One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Saturday 22nd August 2009 3.00 pm Palmerston Park,
Reporter Stewart Murray
Referee: Charlie Richmond
Attendance: 2915

The day started pretty well actually, it was sunny, the drive to Dumfries was pleasant enough and we had a most enjoyable lunch in a cafe overlooking the river Nith (it was actually overlooking a car park next to the river but I’m trying to paint a picture here ok?).

Following a short walk I arrived at Palmerston still full of newish season optimism hoping the fit, not fit Liam Buchanan would shake off his latest injury problem and be available to spearhead our forward line (and from what I’ve seen so far boy do we need him). The team was more or less unchanged from the convincing midweek victory against The Bunneted One’s Forfar with the only change being the reinstatement of Ian Maxwell in place of Boyle who didn’t manage to make the squad. Stephen McKeown was unwell but Liam to everyone’s relief was fit and made the bench.

The Queens line-up was full of familiar faces such as Steve Tosh, Barry Wilson, David Lilley and Paul Burns (I did plan to avoid all corny references to Burns in this report and just about managed it too and whilst Paul’s football wasn’t quite poetic it was effective). The perennial club collectors Willie Mclaren and Rocco Quinn were both on the bench.

A decent Thistle support, obviously buoyed up by a rare glimpse of that bright shiny thing in the sky and perhaps a drink or two in one of the many nearby drinkeries, welcomed the team onto the park. Thistle started well with Hodge in particular playing some neat football but chances were scarce in the opening exchanges. At 20 minutes Thistle were first the threaten but Hamilton’s powerful header was comfortably saved by Roy after a fine cross from Rowson.

A few minutes later Thistle should really have taken the lead. An excellent passing exchange resulted in Cairney setting Corcoran clear. He surged into the box but his shot was weak and resulted in an easy save for Roy.

Thistle had the woodwork to thank in the 27th minute when Stewart Kean hit the bar from 3 yards after a driven cross from Bob Harris. Tuffey did well to put the striker off but Kean may very well still be wondering how, unmarked, he missed after an inch-perfect cross.

Steve Tosh may well be wondering the same thing when just before the break he missed what seemed like a certain opener. An excellent move ended with Holmes squaring to Tosh but he passed the ball over from 8 yards and the teams headed for the tunnel with the scoreline goal-less.

Whilst Queens created a couple of decent chances it was McCall who was the most disappointed. He said: “I thought that ,bar the last 5 minutes, we dominated the first half and the game was pretty much played in front of us and we were really disappointed to go in at half-time with the score still tied at 0-0”. This was true but in the first half Thistle’s centre backs found Queens’ tactic of throwing the ball up to the towering figure of Derek Holmes a constant challenge.

That Thistle didn’t take advantage owes much to a limitation that will surely cause concern for McCall - the lack of any real reference point in attack. While both Hamilton and the diminutive Doolan occasionally linked up well both and in particular Hamilton, were easily brushed aside by Lilley and McAusland.

Thistle started the second half by replacing Corcoran with Erskine though it was Harris who nearly put the Doonhamers ahead in 48 minutes but Tuffey raced out to block his shot at close range.

Exactly 10 minutes after the restart it was no surprise that McCall replaced Hamilton with Buchanan.
Soon after Cairney created another chance this time for Doolan when, after he had dispossessed McAusland, he laid the ball off to Doolan who fired his angled shot wide.

Shortly after Roy did well to tip over a Rowson drive from 18 yards. He came to Queens rescue from the resulting corner when he saved again this time from Doolan.

The game was a much more even affair at this stage and Queens may well have felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in the 69th minute but from this reporter’s angle the challenge by Rowson on Harris looked well timed.

Roy was in inspired form and he again frustrated the Thistle attack in 78th minute. Donnelly, who had replaced Doolan, passed to Cairney but Roy dashed from his line and managed to smother Paul’s goal bound effort.

Chisholm made what turned out to be the decisive substitution adding both Weatherson and McLaren in the 79th minute. It rejuvenated the Queens attack and in the 83rd a neat move involving Holmes set up Weatherston. He raced towards goal and coolly slotted the ball passed the diving Tuffey.

Despite a late claim for a penalty, which provoked a furious reaction from the Thistle support, Thistle didn’t really look like equalising in the closing minutes and it was Queens who claimed all three points.

Ian McCall lamented over his shot-shy side. He said: “Any neutral who has seen this game would wonder how we have lost it. But we had nine set-pieces to their one in the first half and we never took any of the chances.”

MOM: Robertson did well against a tough opponent and Hodge (yeah I’ll get stick for this one but bring it on) did manage to make forward passes regularly (something we have struggled with in the past) but the man who stuck out for Thistle was David Rowson and he gets my vote. He passed well, made important interceptions, his work rate was exceptional and he made himself available every time Thistle was in possession.
Line-up

• 1. Jonny Tuffey
• 2. Paul Paton
• 3. Alan Archibald
• 4. Bryan Hodge
• 5. John Robertson
• 6. Ian Maxwell
• 7. Paul Cairney
• 8. David Rowson
• 9. Kris Doolan (Donnely 82)
• 10. Jim Hamilton (Buchanan 55)
• 11. Mark Corcoran (Erskine 45)

Subs

Craig Hinchcliffe
Martyn Corrigan
Chris Erskine
Simon Donnelly
Liam Buchanan