21st Feb 2026 Partick Thistle 1 Airdrieonians 0 (SPFL Championship - game 25)

matches:2025-26: ← 38game 3940 →

41y, 8m, 16d	Mark Wilson	Aaron Taylor-Sinclair former Jag

Oisin Smyth; Tsoanelo Letsosa; Logan Chalmers
Kyle Turner; Robbie Crawford; Aidan Fitzpatrick

Ben Stanway (1-0, 23‎ mins)
none (1-0, 23‎ mins)
Paddy Reading; Oisin Smyth; Ben Stanway; Lee Ashcroft‎; Tony Watt		Jamie Barjonas; Charlie McArthur; Cole McKinnon

Logan Chalmers (Aidan Fitzpatrick, 56 mins); Ben Stanway (Robbie Crawford, 66 mins); Tsoanelo Letsosa (Kyle Turner, 82 mins)		Jamie Barjonas (Gavin Gallagher, 58 mins); Dom Thomas (Cole McKinnon, 58 mins); Chris Mochrie (Robert Mahon, 79 mins); Dean McMaster (Charlie Telfer, 79 mins)

21y, 6m, 24d	Josh Clarke	Harry Stone former Jag
21y, 11m, 2d	Ben McPherson	Dylan MacDonald
26y, 8m, 23d	Paddy Reading	Lewis Strapp
30y, 10m, 10d	Daniel O'Reilly	Craig Ross
32y, 5m, 23d	Lee Ashcroft	Charlie McArthur
25y, 9m, 16d	Oisin Smyth	Dean McMaster
21y, 5m, 1d	Ben Stanway	Jamie Barjonas former Jag
21y, 8m, 15d	Tsoanelo Letsosa	Dom Thomas
30y, 5m, 1d	Alex Samuel	Chris Mochrie
25y, 10m, 28d	Logan Chalmers	Euan Henderson
32y, 1m, 23d	Tony Watt	Lewis McGrattan

26y, 5m, 14d

23y, 8m, 2d	Lewis Budinauckas	Cade Melrose
28y, 3m, 11d	Kyle Turner	Sean McGinty former Jag
31y, 7m, 30d	Robbie Crawford	Gavin Gallagher
20y, 9m, 14d	Ricco Diack	Robert Mahon
26y, 5m, 12d	Luke McBeth	Adam Devine former Jag
24y, 11m, 1d	Aidan Fitzpatrick	Charlie Telfer
24y, 6m, 17d	Cale Loughrey	Cole McKinnon former Jag
18y, 11m, 29d	Matthew Falconer	Scott Constable
	Daniel Gray	Jake Hastie former Jag

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

On their "150th birthday" a header by Samuel hit the post then a cracking free-kick by Stanway (23) from just inside the "D" put Thistle ahead. Airdrie, with their usual mix of decent football and "robust" play - aided by an inconsistent referee - wasted a glorious chance just on h-t. Smyth's 25-yard effort was well saved. Hard-fought. Didn't test the keeper enough.

TTA man of the match

Marking his 100th competitive appearance in fine style, BEN STANWAY was everything we've come to expect, fully energised and a formidable combatant for the opposition to face. His superbly executed free-kick goal is worthy of edging it over several teammates for man of the match.

Media report

21-Feb-2026, ptfc.co.uk

Partick Thistle celebrated their 150th birthday with a 1-0 win over Airdrieonians at The Wyre Stadium at Firhill this afternoon as they moved to within three points of the William Hill Championship summit. A solitary goal from Ben Stanway sealed the victory as the Jags marked a century and a half since their first ever game, also a 1-0 triumph, against local side Valencia at Overnewton Park on the 19th of February 1876. The players were greeted during their walk out by a spectacular tifo banner commemorating the milestone, made by Ultras Thistle and displayed in the John Lambie Stand. There were three changes to the side that lined up against Elgin in the Scottish Cup a fortnight ago. Cup-tied Oisin Smyth returned to the fold in place of Kyle Turner, while Ts’oanelo Lets’osa and Logan Chalmers also started in favour of Robbie Crawford and Aidan Fitzpatrick.

Despite the rousing atmosphere at Firhill, it was Airdrie who started off the brighter with Lewis McGrattan’s curling effort coming close to opening the scoring for the away side on eight minutes. On the 10 minute mark, the Jags found their first real opening of the game. Tony Watt lifted a ball into the box and onto the head of Alex Samuel but his header bounced off the post. It rebounded back into an open space with Samuel primed to get to it first, however, former Jags and current Airdrie ‘keeper Harry Stone was on hand to smother the attempt to force the ball home. The game ebbed and flowed from there, with little in the way of goalmouth action until the 22nd minute when another Thistle alumni, Jamie Barjonas, pulled down Tony Watt on the edge of the area. The resultant free kick was taken by Ben Stanway on the occasion of his 100th Partick Thistle appearance and the Academy graduate whammed a sparkling shot into the top corner to give his side a 1-0 lead. Watt was getting a lot of traction on the left wing after that, with one of his passes teeing up Ts’oanelo Lets’osa on 36 minutes. The midfielder tried to beat Harry Stone at the near post but the Diamonds ‘stopper made an intelligent save to turn the ball around the upright. Four minutes from the break, Airdrieonians found themselves with a gilt-edged chance to level the scoring. Good link-up play from McGrattan and Barjonas got the ball to Dylan MacDonald in space in the Thistle box only for the defender to fire wide as the Jags breathed a sigh of relief. Tony Watt yet again found his way through the Airdrie back line as the first half ticked down and yet again he was pulled back by a visiting defender. This time the referee played an advantage and Watt fired a shot past the near post.

During the break, the heavens started to open as the pitch became heavy and play became more cagey, with neither side taking charge immediately after the restart. Thistle soon turned up the pressure with Smyth curling a chipped effort inches wide of the goal a few minutes in before Chalmers was played through one-on-one moments later, though he was unable to get the ball under his spell and failed to make anything of his opportunity. Smyth then had another go, hitting a beautiful first-time strike from 25 yards out. The attempt was heading for the top corner but Stone stretched impressively to tip it over the crossbar. Watt, again, was causing trouble for Airdrie down the left wing, first skewing an effort wide from inside the box, before being unable to make anything of a tasty ball at the back post from substitute Fitzpatrick on the hour. Ben Stanway was subbed off on 65 minutes, with the hundred game man receiving a standing ovation for his efforts as he was replaced by Robbie Crawford. The substitute would have a couple of efforts shortly after being introduced, however, neither quite came off. First, he attempted an angled low shot that curved away from Stone’s left-hand post and then, soon after that, the ball fell to him in prime position in the area but he hesitated a few seconds too long and allowed a scrabbling Airdrie defender to block it. Dan O’Reilly was next up to the plate as Thistle kept pressing the advantage in hope of a second goal to calm the nerves, but the Irishman couldn’t control a close range effort as he latched onto a sensational Fitzpatrick delivery. Despite being unable to double their advantage, the Jags held out for an important three points and closed the gap on leaders St. Johnstone.

Reaction

Manager Mark Wilson spoke to 'The Thistle'

You just get games sometimes you’re a wee bit more anxious than others. Having been at the St Johnstone game the other week, and seeing how good Airdrie are and how many problems they can cause you, it was important that we were kind of spot on with a lot of stuff today. So it was just a wee bit different way of playing, a different shape, just to obviously take away some of their threats. And I thought after the first few minutes where they had a lot of possession, we got to grips with it and we caused them a lot of problems. So a great three points, a great goal to win it, and it puts us in a decent position. When it gets into the brighter and nicer weather, you might see a better product on the pitch. In saying that, I thought we were still good. Plenty of box entries from ourselves, good opportunities that could have made that a whole lot more comfortable. Dan O’Reilly’s chance, Tony Watt’s chance, and Fitzy, and so on and so forth. So, if anything, we could have just made it a more comfortable afternoon. But I’m really pleased because Airdrie are a good side. I know they’re at the wrong end of the table, but they have good players, they’re mobile, and they’ll cause teams problems. Going into March, we’ve put ourselves in a really good position against a really good St Johnstone team. Of course, Arbroath are right over our shoulders as well, so we’re still in a fight and we’re looking both ways. But hopefully, our performances and the resilience we’ve built in our team takes us up the way rather than look over our shoulders.

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