2nd Mar 2024 Partick Thistle 1 Dundee United 1 (SPFL Championship - game 26)

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matches:2023-24: ← 36game 3738 →

37y, 2m, 20d	Kris Doolan	Jim Goodwin

David Mitchell; Wasiri Williams; Scott Robinson
Ross Stewart; Stuart Bannigan; Kerr McInroy

Brian Graham (1-0, 2‎ mins)		Louis Moult (1-1, 67‎ mins)
Luke McBeth (1-0, 2 mins)		Miller Thomson (1-1, 67‎ mins)
‎Scott Robinson; Aaron Muirhead		Ross Docherty; Declan Gallagher; Louis Moult

Steven Lawless (Kieran Ngwenya, 89 mins)		Glenn Middleton (Tony Watt, 59 mins); Kai Fotheringham (Liam Grimshaw, 59 mins); Ross Docherty (Jordan Tillson, 61 mins); Louis Moult (Chris Mochrie, 87 mins)

33y, 10m, 27d	David Mitchell	Jack Walton
26y, 2m, 13d	Jack McMillan	Miller Thomson
27y, 4m, 2d	Harry Milne	Scott McMann
23y, 11m, 1d	Wasiri Williams	Kevin Holt former Jag
33y, 6m, 1d	Aaron Muirhead	Declan Gallagher former Jag
20y, 9m, 16d	Lewis Neilson	Ross Docherty former Jag
24y, 5m, 22d	Luke McBeth	Craig Sibbald
32y, 10m, 19d	Steven Lawless	Alex Greive
36y, 3m, 8d	Brian Graham	Louis Moult
31y, 11m, 19d	Scott Robinson	Kai Fotheringham
22y, 11m, 11d	Aidan Fitzpatrick	Glenn Middleton

28y, 4m, 10d

28y, 10m, 21d	Ross Stewart	Jack Newman
23y, 6m, 0d	Kerr McInroy	Sam McClelland
31y, 5m, 14d	Stuart Bannigan	Ross Graham
21y, 5m, 6d	Kieran Ngwenya	Liam Grimshaw
31y, 11m, 8d	Blair Alston	Jordan Tillson
19y, 5m, 11d	Ben Stanway	Archie Meekison
18y, 6m, 3d	Zander MacKenzie	Chris Mochrie
18y, 9m, 24d	Ricco Diack	Mathew Anim Cudjoe
28y, 0m, 14d	Tomi Adeloye	Tony Watt

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
The network credits Wasiri Williams with Thistle's assist (understandable given the close proximity of three in the aerial dual) but Dundee United's excellent 'Story of the Match' video clarifies that it was the head of Luke McBeth that did the needful.

TTA report

Much improved and with a new formation, Thistle played some good stuff - particularly in the first half. Graham nodded a corner in at the back post (2) and there were several good moves that deserved better. United had more of the play after h-t and failure to clear their lines led to a unsavable shot (67). A feisty match with some lenient refereeing.

TTA man of the match

On a day of many candidates, we give the nod to SCOTT ROBINSON who was socks-down and ready for a shift straight from the off. Picked up a lot of second balls, put a lot of hard yards in, and served as an excellent link man for his mates up and down the park.

Media report

Craig Cairns, 03-Mar-2024, The Courier

Dundee United responded to midweek disappointment with a draw away to Partick Thistle. Brian Graham gave the home side an early lead before Louis Moult equalised after the break with a thumping finish. The point moves Dundee United clear at the top of the Scottish Championship though they failed to take full advantage of Raith Rovers’ defeat the night before. The headline from the team sheets was the return of captain Ross Docherty from injury to face his former club, one of three changes to Jim Goodwin’s line-up.

The away side started the match poorly and were behind within a couple of minutes of kick-off. The tone for the opening 45 minutes was set with barely 60 seconds on the clock when Kevin Holt berated his goalkeeper for failing to come for a ball. In the third minute [1m 55s], Steven Lawless collected a long ball in acres of space and the attack led to a corner from which Thistle took the lead through Brian Graham. The Thistle marksman nodded in at the back post after Aidan Fitzpatrick’s corner was flicked on. After that, Kris Doolan’s men were happy to soak up pressure and hit on the break. It took until the 17th minute for the Terrors to carve out a real opportunity when Moult headed back across goal and Alex Greive, from a few yards, saw his effort blocked on the line. Fotherigham heads wide as the visitors started to get a grip of the game. At the other end, another Fitzpatrick corner was going directly into the net and had to be fisted away by Walton and Harry Milne hit the side netting from range. The best chance for the away came when Holt strode out of defence and the ball found its way to Miller Thomson on the right. His cross found fellow full-back Scott McMann but his header was stopped by a fantastic stop from keeper David Mitchell. United almost ended the first half the way they had started it but luckily for them Lewis Neilson’s header from Fitzpatrick’s corner was off target.

Partick Thistle continued their conservative approach after the break, with the Tangerines still struggling to create many clear-cut chances. Greive did connect with a cutback early in the half but it was easily saved. Around the hour mark, Goodwin made a double change, sending on Tony Watt and Liam Grimshaw. Watt provided a spark that was missing until that point, working his way down the left but Moult was unable to get enough on the cutback to trouble the keeper. That gave Dundee United the bit between their teeth and they were level on 67 minutes when the ball broke to Moult in the box and he lashed it beyond Mitchell, losing his boot as he was challenged while shooting. United fans were given a scare soon after when Walton was beaten to the ball by the head of Wasiri Williams but the keeper’s defence bailed him out. The away side were now piling on the pressure and Declan Gallagher was booked for dissent when he was sure Moult’s goal-bound effort was blocked by a Thistle hand. Thomson, now in a more advanced role, struck well but there were bodies flying all over to block the way to go.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to Jagzone):

I thought we looked like a different proposition today, not just with the line-up, but the way we started the game, and the intensity I thought was brilliant from start to finish. We felt as if in the last couple of games when McMillan goes forward, Harry would creep up too, so it's just that discipline, and it's a team thing to keep each other in line. We were disciplined today, it was about having that defensive solidity across the middle of the park and right up the middle, we spoke about protecting the middle of the pitch and gaining territory and staying there, and we did that for the biggest part of the game. Robinson was the perfect foil for Neilson and McBeth in the middle of the pitch. Their physicality meant that United had to play around us and not through us.

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin (speaking to DUTV):

The first half wasn't good enough from our point of view, we started as poorly as you can, conceding so early from a set play, and that's the second goal we've conceded in two games from corners, which is not like us. We knew we were going to be physically outnumbered in those situations given the size and the physicality of the Partick team, and unfortunately we didn't do the job well enough on that occasion. The people who were here will see how bobbly and bad the pitch was, and we made the decision at half-time to be a bit more direct, and for the majority of the second half I thought we were on top and in control.

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