20th Apr 2024 Partick Thistle 4 Airdrieonians 0 (SPFL Championship - game 34)

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matches:2023-24: ← 44game 4546 →

37y, 4m, 9d	Kris Doolan	Rhys McCabe

Scott Robinson
Zander MacKenzie

Aidan Fitzpatrick (1-0, 52 mins)‎; Brian Graham (2-0, 61 mins)‎; Brian Graham (3-0, 68 mins); Ricco Diack (4-0, 85 mins)‎
Kerr McInroy (1-0, 52 mins)‎; none (2-0, 61 mins)‎; Lewis Neilson (3-0, 68 mins); Stuart Bannigan (4-0, 85 mins)‎


Jack McMillan (Daniel O'Reilly, 71 mins); Kerr McInroy (Zander MacKenzie, 71 mins); Ben Stanway (Stuart Bannigan, 73 mins); Scott Robinson (Ricco Diack, 78 mins); Aidan Fitzpatrick (Blair Alston, 78 mins)		Nikolay Todorov (Josh O'Connor, 71 mins); Lewis McGregor (Gavin Gallagher, 71 mins); Arron Lyall (Chris Donnell, 75 mins)

34y, 0m, 16d	David Mitchell	Robbie Hemfrey
26y, 4m, 2d	Jack McMillan	Kanayo Megwa
27y, 5m, 22d	Harry Milne	Mason Hancock
24y, 7m, 11d	Luke McBeth	Craig Watson
33y, 7m, 21d	Aaron Muirhead	Callum Fordyce
20y, 11m, 5d	Lewis Neilson	Dean McMaster
19y, 7m, 0d	Ben Stanway	Lewis McGregor
32y, 1m, 9d	Scott Robinson	Charlie Telfer
36y, 4m, 28d	Brian Graham	Gabby McGill
23y, 7m, 20d	Kerr McInroy	Nikolay Todorov
23y, 1m, 0d	Aidan Fitzpatrick	Arron Lyall

27y, 5m, 10d

29y, 0m, 10d	Ross Stewart	David Hutton
31y, 7m, 3d	Stuart Bannigan	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair former Jag
21y, 6m, 26d	Kieran Ngwenya	Josh O'Connor
29y, 0m, 9d	Daniel O'Reilly	Calum Gallagher
32y, 0m, 28d	Blair Alston	Elliot Dunlop
18y, 7m, 23d	Zander MacKenzie	Chris Donnell
18y, 11m, 13d	Ricco Diack	Cameron Rowley
17y, 6m, 1d	Ché Campbell	Gavin Gallagher
17y, 3m, 9d	Thomas Horn	Alasdair Spalding

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

Milne had a couple of good attempts and Mitchell had a fine save to keep it goalless at h-t. In the 2nd half Thistle dominated. Fitzpatrick ran on to a McInroy pass (52) then Graham tapped home when Stanway's shot was parried (61) He twisted and turned to find the far corner (68) then Diack ran on to fire across the advancing keeper (85). Comprehensive.

TTA man of the match

What a performance from HARRY MILNE. Strength and timing in the tackle from the left-back ensured parity in the first half, and with his incredible positivity surging forward he was a complete menace to Airdrie in the second 45. Created a couple of scoring chances for himself too, as he often does - he's due one!

Media report

Andy McGilvray, 20-Apr-2024, Daily Record

Airdrie sealed their Premiership play-off slot even while falling to a heavy defeat against step-up rivals Partick Thistle at Firhill. Thistle manager Kris Doolan made one change to the side that drew 0-0 with Raith Rovers last weekend, as Scott Robinson came in for Zander Mackenzie. Airdrie player-boss Rhys McCabe made two changes to the side that beat Dunfermline 2-1 last time out. Arron Lyall and Lewis McGregor came in for Cammy Ballantyne and Adam Frizell. A Brian Graham double and strikes from Aidan Fitzpatrick and Ricco Diack saw Jags through comfortably enough in a dominant second half, following a first half where the sides couldn't be separated. A first defeat in five for the Diamonds, however, means they're seven clear of fifth-placed Morton and eight ahead of Dunfermline, with two games left, but three behind their hosts. Aidan Fitzpatrick's 52nd-minute opener was added to on the hour-mark by Brian Graham, and he notched his second of the game in 68 minutes. Sub Diack slotted the ball into the back of the net late on to make absolutely sure of the three points.

The goal-less first half was really even, with neither side particularly getting an upper hand. Airdrie's Lewis McGregor had their best chance and the whole of Firhill held its breath until David Mitchell made a telling block. At the other end Jack McMillan's roving run ended with a cutback that evaded a couple of Thistle players in the middle, with just Robbie Hemfrey to beat in the Airdrie goal. Thistle had threatened first in 13 minutes when Harry Milne got a sight of goal and let fly with a rocket from just inside the box, but Hemfrey parried and the ball was hacked clear for a corner. Aaron Lyall let fly with a shot for distance for Airdrie, from the right touchline, but it fizzed past the far post corner in 15 minutes. Kerr McInroy's corner from the right was headed over by Milne in 23 minutes. McGregor was sent through on goal in 33 minutes, but David Mitchell got down low to block well. Lyall's corner from the right was headed by Kanayo Megwa on to Todorov, but the Thistle keeper again gathered. Brian Graham glance headed a Fitzpatrick cross just over in 39 minutes. In 40 minutes Jack McMillan galloped forward but his cut-back evaded a glut of players just yards out, which included Graham. Two minutes later, good Airdrie move ended with Charlie Telfer's shot on the turn being saved at the bottom right corner. Mason Hancock's cross caused problems for the Thistle defence in 44 minutes, and it was cleared only as far as McMaster, who let fly with a drive that Mitchell did well to hold.

Thistle came out for the second half with their tails up and took the lead through Fitzpatrick inside seven minutes, and simply never looked back. They took the lead in 52 minutes when McInroy's pass with the outside of his boot sliced open the Airdrie defence and Fitzpatrick rounded Hemfrey to score. Thistle should have doubled that lead in 56 minutes when Ben Stanway was shown a sight of goal on the left, but dragged his shot past the right post. Milne had a run and shot that was well saved by Hemfrey in 59 minutes. But a minute later Fitzpatrick's shot was spilled by Hemfrey and Graham was on it quickly to smash high into the net. Graham bagged his second of the game in 68 minutes with a curler into the top right corner. Sub Ricco Diack added further shine to the win by slamming the ball into the bottom left corner in 85 minutes.

Reaction

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

Second half we were brilliant. I thought first half we were good, we just weren't as clinical as we normally are. Airdrie played well, they had a couple of chances, Mitch makes a couple of good saves but second half we took control of the game.

Airdrieonians manager Rhys McCabe (speaking to the BBC):

You've got to take the emotion out of it, you've got to the play-offs over a 36-game season. The boys have been excellent, but as I said to them in there, that's something I won't stand for. Especially in the second half they let themselves down.

A MONUMENTAL SEASON FOR GRAHAM

● Amazingly, it's the first half-time stalemate in the league at Firhill in over a year, Queen's Park on 7 April 2023 being the last. Even more amazingly, Thistle won 4 nil that day too.

● Kerr McInroy hits double figures for competitive assists this season, now joint-top with Steven Lawless in that chart.

● Aidan Fitzpatrick hits the 20 mark in terms of goals/assists combined in all competitions this season.

● Brian Graham - the Division's top-scorer - has now scored against every team in the league this season!

● Brian Graham's brace (his 13th for the club) moves him onto 20 league goals for the season and he becomes only the 4th post-War to hit such a figure. The 3 other members of this super-exclusive club are Willie Sharp (22, 1953-54), Frank Coulston (21, 1970-71) & Maurice Johnston (22, 1982-83). See our (fully sortable) Top Scorers per season tables for the preceding 148 years.

● Brian Graham's tally of 24 goals in all competitions this term is the highest of any Thistle player since Maurice Johnston (35) in 1982-83.

● It's an impressive 3 goals in his 288 minutes for Ricco Diack who has scored in both home league matches with Airdrie this season. On both occasions he scored within 7 minutes of personal action!

● Points-per-game king of 2023-24 is undoubtedly Zander MacKenzie with just 2 losses in 22 games in all competitions this term. See our 'Squad Stats 2023-24' table (note: select the 'full' tab) to drill down more.

● For only the second time in the latest two league seasons, there are no bookings. The other instance? Versus Airdrie at the Excelsior back in August. What's going on?!

● In all competitions, Thistle have now registered 10 consecutive home wins versus Airdrieonians (2009 to date), extending the club-record in the H2H.

● Thistle qualify for the Premiership play-offs for the third successive season, where they will play… Airdrieonians! Third time lucky?

● Kris Doolan's Thistle remain unbeaten in 13 games played in the months of April and May. (c/o Matt Greer!)

ongoing sequences:

● 6 competitive games without defeat, 16th Mar 2024 to date. (Longest run since: 6 games, 27th Oct 2023 to 2nd Dec 2023. Joint club-record: 16 games, 15th Nov 1975 to 21st Feb 1976 & 30th Sep 2000 to 13th Jan 2001.)

● 28 games in 3rd place (30th Sep 2023 to date), an extension of the club-record for a position outwith outright top or bottom. Overall, it's the longest run since the club-record of 33 games in bottom pace (12th), set between 20th Sep 2003 and 15th May 2004.

● 33 consecutive competitive appearances for Lewis Neilson, 15th Sep 2023 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Steven Lawless - 60 games, 18th Feb 2023 to 6th Apr 2024. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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