Match report - DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC v PARTICK THISTLE
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 3 PARTICK THISTLE 1
Match Report-Saturday 14th November 2009
by Partick the Dog (with assistance from Wee Honk)
The absence of regular goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey on international duty with Northern Ireland proved costly as Thistle shipped two preventable goals in the first half. Paul Cairney’s superb strike fuelled a second half fightback which was snuffed out only at the death.
Eastenders has not been the Jags fans’ favourite soap (at least we use soap unlike other fans I could mention) over the past few decades. Episodes seem to desert the usual bustling streets, bars and markets of East London for a cold and eerie venue in a drab and dreary town in Fife, squeezed next door to a cemetery, where puddles, potholes, mud and glaur ruin the footwear and giant stanchions block out the view. A football team clad in red and yellow struggle against a black and white tide, and every programme ends the same as the more colourful fans trudge off into the darkness and the monochrome lot celebrate while the credits roll. An exception was broadcast earlier this year, but the star of that particular show has departed in pursuit of a more rewarding stage.
Dunfermline Athletic have been the First Division’s form team in recent weeks, coming up on to the heels of the leading posse. Nevertheless, Thistle have been in reasonable form as well and, bolstered by the loan signings of Steve Lovell and Jamie Adams, seemed ready to confront the challenge. The main debate running up to the fixture surrounded the absent friends, Thistle goalie Jonny Tuffey and Dunfermline striker Andy Kirk (sounds like a conveniently placed church), both in Belfast taking on the might of Serbia. Andy sclaffed the ball past Jonny to win the equivalent Pars/Jags fixture last year and he also came out on top in their head to head at Windsor Park, managing 17 minutes on the pitch to Jonny’s 13. Who would miss their talisman most? The answer was not long in coming.
The pre-match routine included a subliminally threatening song about wanting a red (and yellow?) door painted black (and white?) and a welcome to a group of Black Watch soldiers recently returned from a seven month tour of duty in Afghanistan. The sombre note continued with a minute’s silence in memory of Hugh White, Dunfermline’s longest serving goalkeeper. Not knowing him personally, I am sure that I was not the only Thistle supporter to find thoughts drifting sadly to the wife and adopted daughter of Germany’s former goalkeeper, tragic suicide victim Robert Enke. Let that put what follows into perspective. It is still only a game.
Three changes to the Thistle line-up from the previous game against Morton were as expected. Craig Hinchcliffe came in for Tuffey. Adams, who injected much needed urgency at Cappielow after halftime, replaced Bryan Hodge. Big Bird had not recovered from the excitement of Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary celebrations, including a personal audience with Michelle Obama, wife of the US President, and Ian McCall judged it to be diplomatic to bring in Mark Corcoran. The Wuffmeisters Dream Team seemed in total disarray with Tuffey and Kirk absent and Erskine and Phinn on the bench. No points all round here, but well done to dark red horse Scott Boyd, who scored for the second week running for Ross County (who needs Kris when you’ve got Scott?).
The slightly new look Thistle started brightly, forcing two corners (a recurring theme) and having shots by Adams and Cairney charged down. The sudden collapse that followed was more spectacular than the disintegration of the Berlin Wall. Before Dunfermline had even mustered an attack, Mr Reliable John Robertson found the ball coming towards him right in the middle of the Thistle half. Hinchy called for the passback and John, without looking to check his position, rolled the ball back carefully just outside the line of the posts to avoid mishap. Hinchy had come out further than John realised, and lacked the flexibility to move sideways to collect the ball which trundled agonisingly past him for the softest corner imaginable. It was no real surprise when Neil McGregor was granted a free header into the danger area. A combination of goalkeeper and defenders stopped the ball but then all stood back thinking the task was done. There seemed time for me to vault the barriers, leap on to the pitch, sprint into the six yard box and hoof the ball into Row Z of the stand. While the defence slumbered and fans watched aghast, Steven McDougall nipped in to bundle the ball into the net in Andy Kirk fashion. Dunfermline had replicated their absentee. Thistle could not.
Midfield, frontline and wingbacks seemed undeterred by this setback, and Thistle played some bright football with Donnelly linking up well, and Paton and Cairney finding space on the right flank. However, co-ordination and confidence between central defence and goalkeeper never recovered and even the most innocuous throughball was causing consternation. His one unfortunate mistake against Ayr United on opening day has perhaps blinded many Thistle fans to the vital role a fleet of foot and confident Jonny Tuffey plays in sweeping up balls that arrive in the no man’s land behind the defenders. Ian Maxwell stated in the Thistle programme that his greatest talent was kicking the ball as far as possible in the direction he was facing. Changing direction is more difficult, especially when speedy attackers are bearing down. Maxy meekly surrendered possession to Graham Bayne and was relieved that his shot lacked power and could be gathered by Hinchcliffe.
Further forward, Thistle forced a series of unproductive corners and free kicks. Surely there has to be fresh thinking on the training ground on alternatives to the floaty ball which gives big defenders time to adjust and obliges Thistle attackers to impart further pace on to the ball, not an easy skill to implement in a crowded penalty box. More use has to be made of whipped crosses with their own self-generated power meaning that touches by attacker and defender alike can fly anywhere and hopefully find the net or at least the head or boot of a Thistle player.
A delightful flick from Donnelly put Buchanan through, but unfortunately he was ruled offside in what must have been a tight call. Even when onside and with only one defender in front of him, Liam was finding it difficult to take advantage, several times running straight into the defender and losing possession. Corcoran was closely marked, but Archie was showing up well, driving forward on the left. When Coco did finally create some space for himself, his driven cross eluded everyone in the box. Cairney was covering every blade of grass on the right and doing well to stay upsides with David Graham, who had more pace, but less determination. Yet at times Cairney seemed to be performing a fullback’s tasks which did raise the question as to what Paton was doing.
Adams was the victim of an incredible display of refereeing incompetence. He slid without malice aforethought into a Dunfermline player and the slithery conditions led to both players hitting the deck. The referee was facing the other way at the time, but turned round just as the Dunfermline player completed his fall. Mr Tumilty, who would have difficulty hiding behind even the thickest of East End Park stanchions, decided to use the noise from the Dunfermline fans as his guide as to what had happened and, without consulting with his linesman, booked Adams, thus inhibiting his ability to be robust in the challenge.
It appeared that we would drift to halftime just one goal in arrears and with a well-stocked bench there seemed to be every prospect of a second half recovery. Unfortunately the Thistle defenders remembered that Dunfermline was the birth place of legendary philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and decided to pay a further tribute with another generous gift. Around the 40th minute a harmless lump up the park fell between and behind Archie, Robbo and Maxy. All had time to deal with it, but nobody did. Willie Gibson seized the ball gratefully and lobbed goalwards. It was a good shot but just a little too low. A springheeled Jonny Tuffey would probably have turned the ball over the bar. Hinchy could only flap it into the net. Then again, Jonny might have been further forward by that time, so who knows!
Thistle tried bravely to reduce the arrears before the break, but one of Paton’s better crosses led to Liam heading over the bar. The stadium sound system blasted out “Glad All Over”, which seemed incongruous as it was still only half over and the opportunity to reduce the home gladness factor still remained. Surprisingly there were no halftime changes and the second half began in similar style to the first with a Robertson passback throwing Hinchy into confusion. His clearance kick struck a Dunfermline forward but fortunately bounced out for a corner.
However, give Hinchy his due. This may be his last competitive outing in a Thistle jersey. His first half performance will be one to forget, but in the second half he played a whole lot better, even getting down low to smother headers, shots and crosses, and hopefully this will give him some happy memories to look back on.
The Jags at last received a lucky break. An attempted Thistle attack two minutes into the second half seemed to have fizzled out. The Dunfermline defence let the ball wander out to their left. It was gathered by Paul Cairney who cut inside and drilled an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net. This roused the players and fired up the Jags support. For the next half hour Thistle had the upper hand without creating many clear-cut chances. I am not one to blame referees for defeats, but during this period Mr Tumilty did much to derail Thistle’s momentum with a series of petty and inconsistent decisions, seeing small fouls and alleged deflections which nobody else spotted and booking Thistle players for minor misdemeanours, while simultaneously managing not to see or punish more flagrant violations the other way, including an all-out assault on Archie.
While Adams was disappointing and perhaps a shade off full match fitness, David Rowson was industrious as always and almost forced an equaliser when he broke through the centre. Fleming, the Dunfermline goalkeeper, was quick off his line to clear the danger. Having already put on Holmes for Burke, Dunfermline in the 66th minute replaced McDougall with Phinn, while at the same time Ian McCall brought on Hodge for Adams (who was aggravating the referee and was perhaps heading towards a red card) and Lovell for Donnelly. Withdrawing Sid was unexpected as he had been our best player going forward. The stadium announcer provoked hilarity by describing Hodge and Lovell as substitutes for Raith Rovers!
“Mr Rock & Roll” Steve Lovell made a quick impact, putting through Buchanan, but his low shot was straight at Fleming. Phinn must surely have been on the bench recovering from injury as he was immediately Dunfermline’s best player, cutting through the centre at pace. One of his dazzling runs ended with a cross steered home by one of his forward colleagues. The celebrations must have gone on for 30 seconds before being squashed by a linesman’s raised flag. Cue shouts of “Sit down, Shut up.” from the Jags support.
The next ten minutes (approx 70th to 80th) were Thistle’s strongest period of sustained pressure. Fleming caught the Thistle disease as a hurried clearance cannoned into Buchanan who re-oriented himself in time to steer the ball past a defender. However, Fleming had also recovered quickly and by the time Liam was one on one, the goalkeeper was bearing down on top of him and able to charge down the shot.
Corcoran was hitting the byeline and Lovell was also taking on the defence. More corners ensued and Thistle at last came closer to scoring from one of these. Archie and Maxy both put in headers which were scrambled away and then a Hodge shot was blocked. Big Bird was released from his perch in place of Rowson, moving to the right wing, while Cairney bolstered the midfield. However, even crossing the impressive Forth Bridge failed to inspire our own Erskine Bridge and he had little impact.
I would like to record that Thistle battered the Dunfermline defence to the end, but that would not be true. Apart from one mishit effort by Liam Buchanan after he had been well set up by Stevie Lovell, the last ten minutes belonged to Dunfermline. Phinn’s runs were pushing them forward and they began to dominate possession and force throw ins deep down the Thistle end from which it was difficult to counter effectively. Accordingly the disappointment was rather more muted than it might otherwise have been one minute into injury time, when from another driving attack initiated by Phinn, the ball was worked back to Gibson who finished low and hard into the far corner. No goalie would have saved that one. Game over!
Aside from defensive uncertainty which will surely be remedied by Tuffey’s return, and lack of match practice for Adams and Lovell which can perhaps be partially offset by a few bounce games, there was not too much wrong with Thistle’s performance and we should be ready to fire back into action against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a fortnight’s time. The top of the table was compacted by other results and as long as no one breaks out from the pack, Thistle are still in the running. However, Jags fans may wish to turn to Coronation Street to banish those Eastenders blues.
Teams:-
Thistle (ratings): Hinchcliffe 4, Paton 6, Archibald 6, Adams 5 (Hodge 6), Robertson 5, Maxwell 6, Cairney 8, Rowson 7 (Erskine 6), Buchanan 6, Donnelly 7 (Lovell 7), Corcoran 7
Unused Subs: Scully, Corrigan
Dunfermline: Fleming, Ross, McCann, Bell, McGregor, Dowie, Gibson, Burke (Holmes), Bayne, McDougall (Phinn), Graham
Unused Subs: Paterson, Higgins, Willis
Referee- Michael Tumilty
Assistants- Andrew McWilliam, Michael Wilson
Goals:
Dunfermline: McDougall 4, Gibson 39, 90+1
Thistle: Cairney 47
Attendance- 3111