One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle v Dunfermline
Irn Bru S.F.L First Division
14th February 2009 3.00pm
Firhill Stadium
Reporter: Kieron Dempsey
Referee: Willie Collum
This was an entertaining encounter which both teams had to win to keep their promotion aspirations alive. On a fairly mild day for the time of year the fans were treated to an exciting end to end encounter that had everything to entertain the neutral fan, close shots, good passing, a controversial sending off and a penalty kick drama.

Thistle made just one change to the side that beat Airdrie a fortnight ago with Scott Chaplain replacing Simon Donnelly. The pitch did not look in the best of condition and seemed to be heavily sanded, a bit puzzling considering the recent lack of use. Thistle started the game well, and pushed onto the attack right away. Some good passing interplay saw the Jags come close in the very first few minutes, but the ball went wide. A few minutes later Twaddle almost put us ahead with a fine shot from 35 yards that went over the Dunfermline cross-bar. However, the Jags had gone one up with only nine minutes on the clock - the culmination of a Paton corner. Paton’s accuarate cross went through to Archibald who could not control the ball towards the goal, but his bungled effort was taken by Buchanan who popped it into the net.

The Jags fans had barely stopped celebrating when Dunfermline equalised through Steven Bell who put the ball into Jags goal This led to a period of Dunfermline dominance where at times they seemed a half yard faster that the Jags and seemed to win every loose ball. However, the Jags did show some effort to get back into the game with pressure at the Dunfermline end through the efforts of Paton and a decent Rowson shot that went wide of the post.

Manager McCall changed the line up and shape of the team in the 20th minute replacing Storey with McKinlay.This seemed to put more fire into Thistle and the nearly responded in 27 minutes with Buchanan and Chaplain working together to force a corner when the chance went awry. But it was Dunfermline who went ahead thanks to some dreadful Thistle defending. An unmarked Andy Kirk stood directly in front of goal and from the corner cross headed home with ease.

Thistle were up to the task though and showed the resilience that has become more pronounced as the season progresses and equalised within minutes. Recent signing Kris Doolan turned well inside the Dunfermline box and shot past the helpless Dunfermline keeper to the roar of an excited Thistle crowd.

Manager McCall replaced the injured Twaddle with Maxwell before the restart, and Thistle continued to press forward at the start of the half just as they had finished the first. Indeed, they had a couple of early chances one squandered by Archibald followed by a decent effort from Harkins. Doolan also came close in 58 minutes, but failed to connect correctly with Chaplain’s chipped pass.

Dunfermline were in no way out of this game and gave as good as they got. Throughout the afternoon the Dunfermline side seemed to sweep forward with great speed and in numbers very effectively, this time was no different and ended with Dunfermline’s Loy firing a low shot that once again had exposed some major problems in the Thistle defence. The visitors took control of the match for the next few minutes and pushed Thistle back into defencive mode. Thankfully, Dunfermline lacked penetration and had their own problems at the back to deal with when a quick Thistle counter attack saw Buchanan pushing the ball in front of Chaplain whose final shot just went wide of the left hand post. Within minutes the action was back at the Thistle end and the Fifers should have gone ahead once again through ropey Thistle defending. Shortly after Thistle brought on Donnelly for Buchanan to make their final change of the day.

In the 72nd minute Harkins, who had at times throughout the day shown some very skilful work and clever distribution, took the ball and ran from midfield well into the Dunfermline half, but his excellent pass to the well placed McKinlay was poorly controlled and in that very second the chance was gone. Again attack shifted to the visitors. and in the 76th minute another Thistle defensive error, this time from Kinniburgh, left top scorer Kirk in a great position to score with only a great last minute tackle from Paton saving the Jags from going behind. Kirk missed another minutes later when left in a great position in front of goal, but Tuffey put the striker off and his shot went wide.

As time ticked away both sides pressed for the winner and in the 87th minute the visitors were awarded a penalty kick. Another great Dunfermline break had ended with Maxwell being forced to tackle Dunfermline’s Steven Bell from behind just outside of the six yard box. The referee had a fairly good view of the incident and immediately blew for a penalty and red-carded the unfortunate Maxwell. Thistle’s Tuffey made an excellent save from Loy’s spot kick, but the defence were slow to react and Loy put it in on the rebound. Tuffey showed his frustration at his team-mates, and tried to fire them up for a last go, but it was too late in the day for the Jags to come back and the match, and perhaps our promotion drive, was lost.

In the end, it was probably true to say that the (marginally) best team on the day won, but it was a very close encounter. Has the drive for promotion gone? Well, perhaps, but not necessarily completely so. It depends on what happens to  the fortunes of Saint Johnstone and our nearest competitors. In this league one or two draws never mind a loss can make a major difference to a team’s chances. Let us, for the next few weeks at least, watch the others’ results as much as our own performances and then decide what our chances are. Certainly the defence looks ropey at times, but there are some moments of great football to watch. If we can tighten up at the back then perhaps with a little luck things can come back our way. I am, it has to be said, an optomist.

Man of the match:
I would have to give the man of the match award this week to Jonny Tuffey, not just for his excellent penalty save, but for some good saves throughout and for good positioning throughout the match, whilst being keenly aware that the defence in front of him was not performing at all well at times.

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Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, Storey (McKinlay 21), Kinniburgh, Archibald, Twaddle (Maxwell 46), Rowson, Chaplain, Harkins, Buchanan (Donnelly 71), Doohlan.
Players not used: McKeown, Hinchcliffe.
Sent Off: Maxwell (88).
Goals: Buchanan 9, Doohlan 34.

Dunfermline: Gallacher, Scott Thomson, Shields, Wilson, McCann, Bell, Ross (Loy 57), Phinn (Mole 80), Kirk, Graham (Muirhead 69), Holmes.
Players not used: Harper, Reidford.
Booked: Graham, Wilson, Holmes, Mole.
Goals: Bell 13, Kirk 30, Loy 88.

Att: 2,957

Ref: W Collum