1st May 2026 Partick Thistle 1 Queen's Park 1 (SPFL Championship - game 36)

matches:2025-26: ← 50game 5152 →

Match Information

41y, 10m, 26d			Mark Wilson		Sean Crighton
			David Gold
Paddy Reading; Luke McBeth; Alex Samuel; Aidan Fitzpatrick
Cammy Logan; Lee Ashcroft; Ben Stanway; Gary Mackay-Steven
Tony Watt (1-0, 25 mins)					Michael Ruth (1-1, pen 64‎ mins)
Aidan Fitzpatrick (1-0, 25 mins)					none (1-1, pen 64‎ mins)
					Ricki Lamie
Ethan Ingram (Cammy Logan, HT); Alex Samuel (Fraser Taylor, 61 mins); Oisin Smyth (Tsoanelo Letsosa, 61 mins); Aidan Fitzpatrick (Gary Mackay-Steven, 61 mins); Tony Watt (Ricco Diack, 76 mins)					Michael Ruth (Tyrece McDonnell, 90 mins)
21y, 9m, 3d			Josh Clarke		Calum Ferrie
23y, 0m, 15d			Ethan Ingram		Ross Mclean
26y, 11m, 2d			Paddy Reading		Magnus Mackenzie
24y, 8m, 27d			Cale Loughrey		Henry Fieldson
26y, 7m, 22d			Luke McBeth		Ricki Lamie
25y, 11m, 26d			Oisin Smyth		Matthew Shiels
31y, 10m, 9d			Robbie Crawford		Louis Longridge
26y, 1m, 7d			Logan Chalmers		Roddy MacGregor
30y, 7m, 11d			Alex Samuel		Michael Ruth
32y, 4m, 2d			Tony Watt		Callum Smith
25y, 1m, 11d			Aidan Fitzpatrick		Aidan Connolly
26y, 9m, 29d
23y, 10m, 12d			Lewis Budinauckas		Jack Wills
24y, 3m, 3d			Cammy Logan		Ricky Waugh
28y, 5m, 21d			Kyle Turner		Tyrece McDonnell
35y, 8m, 0d			Gary Mackay-Steven		Jamie Bradley
20y, 11m, 24d			Ricco Diack		Liam McLeish
23y, 2m, 11d			Fraser Taylor		Cole Goldie
19y, 2m, 8d			Matthew Falconer		Kyle Rodger
17y, 0m, 4d			Liam Dolan		Harris Afzal
21y, 10m, 25d			Tsoanelo Letsosa

notes

Both sides generally in playing order. Queen's Park filled 8 of their 9 allocated bench slots.

Match Report

TTA report

An entertaining yet strangely open game with a combined total of 22 shots on goal, 10 on target. Clarke's early saves prevented Queen's from going ahead, then it was largely one end to the other, with close things, good saves and shots over the bar. Fitzpatrick set up Watt's 6-yard header (25) but when Logan 's tackle was penalised, the pen was tucked away (64).

TTA man of the match

We've got JOSH CLARKE to thank for saving the point that ensured Firhill's invincible league status was preserved at the last hurdle. Always a re-assuring presence for his defenders and he deserved a clean-sheet for his efforts, pity about the penalty.

Media report

01-May-2026, qpfc.co.uk

QUEEN’S PARK dispelled their Firhill demons and took a point from a Partick Thistle awayday for the first time in three and a half years. Michael Ruth’s penalty earned a draw and book-ended the season – the striker scored from the spot in the league curtain raiser against Raith, and finished it in similar fashion. It pulled the Spiders level after Tony Watt’s first half header had given the Jags the lead. There was little jeopardy associated with this season finale in the William Hill Championship. The Spiders were safe, but could equally finish in fifth, eighth or anywhere in between while Thistle were guaranteed second, but defending an unbeaten home record. As it turned out, that scenario set up an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

It was a bright start and Ruth also had the first chance two minutes in after brilliant work from Magnus Mackenzie on the left lined up Callum Smith for the supply. The southside striker headed low but Josh Clarke kicked clear. Opposite, Spiders keeper Calum Ferrie did even better, clawing out a Tony Watt effort but the save was in vain with the flag raised against Alex Samuel. It was the night for the keepers with Clarke next to pull one out of the top drawer to meet an equally impressive drive from captain Louis Longridge. After another chance each, Ferrie couldn’t keep Tony Watt out with a glancing header ahead of Matthew Shiels to hand the home side a 24th minute lead. Queen’s attempts to get back level fell to Shiels with a glancing header and a Ross McLean drive after a great lay-off from Louis Longridge. Both went wide but the Spiders were sticking to their positivity. Sean Crightion had sent his side out with three at the back and McLean and Magnus Mackenzie at wing-back. Michael Ruth was partnered by Callum Smith in attack with Longridge, Aidan Connolly and Roddy MacGregor in behind. The latter missed a gilt-edged chance in the 49th minute when Smith’s header back across goal from Connolly’s clipped cross fell to his feet – but he swiped at fresh ir and Thistle escaped with the lead intact. The Spiders had been the brighter side in the second half, having given a good account in the first half without converting.

That changed, but not before Cal Ferrie resorted to type and beat away a Fitzpatrick strike with another incredible save. Michael Ruth book-ended the season with a penalty in the opener and closer after Aidan Connolly was wiped out by Paddy Reading on the 64th minute. Suddenly the Spiders looked spritely. It was a deserved equaliser and one which raised Queen’s Park back to sixth in the table. Callum Smith could have lifted them to fifth above Raith Rovers, who trailed Ross County, but his dink over Clarke was just behind Aidan Connolly running in on goal. Ferrie produced another brilliant save, one-handed this time to deny Robbie Crawford and, for a game with little riding on it the chances were coming thick and fast. With teams at the bottom shifting almost by the minute, Raith Rovers’ comeback meant the Spiders couldn’t overtake them to fifth no matter the result in Maryhill. But Callum Smith almost ended the season with a goal running through with ten minutes to play and pulling his shot just wide. Sean Crighton had added youngsters Harris Afzal, Cole Goldie and Kyle Rodger to the matchday squad but only Tyrece McDonnell featured as a late replacement for goalscorer Ruth. In the end Thistle maintained their unbeaten home record for the season, and the Spiders took their first points north of the river for three and a half years – a 4-0 win back in October 2022.

Reaction

Thistle manager Mark Wilson spoke to the press, transcribed via 'The Thistle' :

We got a couple of the boys who were out with injuries when we thought maybe 6-8 weeks ago they might not make these games. We’ve been fortunate our medical teams got them up to speed and it was up to me to try and manage their minutes. [It was] a real positive and I think in that first half, [Watt’s goal] was the only good thing we did. We built up well, Fitzy with a great cross and a great goal. But geez, how many could we have been down? It turned into a bit PSG vs. Bayern from the other night. I made it clear to the players that we wanted to go out on a high and you know I wanted to preserve that home record, which of course we’ve done so I’m really pleased at that. We need to be a bit sharper. I know I made changes, and there was a lot of players who have been key players through the season missing, but that’s the most chances we’ve given up all season and I’m not talking half chances. I’m talking real clear cut ones so if we have any chance of progressing in the play-offs, we need to be much tighter as a group.

Scrapbook

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PTFC Graphic (via X), 1st May, 2026

Stats Watch

FORTRESS FIRHILL

● Player of the month Aidan Fitzpatrick extends his club-record to 16 competitive assists for 2025-26. In all comps, it's now 21 direct goal involvements for Thistle's #21 this season.

● Amazingly, Tony Watt becomes the 3rd Jag to hit the 20 mark for direct involvements (11 goals & 9 assists) in all comps, 2025-26.

● For the first time in all competitions since 1956 (a 24 game stretch), the Partick Thistle and the Queen's Park have played out a draw at Firhill!!!

● A new outright competitive H2H record of 9 straight home wins wasn't to be, but it's now 9 unbeaten at home to QP (2023-date), matching the record set between 1933 and 1939.

● Hearty congratulations are due to Mark Wilson's class of 2025-26, only the 4th Thistle side to get through a whole league season unbeaten at Firhill (see graphic below).

● Thistle finish 12-6-0 (W-D-L) for the second time in history. The last time (2001-02) resulted in promotion to the Premier League. Just saying…

● Thistle are only the second club to register an unbeaten home season in the SPFL Championship era, Rangers having done so in 2015-16.

● Only Celtic (26 times) and Rangers (22 times) have registered more unbeaten home league seasons than Thistle (6). The Jags join Dumbarton, Hearts, Leith Athletic and Motherwell.

● Thistle and Hearts are the only two clubs with an unbeaten home league record in 2025-26. Hearts are on-course for a 7th season in such terms.

● Thistle have been hard to beat at home for over 2 years now, with just 2 defeats in the last 40 games (see graphic below).

ongoing sequences:

● 14 League games without defeat, 26th Dec 2020 to date. (Longest run since: 21 games; 19th Jan 2013 to 16th Aug 2013. Club-record: 27 games; 21st Nov 1970 to 18th Sep 1971.)

● 16 consecutive competitive appearances for Robbie Crawford, 24th Jan 2026 to date. (Longest run since: Paddy Reading - 33 games, 4th Oct 2025 to 18th Apr 2026. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 19 home League games without defeat; 25th Apr 2025 to date. (Longest run since: 21 games; 5th May 2001 to 17th Aug 2002. Joint club-record: 23 games; 27th Aug 1910 to 14th Oct 1911 & 29th Aug 1970 to 6th Nov 1971.)

Stats Watch adheres to our stated definitions of League, League Max, Major Competitive, Competitive or All Games. Where there is no written qualification, you should presume that the Stat in question is compiled from the All Games criteria.

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