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

matches:2023-24: ← 55game 0102 →

Match Information

			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, 23d
			Jordan Hunter		Aidan Fitzpatrick			22y, 3m, 14d
								26y, 1m, 22d
			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.

Match Report

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.

Gallery

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Video Highlights

(credit: Kelty Hearts TV )

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Stats Watch

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.)

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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