One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle v Ross County
Irn-Bru First Division Scottish League
Saturday 27th December 2008
Firhill Stadium
Reporter Tom Hogg
Scorer: Higgins 24,84
Attendance: 2,465

Referee:Stephen Finnie

Auld Rabbie Burns had it right when he suggested that the best laid plans of mice and men are sometimes disrupted by a lack of midfield cohesion, an uncharacteristic hesitancy in defence at key points and tactical ineptitude. Or he would have got it right had he said that and not something more succinct.

It all started so well, with me and the boy setting off early to enjoy hospitality in the Alan Rough Lounge courtesy of the Jags Trust 1876 Club. The train was free of any dodgy characters due to the early kick off at Ibrox and the only sign of their presence between Edinburgh and Maryhill Road was an empty half bottle of Bucky slewing around the floor of the subway up to St George’s Cross.

Hospitality was great. The food was nice, the company nicer and the comedian palatable, even if that was only due to a lame joke about artichokes. Even a vague smell of fish wafting into the posh seats from the heathens in the Shed failed to spoil my mood as we all settled down expectantly to watch the Jags put four past the self styled middleweight contenders from the Highlands.

Ninety minutes of football later and the Shed boys were praying out loud for the final whistle to come and end our agony after, well, let’s just say a disappointing afternoon at the theatre of delusions.

Two Glasgow teams saw their title hopes disappear this afternoon and for the Jags there are no dreams of an Atlantic League to keep us preoccupied until April. The post Christmas slump, as predictable now as an Allan Cowan gaffe, arrived with a vengeance.

From the off Thistle looked second best as County out passed them in midfield, with both Hart and Brittain catching the eye for the northerners. Two early dead balls in the 5th and 14th minutes saw Steven Craig presented with decent headed half chances, the second causing Storey to nod over for a second corner from a dangerous position on his own six yard line.

Thistle were creating nothing going forward with Donnelly misfiring, McKinlay lacking service and Buchanan unlikely to connect with a series of pumped high balls. The Jags game was error strewn and Twaddle was booked for diving into a challenge 25 yards from goal, a mistake that would cost him later on in the game. As the fans tried vainly to urge Thistle into some sort of form, County took the lead on 24 minutes via a speculative ball forward which caught out Storey, bouncing over his head for Higgins to loop the ball deftly over Tuffey. A deathly silence fell upon the home support as we all began to predict a rerun of the last home game against County where an early goal and clever containment allowed them the points.

McKinlay tried to raise spirits with a mazy run into the box but there was no pass available and he was closed out. This was the Jags first threatening move and the fact that it took place after almost half an hour showed how well County were breaking up the midfield rhythm. Thistle’s first and only chance of the first half fell to Buchanan on 43 minutes after a deep cross to Donnelly was cut back across when a shot looked more likely and the wee man nodded onto the top of the bar. In between, Twaddle had skelped the backside of the last man in the County wall with a long range free kick.

The second half started with no changes by McCall despite the inability of the midfield to penetrate the County defence, but on 60 minutes McKeown came on for Storey, with Twaddle and Paton falling deeper in a attempt to create midfield space. It was County who were next to show however, with Craig slicing wide after Strachan had been released with Twaddle out of position.

Roberts replaced the ineffective Donnelly and looked to have a chance to unpick the County lock when McKinlay released him with a deft angled pass, only for the stand side linesman to raise his flag for a very dubious offside decision. The spoiling role of Rowson was sacrificed for the more theoretically attack minded Chaplain on 71 minutes but only seconds later Twaddle was red carded for a second yellow after losing the ball deep in County’s half and slicing down the accelerating Strachan.

Thistle were now chasing the game with ten men and an exposed left flank and made heavy weather of it. The final nail in the coffin was Higgins beating the offside trap set by Archibald and lobbing over the advancing Tuffey from 10 yards to make it two nil County and game, if not entire season over, for the Jags.

This was a very poor display from a Thistle team that should have known that County would do exactly what they have done before, restricting space in midfield and sitting tight on players shoulders. Any attempt to change the face of the game with personnel and tactical switches was countered by self inflicted wounds from Twaddle’s lack of self discipline, Donnelly’s lack of form, McKeown’s lack of match fitness or any number of other reasons. At least Gary Harkins had the sense to look roundly embarrassed when accepting the man of the match award in the hospitality area after the game.

Thistle’s performance was summed up by the fact that only three shots on goal are recorded in the match notes and two of these were in the 90th and 93rd minutes. You could argue that County played a negative game of anti-football and to an extent you would be correct, but the Jags should have had the guile and skill to outwit them. On this form, expect a long run in to April and a depressing trip to Inverness on 10th January.

I’m away to hide the razor blades and paracetamol  to avoid temptation…