23rd Dec 2023 Partick Thistle 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 (SPFL Championship - game 17)

matches:2023-24: ← 25game 2627 →

37y, 0m, 12d	Kris Doolan	Duncan Ferguson

no changes
no changes

Jack McMillan (1-1, 15 mins)		Max Anderson (0-1, 19 secs)
Blair Alston (1-1, 15 mins)		Billy McKay (0-1, 19 secs)
Kerr McInroy		Danny Devine; Nikola Ujdur; Charlie Gilmour

Ben Stanway (Stuart Bannigan, 62 mins); Blair Alston (Scott Robinson, 62 mins); Brian Graham (Tomi Adeloye, 82 mins); Kerr McInroy (Zander MacKenzie, 82 mins)		Billy McKay (Luis Longstaff, 75 mins); David Wotherspoon (Cillian Sheridan, 90 mins)

26y, 3m, 17d	Jamie Sneddon	Mark Ridgers former Jag
26y, 0m, 5d	Jack McMillan	Jake Davidson
27y, 1m, 24d	Harry Milne	Cameron Harper
20y, 7m, 8d	Lewis Neilson	Morgan Boyes
33y, 3m, 23d	Aaron Muirhead	Danny Devine former Jag
19y, 3m, 3d	Ben Stanway	Nikola Ujdur
23y, 3m, 22d	Kerr McInroy	Charlie Gilmour
32y, 8m, 11d	Steven Lawless	Max Anderson
36y, 1m, 0d	Brian Graham	Billy McKay
31y, 9m, 0d	Blair Alston	David Wotherspoon
22y, 9m, 3d	Aidan Fitzpatrick	Nathan Shaw

27y, 2m, 14d

33y, 8m, 19d	David Mitchell	Cammy Mackay
23y, 8m, 22d	Wasiri Williams	Sean Welsh former Jag
31y, 3m, 6d	Stuart Bannigan	Zak Delaney
31y, 9m, 12d	Scott Robinson	Luis Longstaff
22y, 4m, 16d	Ben Williamson	Adam Brooks
21y, 1m, 26d	James Lyon	Keith Bray
18y, 3m, 25d	Zander MacKenzie	Robbie Thompson
18y, 7m, 16d	Ricco Diack	Cillian Sheridan
27y, 10m, 6d	Tomi Adeloye

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Inverness filled 8 of their 9 allocated bench slots.
There's no assist registered by 'the network' for Thistle's goal, but it was Blair Alston who dribbled and touched the ball to the scorer, Jack McMillan.

TTA report

In dreadful conditions a 20-second deflected trundler gave ICT the lead and it should have been 2-0 before Thistle got a grip. A dribble into the box by Alston was finished by off by McMillan (15). ICT bossed the second half. They were better on the ball, had Thistle pinned back for long spells and had a good shout for a late penalty.

TTA man of the match

On a dreich and miserable day when there was nothing doing in terms of good play or service, BRIAN GRAHAM at least did the ugly stuff well, throwing in some captainly clearances back in defence for good measure.

Media report

Paul Chalk, 23-Dec-2023, Press & Journal

Max Anderson scored Caley Thistle’s quickest-ever goal – but the Highlanders had to settle for a 1-1 draw at third-placed Partick Thistle. Anderson fired ICT in front after just 19 seconds in what is understood to be the club’s quickest competitive goal – 16 seconds ahead of James Keatings’ against Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup in 2021. Jack McMillan levelled after 15 minutes and the Glasgow Jags enjoyed the bulk of play in the remainder of the first half. Every game in the division ended in a draw this weekend, meaning ICT remain eighth, three points above basement side Queen’s Park, yet just five points behind from fourth-placed Dunfermline.

From kick-off, a swift move down the right flank saw striker Billy Mckay cut inside, sweep the ball into the box and on-loan midfielder Max Anderson’s shot had just enough on it [aided by a deflection off Muirhead] to take it past Jamie Sneddon. And the goal put a spring in their step, with a couple of moves keeping the Jags on their toes early on. By contrast, Thistle looked rattled as they misplaced passes on several occasions. It was the turn of Caley Thistle to stand up and be counted as Partick pinned them back, searching for a second goal. Ridgers kept Thistle at bay as he comfortably held low drives from Ben Stanway and Brian Graham in quick succession. The final chance of the first half saw Graham steer a free-kick, conceded by Danny Devine, over the crossbar. However, it was 1-1 after 15 minutes when right-back McMillan found enough space in the box to guide his drive past goalkeeper Mark Ridgers after neat work from Blair Alston opened ICT up.

Seven minutes into the second half, Anderson went close for Inverness as he worked himself some space at the edge of the box, but drilled his low effort just past the right post. McMillan then had a shot blocked by Danny Devine when he found more freedom than expected as he strode into the box. It was on target and the defender’s intervention was key. The teams knew there was a game to be won here, with three precious points capable of changing the outlook in the bottom half of the division for ICT. Inverness were looking a menace, as a couple of goalmouth scrambles could easily have fallen in their favour. There was a late appeal for a spot-kick when Cammy Harper went down in the box under a challenge from McMillan but nothing was given.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to the BBC):

Inverness are a good team and a point is probably fair. It was such a freak goal to give away but the way we react is key. We get on the front foot and Jack McMillan scores a fantastic goal.

Inverness CT manager Duncan Ferguson (speaking to the BBC):

We couldn't have started any better. We created chances and could've had a couple of goals. Everyone could see our attacking play which is lovely to watch, and on another day we could've had a penalty - we're not getting any 50-50 decisions at all. But we're really happy.

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