 Media report |
Persistence was the key as the honours were shared late on between Partick Thistle and Greenock Morton today in a 1-1 at Cappielow in the William Hill Scottish Championship. There were three changes to the Thistle side that drew with Arbroath at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill last week. Ben McPherson was called up on international duty with the Scotland Under-21 set up (with last week’s substitute Sean McArdle on under-19 duty), with Cammy Logan deputising in his absence on the right hand side of defence. Robbie Crawford missed out through injury, replaced by Ben Stanway, while his midfield partner Ts’oanelo Lets’osa moved to the bench, with Kyle Turner taking his place. Also on the bench for the visit to Cappielow was striker Daniel Gray, making his first squad appearance in Red and Yellow or indeed Red and Black.
Thistle has the better of the opening exchanges of the first half, peppering the Morton box with multiple half chances in the beginning. Aidan Fitzpatrick’s scooper effort was tipped over by home goalkeeper Jack Storer and Ben Stanway was inches out from a well-worked corner routine before Logan Chalmers had the best opportunity on 18 minutes, but his curling effort was denied by Morton keeper James Storer, who looked sharp from the opening whistle. It would be Morton, however, who took the lead against the run of play on 22 minutes, with help from a former Jag. A Nathan Shaw cross found its way to Tomi Adeloye, who headed home at the back post to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
The Jags, fresh off a three-game streak of goals in the first ten minutes, found themselves spooked by the goal, and looked to restore parity however six minutes after his first, Adeloye tried to double their lead with a shot from inside his own half, with Thistle keeper Josh Clarke off his line. His speculative effort goes wide of the mark though. The Jags hit back Kyle Turner looked to have a prime position in shooting range on the 30th minute after referee Clancy waved play on after a foul on Tony Watt, but the midfielder hesitated meaning his chance was blocked once he did take the shot. Thistle continued to have the lion’s share of the ball in Morton’s end for the remainder of the half, but could not get level, as Morton picked up two bookings. Oisin Smyth and Dan O’Reilly crossed balls into Morton’s box for chances with little payoff, with Thistle going down the tunnel at half time one goal down.
Mark Wilson’s men came bursting out the traps after the restart, eager to restore parity as quickly as possible. The Jags would hit the post twice within three minutes of the second half. First, the ball would fall to Smyth following the corner, who smashed the upright with a chipped effort. The ball ricocheted to Turner, who hit his own effort, which was saved easily by Storer. Seconds later, Thistle would charge forth on the Morton goal once again. This time though, it would be Logan Chalmers who rattled the woodwork with a trademark curling effort as the Jags remained a goal down. Morton settled into their resolute groove, content to let Thistle try their luck pinging balls forward as we kept fighting for an equaliser. Tony Watt had an opportunity to square the game on 54 minutes after a Fitzpatrick cross from the left hand side veered towards him in front of goal. Watt, however, was unable to properly connect with it, as the chance went a-begging. Morton still showed signs of danger though, as a 69th minute header from Owen Moffat clattered off the woodwork. The ricochet found its way to Shaw 20 yards out, who forced Clarke into a superb save to keep it at 1-0 with the shot-stopper sticking up an arm to push away a swerving drive.
Mark Wilson turned to the bench as Alex Samuel and Stevie Lawless were brought on for Turner and Chalmers, with Thistle going to a 4-4-2 as they battled for a leveller. Morton’s defence stood tall though, as the Jags toiled to try and get something from a game they probably felt they deserved more from the game than they had at that point. Smyth tested Storer with ten minutes left with a lovely free kick from 25 yards that had the Morton keeper at full stretch to get a hand to it and parry it to safety. Morton weren’t done for the day though and came close to sealing the deal when Moffat got onto a low cross and send it goalwards. Paddy Reading, however, had other ideas; putting himself bravely in the crossfire to divert the ball out for a corner. Thistle flung themselves forward in the last few minutes, finally striking gold four minutes into stoppage time. A dinked cross from Steven Lawless found Tony Watt and his header was back into the box and Alex Samuel leaped like a salmon to head home from close range and grab a much-deserved equaliser. With not long to go, Thistle threw everything they had in search of a winner. Lee Ashcroft came close not once, but twice, with headers in the dying moments as Partick Thistle ultimately had to settle for a point at Cappielow. With league leaders St. Johnstone also drawing against Ross County today, the Jags remain six points behind in second, with a game in hand.
 Reaction |
Partick Thistle manager Mark Wilson (speaking to
'The Thistle' 
):
I’m always pretty calm on the touchline and I was saying to Alex [Rae], ‘We’ll get one here’. Of course when it goes into injury time then you think maybe it’s one of those days. But you know what I was particularly pleased with? Similarly to the Airdrie game, we kept doing the right things, we kept passing the ball. And even when I looked at the goal there again, it’s easy for Ashy [Lee Ashcroft] when that throw-in comes just to lump that and hope you get something. But we ended up working it to Oisin [Smyth], through to Stevie [Lawless], just to create that wee angle. So again the boys take on the message of ‘let’s not be rushed or panic’, and that was the message at half-time. ‘Keep doing the right things and we’ll get opportunities’. But it did at one stage look like it was going to be one of the days when you hit the woodwork three times and the goalie has made some great saves. And you know what, I’m as pleased from that performance as I have been all season because it was totally dominant and the only disappointing thing is of course the goal. We were totally in control. A couple of our set-pieces were good that we’d worked on and identified. Especially Stanway at the edge of the box [from a corner] and that could have went our way. So the traffic’s flown one way but again we highlighted how dangerous they are at set-pieces. And they’ve had real good success this season from that. It was the second phase, which was disappointing. But look, that happens. It happens to the best teams. You sometimes get a body blow like that and you need to regroup and keep doing the right things. And we did. We needed the subs to come on and make a difference again. And I think that’s a huge thing about this squad this season - that guys are coming off the bench disappointed not to start but really making a difference when they come on.
Cameron Blues
Owen Moffat
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