21st Sep 2024 Partick Thistle 1 Dunfermline Athletic 0 (SPFL Championship - game 6)

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matches:2024-25: ← 11game 1213 →

37y, 9m, 10d	Kris Doolan	James McPake

Kanayo Megwa; Aidan Fitzpatrick
Casper Nilsson; Ben Stanway

Aidan Fitzpatrick (1-0, 88 mins)
Daniel O'Reilly (1-0, 88 mins)
Kyle Turner; Aaron Muirhead		Tommy Fogarty; Chris Hamilton; Sam Young; Kieran Ngwenya

Kyle Turner (Ben Stanway, 67 mins); Terry Ablade (Logan Chalmers, 73 mins); Aaron Muirhead (Lee Ashcroft, 78 mins)		David Wotherspoon (Matty Todd, 24 mins); Tommy Fogarty (Sam Fisher, 43 mins); Lewis McCann (Craig Clay, 57 mins); Kane Ritchie-Hosler (Josh Cooper, 77 mins); Chris Kane (Craig Wighton, 77 mins)

22y, 9m, 12d	Myles Roberts	Deniz Mehmet
20y, 6m, 16d	Kanayo Megwa	Aaron Comrie
27y, 10m, 23d	Harry Milne	Kieran Ngwenya former Jag
25y, 0m, 12d	Luke McBeth	Sam Young
34y, 0m, 22d	Aaron Muirhead	Tommy Fogarty
29y, 5m, 10d	Daniel O'Reilly	Chris Hamilton
30y, 2m, 30d	Robbie Crawford	Ewan Otoo
26y, 10m, 11d	Kyle Turner	Kane Ritchie-Hosler
36y, 9m, 29d	Brian Graham	Chris Kane
22y, 11m, 9d	Terry Ablade	David Wotherspoon
23y, 6m, 1d	Aidan Fitzpatrick	Lewis McCann

27y, 3m, 14d

21y, 6m, 16d	Mason McCready	Lewis Briggs
20y, 9m, 26d	Casper Nilsson	Tobi Oluwayemi
24y, 5m, 28d	Logan Chalmers	Joe Chalmers
20y, 10m, 24d	Liam Smith	Craig Wighton
20y, 5m, 23d	Charlie Sayers	Matty Todd
31y, 0m, 23d	Lee Ashcroft	Sam Fisher
20y, 0m, 1d	Ben Stanway	Craig Clay
21y, 10m, 25d	James Lyon	Taylor Sutherland
19y, 4m, 14d	Ricco Diack	Josh Cooper

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

One shot on target each, 20 fouls each. There was nothing between the teams in a fast, open match of low quality. Thistle were solid at the back but the midfield starved Graham and Ablade of chances. The otherwise anonymous Fitzpatrick weaved past several defenders and shot under the keeper (88) for a fortunate 3 points.

TTA man of the match

Wingback KANAYO MEGWA can be satisfied with his debut; immediately we get a sense of the Muzzy Dumbuya's about him, a terrier in the tackle and very capable of taking players on when bombing down the right, something we've been lacking lately.

Media report

21-Sep-2024, dafc.co.uk

Dunfermline returned to the Wyre Stadium at Firhill hoping for the win that would make it back to back victories there over the Jags. James McPake made one enforced change to the side that defeated Raith Rovers eight days before with Deniz Mehmet starting in place of Tobi Oluwayemi whose was out was a niggling thigh injury. Partick Thistle boss Kris Doolan made two changes to his starting eleven Aidan Fitzpatrick and Kanayo Megwa coming in for Casper Nilsson and Ben Stanway. Thistle convincingly beat Queen’s Park 3-0 in their last home league match but then they lost to Alloa Athletic in the SPFL Trust Trophy and having lost to Clyde at home earlier in the season, the home faithful would be seeking the three points.

The teams emerged through an avenue of yellow and red chequered flags and it was the home team that kicked off attacking the goal at the end in front of their own fans. Mehmet’s first touch was a header to clear a Sam Young header back to him in second minute. Both sides showed early intent to attack and on three minutes a Megwa break saw him cross into the Pars six yard box from the right side. Tommy Fogarty’s attempt to clear only just slipped wide of the left goalpost. That corner was defended but a Harry Milne one-two with Fitzpatrick earned another corner from the left five minutes later that Lewis McCann headed away. There was a three minute stoppage after Fogarty and Milne clattered into each other. Both physios came on and worked their magic allowing both players to continue but with the on-loan Birmingham City player a yellow card to the good. The pace of Ablade and Megwa in particular was causing Dunfermline problems and Chris Hamilton was next to be shown yellow when he clumsily floored the latter. David Wotherspoon went down a minute later and unable to continue he was replaced by Matty Todd. An early return for the player given the green light on Monday to play after surgery was required when playing in the first pre-season friendly of the season. Mehmet made a brave save at the feet of Ablade in 25 minutes before Hamilton headed the Fifers first corner of the afternoon over the crossbar. Luke McBeth’s attempt at the other end from a Kyle Turner corner went the same way. Kane Ritchie-Hosler was the first player to shoot at goal, his 40th minute effort from 20 yards out went close but wide left. Aaron Comrie forced another corner with two minutes of the 45 remaining but before Todd could deliver, Tommy Fogarty had to go off and Sam Fisher came on. In time added on at the end of the half, Mehmet held the first on target effort of the match, a low shot from Megwa from outside the box. It had been a fiercely contested first 45 minutes punctuated by a high number of fouls. The sides had managed one shot apiece and understandably it was goalless at the interval.

The second half had gone just 30 seconds when Fitzpatrick launched a low shot at goal but Comrie blocked the effort. The match became pretty scrappy but in 54 minutes Mehmet made a good save with his feet to prevent Graham netting a through pass from Ablade but unknown to both, the offside flag had been raised. Signed the previous day, Craig Clay came on for his Dunfermline debut and it was Lewis McCann who would replace him. The home fans showed their disagreements with referee Euan Anderson’s decisions and Kyle Turner was shown yellow for voicing his. A Todd free kick from 30 yards was driven into the defensive wall and then a Kieran Ngwenya cross in 61 minutes was headed just outside the left upright by Fisher. With twenty minutes remaining Young was shown yellow as he was forced into stopping Ablade’s run up the right touchline and from the resultant free kick Aaron Muirhead’s header was kept out by the crossbar. Crawford earned a 76th minute corner that Kane met first to get away. Craig Wighton and Josh Cooper then were the double substitution that saw Chris Kane and Kane Ritchie-Hosler withdrawn. Immediately the Pars combined in the Thistle box but their sub Lee Ashcroft blocked the attempt at goal. Ngwenya was the fourth Pars yellow as he conceded a free kick in a dangerous position on the right but Daniel O’Reilly headed the delivery over the bar. Dunfermline were put under considerable pressure as the home side pushed for the winner. Young did well to intercept a pass to Logan Chalmers and Fisher was called into headed clearances too. However the defence could not hold out and lost to a 89th minute goal. Aidan FITZPATRICK evaded challenges and despite the efforts of Comrie and Fisher the 23 year old Jag crashed the ball past Mehmet, 1-0. It had begun to look like one goal was going to settle the outcome, unfortunately it came at the wrong end. There would be no way back for Dunfermline, Partick took the three points and moved into fourth place. The Pars suffered from not really testing the opponents keeper and go eighth, level on points with Raith in ninth and Airdrieonians in tenth.

Reaction

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

There's no settling in period for Kanayo Megwa. He kind of knows where our threats are, and he's just came in and settled in instantly. I thought he was absolutely terrific today. I think you can see the effect he'll have on the crowd, on other players but I thought going forward he was a real threat. Defensively I thought he was brilliant as well.

Dunfermline Athletic manager James McPake (speaking to the BBC):

Being hard to break down isn't enough in this league. Teams will punish you if you don't take a rest on the ball. They're pretty direct, really effective at the top end of the pitch and they ask loads of questions.

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