4th Jul 2023 Kelty Hearts 1 Partick Thistle 2 (Friendly)

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matches:2023-24: ← 55game 0102 →

	Michael Tidser	Kris Doolan	36y, 6m, 23d

		Jamie Sneddon; Zander MacKenzie; Ji Stevenson; Wasiri Williams; Josh Kerr; Stuart Bannigan; Dominic Morgan-Griffiths; Scott Robinson
		David Mitchell; Jack McMillan; Kevin Holt; Darren Brownlie; Aaron Muirhead; Ross Docherty; Kyle Turner; Scott Tiffoney

Craig Johnston (1-1, 63 mins)		Brian Graham (1-0, 31 mins); Harrison Nee (2-0, 82 mins)
Tiwi Darmola (1-1, 63 mins)		Ji Stevenson (1-0, 31 mins); James Lyon (2-1, 82 mins)


Jordan Hunter (Lewis Owens, HT); Trialist (Trialist, 55 mins); Billy Owens (Harley Ewen, 55 mins); Kyle Gourlay (Liam Campbell, 62 mins); Craig Johnston (Finlay Shearer, 69 mins); Jason Thomson (Adam Corbett, 74 mins)		Jamie Sneddon (David Mitchell, HT); Brian Graham (Harrison Nee, HT); Steven Lawless (Anton Dowds, HT); Wasiri Williams (Euan East, 55 mins); Stuart Bannigan (Ben Stanway, 55 mins); Dominic Morgan-Griffiths (James Lyon, 55 mins); Scott Robinson (Sallu Turay, 61 mins); Aidan Fitzpatrick (Jamie Taggart, 61 mins); Zander MacKenzie (Ché Campbell, 61 mins)

	Kyle Gourlay	Jamie Sneddon	25y, 9m, 28d
	Trialist	Zander MacKenzie	17y, 10m, 6d
	Jamie Walker	Ji Stevenson	17y, 11m, 5d
	former Jag Tam O'Ware	Wasiri Williams	23y, 3m, 3d
	Jason Thomson	Josh Kerr	25y, 4m, 10d
	former Jag Billy Owens	Stuart Bannigan	30y, 9m, 17d
	Tiwi Darmola	Dominic Morgan-Griffiths	25y, 2m, 0d
	Reece Lyon	Steven Lawless	32y, 2m, 22d
	Craig Johnston	Brian Graham	35y, 7m, 11d
	Ross Cunningham	Scott Robinson	31y, 3m, 22d
	Jordan Hunter	Aidan Fitzpatrick	22y, 3m, 14d

			26y, 7m, 23d

	Liam Campbell	David Mitchell	33y, 3m, 0d
	Adam Corbett	Euan East	22y, 11m, 29d
	Joshua Barbour	Ché Campbell	16y, 8m, 15d
	Finlay Shearer	Harrison Nee	20y, 0m, 2d
	Harley Ewen	Anton Dowds	26y, 7m, 15d
	Lewis Owens	Jamie Taggart	17y, 10m, 28d
	Scott Cameron	Sallu Turay	16y, 8m, 10d
	Trialist	Ben Stanway	18y, 9m, 14d
	Kyle McCulloch	James Lyon	20y, 8m, 7d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Josh Kerr (#5), Dominic Morgan-Griffiths (#6), Euan East (#2) and Harrison Nee (#7) played as trialists for Thistle, whilst youth players Ché Campbell (#3), Jamie Taggart (#14) and Sallu Turay (#15) did likewise on a technicality.
Harley Ewen and 2 unidentified others played as trialists for Kelty Hearts.
Scheduled 7.45pm kick-off delayed by 10 minutes due to the delayed presence of a medic.

TTA report

A useful workout if somewhat disjointed with so many trialists and changes. An angled low ball into the box by Stevenson was finished off by Graham in typical fashion (31). An almost identical goal, this time from the right, produced the equaliser (63). Lyon's 40-yard pass into the Kelty box was neatly tucked away by trialist Nee for the winner (82).

TTA man of the match

AIDAN FITZPATRICK had a good buzz about his play, picking up from where he left off at the end of the season. Didn't always come off for him, but he always looked the most likely to make things happen.

Media report

Ross Hart, 06-Jul-2023, Dunfermline Press

KELTY HEARTS went down to their first pre-season defeat in 90 minutes on Tuesday night despite Craig Johnston scoring his first goal for the club. After a 1-1 draw with Gala Fairydean Rovers, and a 2-2 draw with Raith Rovers in the Fife Cup, which ended in a 4-1 loss on penalty kicks, Michael Tidser’s team welcomed Partick Thistle to New Central Park. It was a second successive meeting against Championship opposition for the third tier hosts and, in a game delayed 15 minutes, it was the visitors who took the lead just after the half hour mark. veteran forward, Brian Graham, tapping home after Ji Stevenson’s low ball across goal picked him out.

Kelty pegged Kris Doolan’s side – beaten on penalties in last season’s Premiership play-off final in agonising fashion – back in the 63rd minute. Johnston, making his second appearance since joining his hometown club from Montrose, slotted home from Tiwi Daramola’s cross, but a draw was not to be for the home side. With eight minutes left, Kris Doolan’s Jags grabbed a winning goal when their trialist number seven moved inward from the wing, as a through ball was played towards him, before moving into the box, avoiding a tackle, and slotting in beyond substitute goalkeeper, Liam Campbell.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to Jagzone):

Delighted with the way we played and some of the patterns of play, you could see the crux of the idea of what we're trying to put in place. I wanted to see tonight what the young lads can offer - they're learning and I think you seen that they'll bring a lot to the team. Fitness wise, everyone got what they wanted out of it, and it's been a good night's work. A word for James Lyon's pass at the end, I thought that was absolutely fantastic, I was standing behind it, and I was saying to Stevie Lawless I could never even have seen that pass! I'm delighted the way the young lads came in and looked after themselves, and looked after the ball. Everybody played their part tonight.

Kelty Hearts manager Michael Tidser (speaking to Kelty Hearts TV):

It was tough, I thought first half we were a wee bit laboured in and out of possession and then we changed the shape a wee bit and started to get into the game. Overall, I was slightly disappointed with large spells of the game, but it's a work in progress and we've only been together for 4 weeks now, so hopefully we'll learn from this performance and that will make us better.

NEW CLUB-RECORD FOR BRIAN GRAHAM!

● The opening game of the 149th season of Partick Thistle F.C.

● Thistle are back in action after 30 days, matching the club-record for the shortest close season, which was set back in 1951, the 'Festival of Britain' season.

● Thistle play on the 4th July for the first-time ever. Only 7 calendar dates remain unplayed.

● The amazing Brian Graham becomes the first Jag in history to score in 4 consecutive season openers. The #9 had previously scored in wins over BSC Glasgow (2020), Kelty Hearts (2021) and Alloa Athletic (2022). The previous record (3-in-a-row) was jointly held by Willie Paul (1893), John Wallace (1938), Willie Newall (1943) and Alex Stott (1952).

● Amazingly, Thistle have now scored in ELEVEN consecutive first halves. It's the longest such run since March 1938, when an impressive 14-in-a-row was registered.

● 16-year-old Ché Campbell makes his Thistle debut.

● 16-year-old Sallu Turay makes his Thistle debut.

● 20-year-old Harrison Nee (as a trialist) plays his one and only game for Thistle and becomes the latest member of our scoring debutants club.

● 22-year-old Euan East (as a trialist) plays his one and only game for Thistle.

● 23-year-old Wasiri Williams makes his Thistle debut.

● 25-year-old Dominic Morgan-Griffiths (as a trialist) plays his one and only game for Thistle.

● 25-year-old Josh Kerr (as a trialist) plays his one and only game for Thistle.

● 31-year-old Scott Robinson makes his Thistle debut.

● 8 new players as above takes our A-Z beyond the 2,000 threshold. An incredible 2,001 players are known to have featured in a first-team squad since 1876.

● It's now played 4, won 4 for Thistle in the H2H versus Kelty Hearts (albeit the run includes 3 friendlies).

● Thistle win a 5th consecutive season-opener (2019-2023) for the first time since doing so between 1977 and 1981.

ongoing sequences:

● 8 competitive home games without defeat; 4th Mar 2023 to date. (Longest run since: 8 games; 3rd Mar 2020 to 5th Dec 2020. Club-record: 24 games; 5th May 2001 to 17th Aug 2002.)

● 52 consecutive competitive appearances for Jack McMillan, 9th Jul 2022 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Blair Spittal - 57 games, 31st Mar 2018 to 4th May 2019. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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