One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle v Dundee

Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division

Sunday 22nd March 2009 3.15pm

Reporter Kieron Dempsey

Attendance: 3,303

Referee:David Somers

 

This was the game that both teams had to win and in a sense both lost. However the game itself turned out to be an entertaining enough affair with both sides working hard right to the final whistle in order to gain all three points. Manager McCall fielded the same team that had performed so well the previous Saturday and it wasn’t long before Thistle had their first effort on goal. Only minutes after the start Harkins took a free kick but fired in a poor shot that Doolan also failed to connect with in front of the goal. The Dundee defence which had to work hard to neuter the threat and get the ball away looked unsettled. Paton was next to test the Douglas with a strong, low shot from 20 yards out but this one was easily dealt with by the former old firm keeper.

 

Thistle had started the match very brightly and Dundee looked as though they had been caught a little cold in the early stages and in the tenth minute Harkins found himself another opportunity and had a shot at the Dundee goal from just outside of the box, but his effort flew well over the bar. Thistle continued to press trying to carve out another attempt on goal, but it was Dundee who had the next best chance. Waking from their slumber they began to spread the ball about in fits and starts and in the 14th minute Shinnie fired a bullet of a shot just wide of the Thistle goal.

 

Four minutes later the Jags again came close with Doolan fighting to control the ball blasting a shot that Douglas had to really stretch for in order to stop the ball findng the net. Both teams tried to play some passing football at this point, but in both cases moves broke down, with possession changing hands regularly. However, one such move almost ended in delight for the Jags with Twaddle passing the ball through to McKeown who had three Jags players to cross to, but instead he opted for a shot which unfortuantely went lamely straight into the Dundee keeper’s arms. The early Thislte dominance was diminishing at this point and 37 minutes disaster struck due in part to an open Thistle defence. Indeed it was after a failed Thistle push that the ball was passed forward to McMenamin who found himself in open space, on side and with Tuffey moving towards him to narrow the angle. A simple pass under the keeper saw the ball roll gently into the net and Thistle were one down.

 

Thistle fell out of the game somewhat at this point and Dundee began to press forward with more life and confidence than before, their passing was much improved but at the end of the day they did not really manage to get a threatening chance on Tuffey’s goal. Indeed although at times it was last minute stuff the Jags defence did well to nullify the Dundee attempts at goal. Indeed, a couple of sparks of life began to show in the Thistle team again just before halftime with both McKeown and Harkins coming close: McKeown’s shot going over the bar and a Harkins’s long range free kick going wide. In many respects half time couldn’t come soon enough to allow the manager to reform and motivate the team.

 

The second half started with both sides pressing forward Thistle seeking the equaliser and Dundee trying to make the killer blow. The Jags had the first real chance of the half  in seven minutes when Paton sent in a decent ball from a corner for Lucas Akins, but the striker headed just wide. The side needed freshened up and minutes later the manager made his first change with Paton coming off to make way for McKinlay.

 

Dundee began to pass the ball about very effectively once more finding gaps in the Thistle shape that they seemed to exploit very well feeding the hungry Antoine-Curier who began to look increasingly more dangerous as the half progressed. Thistle were lucky on a couple of occasions that Antoine-Curier did not make the most of his penetration. At times the Jags defence consisted of Tuffey and ‘one other’ facing two or three on-rushing players making the possibility of a Dundee killer looking the more likely outcome of the half. However, the manager made the necessary changes in the team to liven things up and to make our efforts more competitive and effective.  In the 63rd minute Atkins came off to make way for Chaplain and in 70 minutes Rowson made way for Kinniburgh.

 

Dundee looked very dangerous and were pushing forward making life very difficult for the Jags at the back. Our midfield seemed to have disappeared at times but the changes began to make a difference and in the 73rd minute McKeown had a decent chance after showing deft control, turning inside the box, but his snap shot went high not really testing the Dundee keeper. However, it marked the start of a resurgence of the Jags’ attempts to gain the equaliser.  Getting the ball into a dangerous area in order to test the Dundee goal though was not easy and once again the game became a midfield passing match with both sides losing possession as moves broke down against sometimes desperate defences. It might have been scrappy but it was gripping stuff out there and had fans of both sides on the edges of their seats.

 

Thistle got the equaliser in the 81st minute with Storey crossing far into the box and McKinlay heading down and into the net. There was no relaxation after this though and both sides pushed forward in an attempt to gain the lead and the three points. The tension in the ground was palpable at times as both sides left gaps at the back whilst going forward which made much of this an end to end affair. Shinnie nearly put the visitors ahead when he found himself with only Tuffey to beat, but fortunately for the Jags he shot straight at Tuffey. Next it was the Jags with Doolan shooting just over the bar. The final few minutes ended with both sides trying to gain the winner, but in their haste were unable to penetrate the defences as before, moves breaking down due as much to tiredness as to haste. When the final whistle went it was a disappointment in terms of the points dropped, but no one could doubt the efforts of both sides in trying to win this match. Although in footballing terms it was no classic it most certainly was full of excitement and suspense.

 

My man of the match must be Tuffey for a confident performance and for a couple of decent saves that kept us in the match at crucial points of the game.

 

Thistle: Tuffey, Storey, Twaddle, Paton, John Robertson, Archibald, McKeown, Rowson (Kinniburgh 71), Akins (McKinlay 53), Doolan, Harkins.

Players not used: Chaplain, Maxwell, Hinchcliffe.

Booked: Kinniburgh, Akins.

Scorers: McKinlay 81.

 

Dundee: Douglas, Cowan, Malone, McHale, MacKenzie, Lauchlan (McKeown 80), Shinnie, Paton, McMenamin, Antoine-Curier, Efrem.

Players not used: Williams, O’Brien, Gilhaney, Roy.

Booked: Efrem, McHale.

Scorers: McMenamin 37.

 

Referee:David Somers

Assistants: John Gilmour   Michael Wilson

 

Attendance: 3,303