21st Dec 2024 Airdrieonians 0 Partick Thistle 2 (SPFL Championship - game 17)

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matches:2024-25: ← 23game 2425 →

	Rhys McCabe	Kris Doolan	38y, 0m, 10d

		no changes
		no changes

		Brian Graham (1-0, 37‎ mins); Daniel O'Reilly (2-0, 43 mins)
		Logan Chalmers (1-0, 37‎ mins); none (2-0, 43 mins)
Rhys Armstrong; Rhys McCabe		Stuart Bannigan

Dean McMaster (Gavin Gallagher, 59 mins); Rhys McCabe (Terrell Agyemang, 71 mins); Chris Mochrie (Cammy Cooper, 71 mins); Lewis McGregor (Ben Wilson, 81 mins)		Robbie Crawford (Luke McBeth, 61 mins); Aidan Fitzpatrick (Steven Lawless, 74 mins); Brian Graham (Ricco Diack, 83 mins); Logan Chalmers (Terry Ablade, 83 mins)

	former Jag Kieran Wright	Myles Roberts	23y, 0m, 12d
	Craig Watson	Kyle Turner	27y, 1m, 11d
	Flynn Duffy	Charlie Sayers	20y, 8m, 22d
	Rhys McCabe	Daniel O'Reilly	29y, 8m, 10d
	Sam Graham	Lee Ashcroft	31y, 3m, 22d
	Dean McMaster	Stuart Bannigan	32y, 3m, 4d
	Rhys Armstrong	Robbie Crawford	30y, 5m, 29d
	Lewis McGrattan	Logan Chalmers	24y, 8m, 27d
	Chris Mochrie	Brian Graham	37y, 0m, 28d
	Adam Frizzell	Scott Robinson	32y, 9m, 10d
	Lewis McGregor	Aidan Fitzpatrick	23y, 9m, 1d

			28y, 5m, 14d

	Murray Johnson	David Mitchell	34y, 8m, 17d
	Ben Wilson	Steven Lawless	33y, 8m, 9d
	Gavin Gallagher	Liam Smith	21y, 1m, 23d
	Cammy Cooper	Terry Ablade	23y, 2m, 9d
	Terrell Agyemang	Luke McBeth	25y, 3m, 12d
	Dylan Williams	Kanayo Megwa	20y, 9m, 16d
	Cole Williams	Ricco Diack	19y, 7m, 14d
	James White	Matthew Falconer	17y, 9m, 28d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
Both sides filled 8 of their 9 allocated bench slots.
Scheduled official Will Pare pulled out due to illness, and was replaced by Kenny Brown.

TTA report

Airdrie (1 win in 17) were no pushovers. A fine team move involving 13 passes finished with Graham sliding in to slot home Chalmers' low cross (37). O'Reilly headed home a poorly defended corner (41). The 2nd half saw chances at both ends. Airdrie played better with the wind but their finishing was poor. Thistle saw the game out comfortably.

TTA man of the match

It was an excellent second half performance from LEE ASHCROFT, making crucial blocks and vital tackles to keep an improving Airdrie at arm's length.

Media report

21-Dec-2024, airdriefc.com

With defender Luke Badley-Morgan sidelined, player-manager McCabe returned to the heart of the Diamonds defence earlier than planned, while midfielder McMaster put in an eye-catching performance on his hour-long return in spite of the result. Kyle Turner started in an unaccustomed full-back position for the visitors, with fellow ex-Diamond Kanayo Megwa only fit enough for the bench, while the injured Ben Stanway missed out altogether.

It was the Maryhill side who made the early running, Kieran Wright having to save with his feet in the fourth minute before a long-range strike from Daniel O’Reilly took a touch as it cleared the bar a minute later. Airdrie’s first attack saw goalkeeper Myles Roberts clutching an eighth-minute Lewis McGregor cross as Lewis McGrattan closed in, and five minutes later Craig Watson was off-target with a 25-yard strike after some neat build-up play. Flynn Duffy saw his cross turned behind for a corner after 15 minutes, but Thistle responded well to the Airdrie pressure, Scott Robinson firing over on 21 minutes before Wright saved well from the same player ten minutes later. Adam Frizzell went close to opening the scoring on 37 minutes, his strike looping up off O’Reilly and beating Roberts only to bounce off the top of the bar. A minute later the visitors were in front, a crossfield pass not adequately dealt with allowing Robinson to slide in Logan Chalmers, who crossed for Brian Graham to convert at the front post. Thistle’s second came with two minutes of the half remaining, McCabe’s header from a corner kick spinning up in the air, and O’Reilly rising highest to nod home.

The second half saw plenty of possession in the attacking half for the Diamonds, but Kris Doolan’s side defended solidly throughout. McGregor saw a 53rd-minute strike blocked for a corner after the ball had bounced around the box, with the frontman denied one-on-one by Roberts five minutes later after Aidan Fitzpatrick had sent a stinging effort just over the top. Half-hearted penalty claims were ignored on the hour mark as Chris Mochrie was bundled over in the box, with Roberts getting behind McGrattan’s effort five minutes later. Fitzpatrick was wasteful again on 69 minutes as Thistle looked to increase their lead on the counter, with Turner’s weak 76th-minute effort easy for Wright. Airdrie sub Cammy Cooper had the ball nicked off his toes by Lee Ashcroft just as he was about to unleash a shot with 11 minutes remaining, and Roberts made a brilliant fingertip save to deny another Diamonds substitute, Gavin Gallagher, on 85 minutes. Terrell Agyemang’s 87th-minute penalty claim was ambitious at best, and the match fizzled out with a stoppage time McGrattan effort deflected straight into Roberts’ arms. With Dunfermline Athletic also losing, it’s as you were at the bottom of the table – with the Diamonds facing a festive derby trip to Hamilton next week.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to BBC/Jagzone):

It was always going to be tricky. We couldn't have asked much more than to be 2-0 up at half-time. Then we asked everyone to be even more professional in the second half, stick to the plan and see the game out. I think we got the response we wanted after a poor result at Livingston - that’s why the same team got another chance to go back out there. I didn't need to mention about showing a reaction. I could see it in their eyes that everybody was desperate.

Airdrieonians player-manager Rhys McCabe (speaking to the BBC):

The first goal was our own undoing and then the second goal in quick succession is always a sickener. We had opportunities to do better in the final third and just lacked that cutting edge.

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