One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Dundee v Partick Thistle
Irn-Bru First Division Scottish League
Saturday 20th December 2008
Dens Park Stadium
Reporter Sandy Fyfe
Attendance: 3,569

Referee:Charlie Thomson

At a Christmas party last week I was sitting next to a Dundee supporter and memorabilia collector – I was telling him that my first Thistle match was Partick thistle 6 Dundee 3. A few days later, he kindly passed me a press photo from that day, with Gerry Britton and Albert Craig joyfully turning towards the Jackie Husband stand after the sixth goal while Jim Duffy dejectedly trots back towards goal. I travelled to Dundee hoping for a similarly entertaining game on this occasion.

The night after my Christmas party where I had been singularly ignored for a groping by the mature lady who had a red wine or two too many, I was again deprived of a frisking as Tayside’s finest seemed to adopt a more laissez faire attitude and did not frisk the dangerous scary Glaswegians on this occasion.

Anyway, to the game. Dundee started brightly and after 7 minutes, Tuffey was called upon to make a good save after a curling and dipping shot from the edge of the box by Curier. Tuffey showed safe hands all day and this was the first of several good saves.

Thistle began to get some possession and come into the game after a rocky first ten minutes. Twaddle met an inswinging corner at the front post but headed just wide. This was followed immediately by some good play by McKinlay whose back post cross was headed wide by Buchanan. Buchanan soon picked up possession and with the Dundee defence packed he ran across field before playing in the rampaging Twaddle whose shot was well saved by Douglas in the Dundee goal. This had been an impressive few minutes from Thistle, however Dundee soon had a break using Deasley’s pace but Storey defended intelligently to avert the danger.

Buchanan was bright and combining well with Paton throughout the game as he drifted right to get involved. In the first half he showed a couple of sublime pieces of skill to get away from lumbering Lauchlan.

There was a frustrating period of play when McKinlay was caught offside in as many minutes. Paton’s corners were either too near Douglas or straight onto the head of a Thistle player and on one such occasion Kinniburgh headed over when he should probably have done better. Moments later Kinniburgh was booked for a challenge on edge of box on Dundee’s brightest outfield player, Shinnie, whose pace Kinniburgh had no match for, but the resulting freekick from Curier did not trouble Tuffey.

As half time approached Dundee created another opportunity when Posniak went on a surging run but his cutback bobbled about in the six yard box without finding the feet of a Dundee player fortunately.

Thistle had definitely had the best of the first half.

The second half started in a similar manner and Douglas saved well from a deflected Rowson effort. Early in the second half Donnelly replaced Kinniburgh. Donnelly almost had am immediate impact, floating a free kick into the Dundee box which caused chaos on the Dundee line but the defence eventually somehow scrambled it away for a corner. Dundee then had a couple of efforts, Tuffey making a good save from O’Brien who hit a fierce shot from the Dundee left and then Shinnie shot narrowly over from the other side.

Paton and Buchanan combined well again down the right and when the ball was switched to the left via Rowson, Twaddle hit a fizzing shot just wide with Douglas sprawling.

Now the best save I remember by an opposition keeper against Thistle is probably Craig Gordon’s in the Scottish Cup a few seasons ago, I think from a Darren Brady shot if I remember correctly. Douglas pulled off a double save to rival that this afternoon just after the hour mark. A fantastic cross by Paton was met by Harkins at the back post who headed back across the keeper and whose header looked goalbound until Douglas clawed it away. It was a good save by Douglas but as he lay sprawling he saw that he had only palmed it as far as Mark Roberts who was about 8 yards out – Roberts hit the ball into the ground looking for it to bounce over Douglas as he lay on the deck but somehow – and as of yet I have not quite worked out how – Douglas managed to get a hand to Roberts effort and scoop it over the bar for a corner. From that corner, Twaddle had a free header and would be disappointed not to hit the target – three great chances for Thistle to take the lead, none of them taken.

Thistle were all over Dundee for a period and Jocky Scott changed things around, bringing on Dacquin and McMenamin for Williams and Deasley with 20 minutes to go.

Harkins missed a great chance when he chose to pass when he really should have burst the net. Buchanan also had a chance but shot wide from a tight angle.

Dundee had a couple of late chances, Shinnie testing Tuffey from long range and Forsyth who came on for Malone in last few minutes heading into the side netting. A late Dundee goal would not have been justice and would have replaced having to listen to Mariah Carey’s Christmas song over the PA before the game as the days low point. Fortunately Craig Thomson, who deserves special mention for being a competent referee, brought the game to an end.

Thistle will wonder how they did not win this game and it was probably a case of meeting an inspired keeper (Douglas won the sponsors man of the match) and just not being clinical enough, but it was a good performance, and with the other results today, a win would have really pushed Thistle into the challengers bracket, as it was however, they drop back a place after Livingston’s victory.

The whole Thistle team played well today with special mention to Tuffey, Twaddle, Paton, Rowson, Buchanan and Robertson.

Dundee - Douglas, Williams (Daquin 71), Malone (Forsyth 86), McHale, McKeown, Lauchlan, Shinnie, Posniak, Antoine-Curier, Deasley (McMenamin 71), O’Brien.

Subs Not Used - Roy, Gilhaney.

Partick - Tuffey, Paton, Twaddle, Storey, Kinniburgh (Donnelly 49), John Robertson, McKinlay, Rowson, Buchanan, Roberts, Harkins.

Subs Not Used - Hinchcliffe, Chaplain, Little, Turner.

Attendance - 3,569

Referee - Craig Thomson