12th Aug 2023 Airdrieonians 2 Partick Thistle 1 (SPFL Championship - game 2)

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matches:2023-24: ← 06game 0708 →

	Rhys McCabe	Kris Doolan	36y, 8m, 1d

		James Lyon
		Kerr McInroy

Gabby McGill (1-1, 63 mins); Calum Gallagher (1-2, 71‎ mins)‎		James Lyon (1-0, 31 mins)
Craig Watson (1-1, 63 mins); Craig Watson (1-2, 71‎ mins)‎		none (1-0, 31 mins)


Rhys McCabe (Murray Aiken, 37 mins); Josh O'Connor (Gabby McGill, 57 mins); Callum Gallagher (Justin Devenny, 86 mins); Dean McMaster (Charlie Telfer, 86 mins)		Ben Williamson (Blair Alston, 53 mins); James Lyon (Lewis Neilson, 64 mins); Stuart Bannigan (Wes McDonald, 80 mins); Steven Lawless (Tomi Adeloye, 80 mins)

	Josh Rae	David Mitchell	33y, 4m, 8d
	Craig Watson	Jack McMillan	25y, 7m, 25d
	Cammy Ballantyne	Harry Milne	26y, 9m, 14d
	former Jag Aaron Taylor-Sinclair	Wasiri Williams	23y, 4m, 11d
	Callum Fordyce	Aaron Muirhead	32y, 11m, 13d
	Rhys McCabe	Stuart Bannigan	30y, 10m, 26d
	Dean McMaster	Ben Williamson	22y, 0m, 5d
	Josh O'Connor	Steven Lawless	32y, 4m, 0d
	Callum Gallagher	Brian Graham	35y, 8m, 20d
	Adam Frizzell	James Lyon	20y, 9m, 16d
	Lewis McGregor	Aidan Fitzpatrick	22y, 4m, 23d

			27y, 10m, 2d

	David Hutton	Jamie Sneddon	25y, 11m, 6d
	Mason Hancock	Lewis Neilson	20y, 2m, 28d
	Justin Devenny	Anton Dowds	26y, 8m, 24d
	Murray Aiken	Kieran Ngwenya	20y, 10m, 18d
	Elliot Dunlop	Blair Alston	31y, 4m, 20d
	Charlie Telfer	Wes McDonald	26y, 3m, 8d
	Gabby McGill	Ben Stanway	18y, 10m, 23d
	Alasdair Spalding	Ji Stevenson	18y, 0m, 14d
	Corrie Fellows	Tomi Adeloye	27y, 5m, 26d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Airdrie's first goal was possibly an o.g. by Wasiri Williams. Gabby McGill's shot looked to be just off-target and deflected off the Thistle centre-back and over the line. However, we can't be absolutely certain that the attacker's shot was going wide and we therefore stick with McGill who is universally credited with the goal. The 'network' registers no assist, although McGill was set up by a cut back from Craig Watson, and we duly appoint the assist to that player.

TTA report

A poor disjointed performance against newly promoted Airdrie despite taking the lead through Lyons from a rebound close in (31). Airdrie had the better chances despite trailing at half-time. They levelled (63) then a header earned the points (71). A few late chances came to nothing.

TTA man of the match

BEN WILLIAMSON played with a fair degree of poise in the middle of the park and was instrumental in the move which led to the goal. Rough treatment throughout ended his afternoon and Thistle were turned over within 18 minutes of his departure.

Media report

Andy McGilvray, 12-Aug-2023, Daily Record

Airdrie fought from behind to beat Partick Thistle and take their first Championship win of the season in what was also a first home game. Goals from strikers Gabby McGill and Calum Gallagher overturned James Lyon's first-half strike and it was no more than the Diamonds deserved, having had a 'goal' disallowed in the first 45. Three points is also a great boost ahead of a Viaplay Cup last 16 tie at home to Ross County here next Saturday. Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe made two changes from the side that lost at Dunfermline last weekend, as goalkeeper Josh Rae returned from suspension to replace Josh Clarke, while Dean McMaster came in for Charlie Telfer. Thistle boss Kris Doolan also made one changes from the side that drew with Raith Rovers last time out, as James Lyon came in for Kerr McInroy, who is no stranger to Airdrie fans, but injury meant that he dropped out of the squad altogether.

Thistle started lively enough, but Airdrie should have taken the lead in eight minutes when Calum Gallagher missed virtually an open goal on the right from Adam Frizzell's left-wing cross. The former Rangers and Dumbarton hit-man should have scored, and he knew it, but angled his shot past the left post. Gallagher should have put Airdrie ahead moments later, but sent his shot past the left post when he could have slipped in Frizzell. Thistle went close in 11 minutes when Harry Milne did well to get the ball to Brian Graham, and his low shot was well saved by Rae. Calum McGregor was sent through on goal by McCabe in 13 minutes, but keeper David Mitchell made a good stop to halt his progress, clawing the ball away from his head. Airdrie looked to have scored in 19 minutes from a corner move from the left, Frizzell picked out Callum Fordyce and he rocketed a shot to the top right corner via the underside of the bar, and it looked to be in before Mitchell got a hand to it, but no goal given. But Thistle took the lead on the half-hour when Milne's cross/shot was palmed out by Rae and Lyon buried it into the bottom right corner. Airdrie were dealt a blow seven minutes later when player/boss McCabe was stretchered off and replaced by Murray Aiken. Thistle nearly doubled their lead in stoppage time when Steven Lawless' cross from the left was headed past the near post by Graham. Graham had the ball in the net inside first-half stoppage time with a neat flick into the corner from Aidan Fitzpatrick's cross, but was flagged offside.

Thistle missed a sitter of their own in 55 minutes when sub Blair Alston did well to break through on the right side of the box and his angled pass was blasted over by Fitzpatrick as he slid inat the back post. McGill drew Airdrie level three minutes after replacing Josh O'Connor, slamming in the rebound when Ballantyne's shot had been well saved by Mitchell in 62 minutes. But Airdrie took the lead in 71 minutes when Watson's deep cross from the right was buried into the left corner by a bullet header from Gallagher. Alston shaved the right post with a crisp shot in 84 minutes as Thistle tried to draw level. McGregor tried an ambitious effort from the right touch-line in stoppage time that Mitchell did well to hold at his top right corner. Graham had the ball in the net deep into stoppage time but was again flagged offside. At the other end Frizzell sent a low shot fizzing narrowly wide of the right post. In the second half Airdrie were a much-improved side and eventually got their just rewards with two great goals.

Reaction

Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to Jagzone):

That was very unlike us, we were doing things that we don't normally do. We're not normally so disjointed, we're usually very cohesive. We put our hands up and we have to learn, we have to come back better. I felt even at one nil up we hadn't created a lot, and they probably had better chances than us and yet we hit them by scoring a goal, but we were never really in control of the game, we were never really in control of the ball. We were always kind of scrambling for possession, and out of possession as well we were sometimes scarpering to get to positions where we wanted to be. It shows you that in this League anybody can beat anybody, it's always the same, but we need to make sure next week that we're better than we were today.

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