One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Livingston 3-1 Partick Thistle  Scottish League Division One

27 September 2008  Almondvale Stadium 3.00 pm.

Reporter: Erik Geddes

Scorers: Livingston: Davidson 6, Elliot 18, 82. Thistle: Maxwell 28. 

Attendance: 2,150

Thistle succumbed to their third league defeat of the season as Livingston ran out worthy winners in this top of the table clash at Almondvale.

Two goals inside the first 18 minutes set the West Lothian side on their way as they outplayed and out-muscled a Thistle team who still looked in a state of shock after Wednesday.

Four of the players that had fought so bravely against Rangers only three days previously were dropped - or rested - to the bench while Damon Gray, Scott Chaplain, Willie Kinniburgh and Steven Lennon were restored to the starting 11.

Although freshening up the squad seemed like the logical thing to do it failed to pay dividends and Ian McCall was not looking for excuses afterwards:

“We were well beaten but if Simon Donnelly had taken a good chance that might have given us some strength, because we looked tired.

“But that’s no excuse because we made changes and the simple fact is the boys that came in didn’t do well enough. But they can do much better, as many of them have played in a number of league games this season.

“Maybe Gerry and I shouldn’t have changed the team and just run with it but there were one or two niggles and we started with the strongest team we could.”

The shrill of the referee’s whistle seemed to have startled the Jags as Livi went instantly on the offensive. Three minutes in Joe Hamill came close with a shot across goal and moments later Liam Fox tried his luck from 25 yards which Jonny Tuffey held well.

Sadly the early warning signs were not dealt with and Thistle fell behind in the sixth minute. There was more than an element of luck about the manner of the goal, but it no more than Livingston deserved.

Callum Elliot lashed at the ball which was passed to him by Rocco Quinn, it deflected off Murray Davidson and the ball spun, looping over the heads of everyone including a scrambling Tuffey.

The goal scorer was however fortunate to not go into the book after a lunging challenge on Kevin McKinley, referee Stevie O’Reilly opting to have a quiet word instead.

Davidson is not a dirty player but is powerful and able to put himself about; and that combined with his confidence to take on a man is something that McKinley, Chaplain and Thistle in general had problems with all afternoon.

18 minutes on the clock and the hosts went 2-0 up. Paul Paton was easily dispossessed by Hamill on the left flank and his ball across the box was well met by Elliot who drilled the ball low and hard and poor Tuffey was nut-megged.

At this stage it was hard to see how Thistle could get back into the match. Completely outplayed and penned in by Livingston, they had to pick themselves up before this turned into a rout.

A first attack of the match for Thistle came shortly afterwards. A cross by Lennon was met by Captain Ian Maxwell but he was unable to keep his header down as it soared into the beams holding the roof together in the empty stand behind the goal.

Maxwell went one better when he cut the deficit and in doing making him the clubs leading scorer for the season.

A corner by Lennon was bet by McKinley who squared it to Maxwell who stabbed the ball home. 2-1 and a great chance to now get back in the game, or so it seemed.

Jags players looked in hope and fans appealed in vain for a penalty when Lennon went down in the box, but the ref wasn’t was well on hand to see it was nothing more than a shoulder that sent the Rangers kid flying. Play on - and rightly so.

As half time approached it Thistle were beginning to establish some possession and toil their way into some dangerous positions. Gary Harkins spurned a good chance after being laid off by Gray.

He opted to shoot from a tight angle when he had the time and space to tale another step which would have given the midfield ace a better view of the target.

Despite the encouraging sings trouble was never far away. Just before half-time Murray Davidson broke up a Thistle attack and ran a full 50 yards before receiving the ball back on the edge of the area and crashing it off the cross bar.

The last chance of the lively 45 minutes fell to Thistle when McKinley just failed to latch onto a Paul Paton cross.

Mark Twaddle and Simon Donnelly replaced Paton and Lennon at the break. Donnelly went up to support the inexperienced strikers and his presence almost paid off as the ball broke to inside the box but Damon was a little slow to react as Pierre Martini in the Livi goal did well to gather.

Damon Gray wasn’t the only offender but his below par performance continued to frustrate the travelling fans in the crowd of 2150.

On more than one occasion he was caught napping and giving the ball away all too easily against what look like a very good first division side.

Mark Roberts replaced McKinley in 65 minutes and without actually delivering a goal with any of his old magic he did look like his old self again with clever feet and an awareness that the boys up front in the first half were sadly lacking.

Livingston sent on Fernando Giarizzo to replace Anthony McPharland and it was the Italian who made the third and decisive goal for the league leaders.

Thistle were going for broke now and following a Jags corner Giarizzo collected the ball and moved up field crossing to Quinn who played it back in for Elliot who his second of the afternoon from close range.

Thistle continued to press on in search for a way back into the match and chances were missed. Simon Donnelly who - maybe like other key man Harkins - looked a little jaded had a golden chance shortly before Livi had scored the killer but was unable to even trouble Martini.

Mark Roberts carved open a couple of good chances for himself but the strength of MacKay, McPake and Innes was a telling factor that snubbed out so many Thistle moves.

In reality 3-1 was a fair score as Livingston also had a few late chances and could have easily extended their lead but poor finishing kept their win margin down.

A delighted Robert Landi said: “I am very pleased we have 18 points after eight matches. We played a very powerful game today – and the power play was part of what won this game.

“When we play the ball on the floor nobody has a chance against us, but I understand Partick would be tired today – they paid the price of the Rangers match going to extra time.”

Man of the match – Murray Davidson

Jags man of the match – Ian Maxwell

Livingston: Martini, MacKay, Talbot, McPake, Fox, Innes, McParland (Giarrizzo 77), Davidson, Elliot, Quinn, Hamill.
Subs Not Used: Miller, Cuenca, MacDonald, McKenzie.

Goals: Davidson 6, Elliot 18, 82.

Partick: Tuffey, Paton (Donnelly 46), McKinlay (Roberts 66), John Robertson, Kinniburgh, Maxwell, Chaplain, Rowson, Gray, Lennon (Twaddle 46), Harkins.
Subs Not Used: Storey, Hinchcliffe.

Goals: Maxwell 28.

Attendance: 2,150

Referee: S O’Reilly