18th Jul 2023 Dundee United 1 Partick Thistle 2 (League Cup Group B - game 2)

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matches:2023-24: ← 02game 0304 →

Match Information

			Jim Goodwin		Kris Doolan			36y, 7m, 7d
					David Mitchell; Ben Williamson
					Jamie Sneddon; Anton Dowds
Craig Sibbald (0-1, 17 mins)					Brian Graham (1-1, 32 mins); Harry Milne (2-1, 58 mins)
Declan Glass (0-1, 17 mins)					Ben Williamson (1-1, 32 mins); Steven Lawless (2-1, 58 mins)
Oliver Denham; Archie Meekison					Ben Williamson; Ben Stanway; Brian Graham; Steven Lawless; Anton Dowds
Tony Watt (Louis Moult, HT); Declan Glass (Archie Meekison, HT); Craig Sibbald (Chris Mochrie, 62 mins); Oliver Denham (Ross Graham, 62 mins); Mathew Anim Cudjoe (Glenn Middleton, 62 mins)					Ben Williamson (James Lyon, 64 mins); Brian Graham (Anton Dowds, 77 mins); Aidan Fitzpatrick (Ji Stevenson, 84 mins)
			Jack Walton		David Mitchell			33y, 3m, 14d
			Kieran Freeman		Zander MacKenzie			17y, 10m, 20d
			Scott McMann		Harry Milne			26y, 8m, 19d
			former Jag Kevin Holt		Wasiri Williams			23y, 3m, 17d
			Oliver Denham		Aaron Muirhead			32y, 10m, 18d
			former Jag Ross Docherty		Stuart Bannigan			30y, 10m, 1d
			Craig Sibbald		Ben Stanway			18y, 9m, 28d
			Mathew Anim Cudjoe		Steven Lawless			32y, 3m, 6d
			Tony Watt		Brian Graham			35y, 7m, 25d
			Kai Fotheringham		Ben Williamson			21y, 11m, 11d
			former Jag Declan Glass		Aidan Fitzpatrick			22y, 3m, 28d
								26y, 2m, 26d
			Jack Newman		Jamie Sneddon			25y, 10m, 12d
			n-a		Mason McCready			20y, 4m, 13d
			Ross Graham		Anton Dowds			26y, 7m, 29d
			Liam Grimshaw		James Lyon			20y, 8m, 21d
			Louis Moult		Ji Stevenson			17y, 11m, 19d
			Logan Chalmers		Jamie Taggart			17y, 11m, 12d
			Glenn Middleton
			Archie Meekison
			Chris Mochrie
			Rory MacLeod

notes

Both sides generally in playing order. Thistle listed 2 sub goalkeepers and filled only 6 of their 9 allocated bench slots.

Match Report

TTA report

When an attempted pass out of defence by Williams was intercepted, United punished Thistle with the opener (17). After he had missed a good chance, Graham took a cut-back from Williamson and shot home for 1-1 (32). It was even in play and chances then Lawless' corner was punched clear. He sent the ball back in and Milne got the final touch (58).

TTA man of the match

The 17-year-old ZANDER MACKENZIE once again 'stood in' at right back and was pressed as a potential weak link, but more than stood up to the challenge, visibly growing in stature before your eyes.

Media report

Alan Temple, 18-Jul-2023, The Courier

Viaplay Cup misery for Jim Goodwin as Harry Milne seals Partick Thistle win: Dundee United’s miserable start to the season continued as they effectively exited the Viaplay Cup following a 2-1 defeat against Partick Thistle. Seeking to bounce back from a shock reverse against League Two Spartans on Saturday, Craig Sibbald opened the scoring following a neat exchange with Declan Glass. However, ex-United man Brian Graham levelled before Harry Milne completed the turnaround after the break.

Brian Graham haunts former club: It was Sibbald who notched the opening goal of the game, displaying super tenacity to rob Aaron Moorhead deep in the Thistle half. The combative midfielder then hared into the box to convert a cut-back by Declan Glass. But rather than build on their advantage, the Terrors saw Graham — who scored seven goals in 37 appearances for United in 2013/14 — torment his erstwhile employers. He fired over the bar from point-blank range after latching on to a Ben Williamson flick, before whipping a ferocious shot narrowly wide of Jack Walton’s post from the edge of the box. Graham bagged a merited leveller when he played a slick one-two with Williamson before smashing a low finish past Walton. A very tidy move; but too easy, from a Terrors’ perspective. The veteran marksman also won headers, drew fouls and ensured young Ollie Denham had a miserable night under the Tannadice lights before being replaced by Ross Graham. Walton was forced into a super save from a Muirhead free-kick after Denham was adjudged to have hauled down Graham on the edge of the box, earning the Welshman a booking.

Louis Moult is pitched straight into action: United fans were afforded a welcome boost prior to kick-off when the Tangerines announced the arrival of Louis Moult. And the 31-year-old was pitched straight into action, entering the fray as a second-half substitute for Watt. He stung the palms of David Mitchell from distance following a surging run by Kai Fotheringham and almost met a low cross from the same man. He will have more effective outings — and Goodwin will hope he is afforded plenty more service — in future, but getting minutes in the legs of their new No.9 is a minor positive from miserable night for Arabs.

United’s defensive frailties as pays off for Milne: Thistle’s marauding full-back Milne was denied from close-range by a sprawling Walton save after meeting a Graham flick. However, he would not be thwarted on the hour-mark when he headed home a deep delivery from the dangerous Stevie Lawless. Once again, the defending left plenty to be desired, with the Jags more aggressive and imposing in the danger zone — and United skipper Ross Docherty seemingly left to mark two Thistle players. And with Thistle able to defend their lead and pounce on the break, Walton — who looks a fine capture — made another plunging near-post stop to deny James Lyon. Focus turns to the Championship. Glenn Middleton came closest to taking the contest to penalties, whipping a fine free-kick inches past the post. But, akin to Ainslie Park on Saturday, United left the field to the sound of jeers. This result effectively ends their participation in this competition and does nothing to build any sense of a positivity following the travails of last term. Since the format change in 2016/17, no club has ever progressed from the group phase with less than eight points. As such, United’s remaining games will be exercises in preparation for the upcoming Championship charge — and on this evidence, there is much work to be done.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan told BBC Scotland:

I’m hugely proud of them. There’s a young team out there with a lot of academy players, but we’re happy to play them. I think you can see they’re developing with each game. If you can’t play them at this stage of the season, when do you? Zander MacKenzie at 17 years old walks away with man of the match, just an absolutely fantastic performance. I’m delighted about the way we played with the ball and without it, I felt at the times when we were under pressure we kept our shape well.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin told BBC Scotland:

It's a real sense of disappointment and frustration. The most frustrating thing is the manner of goals we conceded. We started the game brightly, we were the better team. Thistle started to go direct and we didn't handle that well enough. We need to be more aggressive. We need better decision-making. We had every ambition to get out the group, it's a competition I've always enjoyed. We shot ourselves in the foot on Saturday. It's early days, six new faces have come in, we're still trying to gel the players in. We have another chance to make amends this weekend.

Video Highlights

Option 1: extended highlights with commentary

(credit:Viaplay Sports UK )

Option 2: pitchside cam

(credits: Partick Thistle / Jake Vaughan )

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Stats Watch

FIRST CUP WIN IN 48 YEARS

● 21-year-old Ben Williamson makes his Thistle debut. At the time of writing he brings our club connections with Dundee and Raith Rovers to exactly 100 each!

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

● With his 53rd, the amazing Brian Graham now enters the All-Time Top 40 scorers in terms of competitive action.

● Thistle defeat Dundee United in a cup match for the first time since 1975, when they also won 2-1 in a League Cup group game at Tannadice. That was actually the last year that the Jags reached the semi final stage of the competition.

● With only 2 defeats in 21 competitive games, Kris Doolan is wildly out in front with the greatest points-per-game ratio (2.05) of any Thistle manager in history, ahead of McNamara (1.62) and Meiklejohn (1.47).

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.)

● 30 consecutive competitive appearances for Aidan Fitzpatrick, 3rd Dec 2022 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Jack McMillan - 52 games, 9th Jul 2022 to 4th Jun 2023. 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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