2nd Sep 2023 Greenock Morton 1 Partick Thistle 4 (SPFL Championship - game 4)

matches:2023-24: ← 09game 1011 →

Match Information

			Dougie Imrie		Kris Doolan			36y, 8m, 22d
					no changes
					no changes
Robbie Muirhead (0-1, 15‎ mins)					Steven Lawless (1-1, 39‎ mins)‎; Brian Graham (2-1, 70 mins); Brian Graham (3-1, 72‎ mins); Tomi Adeloye (4-1, 84‎ mins)
none (0-1, 15‎ mins)					Kerr McInroy (1-1, 39‎ mins)‎; Jack McMillan (2-1, 70 mins); Scott Robinson (3-1, 72‎ mins); Ben Stanway (4-1, 84‎ mins)
Darragh O'Connor					Harry Milne
					Harry Milne (@ 3-1, 77 mins)
Robbie Crawford (Iain Wilson, 21 mins); Steven Boyd (Lewis McGrattan, 53 mins); Jai Quitongo (Alex King, 77 mins)					Kerr McInroy (Scott Robinson, 69 mins); Steven Lawless (Kieran Ngwenya, 80 mins); Brian Graham (Tomi Adeloye, 82 mins)
			Jamie MacDonald		Jamie Sneddon			25y, 11m, 27d
			Darragh O'Connor		Jack McMillan			25y, 8m, 15d
			Calum Waters		Harry Milne			26y, 10m, 4d
			Kirk Broadfoot		Lewis Neilson			20y, 3m, 18d
			Jack Baird		Aaron Muirhead			33y, 0m, 3d
			Cameron Blues		Stuart Bannigan			30y, 11m, 16d
			Alan Power		Ben Stanway			18y, 11m, 13d
			Steven Boyd		Steven Lawless			32y, 4m, 21d
			former Jag Robbie Muirhead		Brian Graham			35y, 9m, 10d
			former Jag Robbie Crawford		Kerr McInroy			23y, 0m, 2d
			former Jag Jai Quitongo		Aidan Fitzpatrick			22y, 5m, 13d
								26y, 10m, 6d
			Ryan Mullen		Mason McCready			20y, 5m, 28d
			Lewis McGrattan		Wasiri Williams			23y, 5m, 1d
			Jack Bearne		Kieran Ngwenya			20y, 11m, 8d
			Alex King		Scott Robinson			31y, 5m, 22d
			Iain Wilson		Blair Alston			31y, 5m, 10d
					Wes McDonald			26y, 3m, 29d
					James Lyon			20y, 10m, 6d
					Zander MacKenzie			18y, 0m, 5d
					Tomi Adeloye			27y, 6m, 16d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order. Morton filled only 5 of their 9 allocated bench slots. OPTA and 'the network' credit Jack McMillan with the assist for Thistle's 4th goal, but video evidence shows it was Ben Stanway.

Match Report

TTA report

Morton bossed the early stages and scored from a low free-kick (15). Once Thistle got going Lawless turned his man, ran on and scored for 1-1 (39). Graham got in front of his marker (70) and shot home (72) both from 6 yards. Milne was sent off (2nd yellow) but Adeloye latched on to a long clearance down the right, cut in and scored (84).

TTA man of the match

BRIAN GRAHAM put himself where it hurts time and time again. You felt he'd have sacrificed a limb for the cause, and that never-say-die attitude was inspirational as the team came from behind for the win. Talismanic.

Media report

Callum McFadden, 02-Sep-2023, World Football Index

Kris Doolan was delighted with his Partick Thistle team as they defeated Greenock Morton by four goals to one at Cappielow. Morton started the game with lots of energy and dominated the ball and the clear-cut chances in the opening fifteen minutes. Robbie Muirhead had an opportunity from a Calum Waters cross in the fifth minute while Kirk Broadfoot came close from a header on nine minutes. Morton would not have to wait much longer for an opening goal. Robbie Muirhead gave them a deserved lead in the nineteenth minute from a free kick that he smashed home from just outside the box. Morton continued to push for a second goal but to no avail. A late first half sucker punch arrived minutes before the half time interval for Dougie Imrie and his side when Steven Lawless turned Calum Waters before sliding the ball under an advancing Jamie MacDonald.

Thistle were a different animal in the second half and began to take control of the game. Kris Doolan’s men took the game away from Morton within a matter of minutes when former Morton striker Brian Graham scored a brace in quick session with goals in the seventieth and seventy second minute. Morton were given a glimmer of hope when Thistle full back Harry Milne was sent off for a second bookable offence in the seventy seventh minute. That glimmer did not last long though as substitute Tomi Adeloye — who replaced player of the match Graham — sealed all three points for Thistle with a well taken goal on the counter attack in the eighty fourth minute. Partick Thistle move up to fourth place in the Cinch Championship while Morton sit in eighth place after four games.

Reaction

Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to The World Football Index):

We responded brilliantly [to going to ten men] because is one of the toughest places to play at in this division. We played very well and performed under pressure today. Brian Graham has aged like a fine wine and you can see the impact that he has on our team today. We have a good blend of experienced players like Brian and young players such as Ben Stanway who has come through our youth academy.

Morton manager Dougie Imrie (speaking to The World Football Index):

[The number of injuries] that we have is frustrating. Last season we had a squad that was injury free for large parts of the season whereas this season, I have lost five or six players to injury at one time. We need come in on Monday and look to learn from the result against Arbroath last week and this result too because we have a good group at the club.

Scrapbook

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The Sun, 4th September, 2023

Gallery

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Video Highlights

Option 1: goals with commentary

(credit: Partick Thistle )

Option 2: extended highlights

(credit: ‘TonTV )

Option 3: gameday production

(credits: Partick Thistle / Ewan Waddell )

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Stats Watch

LAWLESS & GRAHAM ON THE ASCENT

● With his 45th competitive goal, Steven Lawless moves up to joint-48th in our elite competitive goals chart, overtaking Jimmy Davidson and George Wyllie.

● With his brace on the day, 58-goal Brian Graham moves up to joint-33rd in our elite competitive goals chart, overtaking Chris Erskine, Jim Melrose & Maurice Johnston in one fell swoop.

● Tomi Adeloye scores his first goal for Thistle. Peachy.

● Harry Milne's 77th minute dismissal leaves Aaron Muirhead as the last-man-standing in terms of 100% competitive game-time in 2023-24.

● Good to see a spread of 7 players on the goals/assists sheet. Four different players (McInroy, McMillan, Robinson & Stanway) register an assist, matching a tally last seen in the 5-0 win at Cove Rangers in April 2023.

● Thistle register their 100th competitive win over Morton, who become the 4th club to have been so defeated, following on from Clyde (126), Airdrie (112) and Killie (103).

● Thistle have registered more competitive wins at Cappielow (45) than any other away ground.

● Thistle have now failed to keep a clean-sheet in their opening 9 competitive games of the season. You need to rewind to 2003 (16) to find a longer opening run in that regard.

ongoing sequences:

● 12 competitive home games without defeat; 4th Mar 2023 to date. (Longest run since: 13 games; 19th Jan 2013 to 27th Aug 2013. Club-record: 24 games; 5th May 2001 to 17th Aug 2002.)

● 37 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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