. The travelling support lapped it up. The second 45 minutes showed the standard the Dark Blues have to reach. Every man put in a sterling shift and the Dee were too hungry and too good for Thistle today.


Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall, via ptfc.co.uk

I'm obviously gutted, obviously the confidence is brittle, but for an hour we were in complete control of the game. The goalkeeper made a mistake - fair enough he's put his hands up - but it changes the course of the game. Aero's also put his hands up, he did something daft on the line, it was only 2 each at the time and we could still go on and win the game. They gave everything but you can't make individual mistakes like that and hope to win a game. The craziness of this League is that we go to Morton next week to beat them and go above them, but I feel for everybody, it was a hard one to take today.

Option 1: fans-eye view of the Jags action

• A Thistle Archive production

Option 2: all Thistle's weekend goals

• All five goals scored by the @ThistleWeir Youth Academy's under 18s side on Friday night, including Ji Stevenson's hat-trick. Diack and Henderson also on the scoresheet. Harry Milne's Firhill double from 1:26. (credit: Partick Thistle )

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OVERTURNED

● Harry Milne scores his first two goals for Thistle. He's the first to open his account with a double since Scott Tiffoney in March, 2021.

● Harry Milne becomes the 15th Thistle scorer in 2022-23 competitive action, a tally which is now one beyond last season's spread of 14.

● Aaron Muirhead is sent-off for the fourth time as a Jag. Only Stuart Bannigan (5), Alan Archibald (6) and Bobby Law (7) been sent-off more often. The match-winning goal was scored 7 minutes later, Muirhead's ill-discipline proving costly.

● For only the 5th time in history, Thistle lose from a 2 goal winning position at h-t in the second tier. We last seen such a weak collapse under Gary Caldwell (twice) in 2019. He was sacked 4 weeks after his side were turned over 2-3 at Cappielow in August 2019. For the record the other three were: Ross County (2-4, Feb 2019); St Mirren (2-3, Dec 1996); Forfar Athletic (Sep 1988).

● Thistle lose 5-in-a-row for the first time since the Archibald-Caldwell run of 7 straight defeats in the autumn of 2018. Archibald's run of 4 defeats in 5 cost him his job.

● Thistle have now conceded 3 or more goals in 5 consecutive competitive games. In a season outwith the top-flight, such a run has only ever been seen once before. Back in December 1894 Thistle hit a similar run of 6-in-a-row, conceding 22 goals in the process. The overall club-record (7) was set in September, 1933, a top-flight season.

● Thistle's League clean-sheet ratio of 7.1% (1 in 14) is on-course to be one of the very worst seasons of all-time in that category, although season 2019-20 (1 in 27) will take some beating.

ongoing sequences:

● 10 competitive games without a clean-sheet; 17th Sep 2022 to date. (Longest run since: 13 games; 26th Nov 2019 to 14th Feb 2020. Club-record: 45 games; 27th May 1893 to 18th May 1895.)

● 21 consecutive competitive appearances for Jack McMillan, 9th Jul 2022 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Kevin Holt - 26 games, 1st Mar 2022 to 17th Sep 2022. 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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