One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

PARTICK THISTLE 2 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 2
Match Report-Saturday 26th December 2009
Referee- Steve McLean
Attendance: 2,766
by Partick the Dog (with assistance from Wee Honk)

Four dubious setpieces produced all the goals in what was an entertaining but finally frustrating festive fixture at frosty Firhill. The points were shared, but having fought back twice to equalise, the Doonhamers will have departed the happier to search for their sheep on the lonely mountain steep.

It was kids (and everyone else) go freeze as the Firhill faithful came ye present and correct to take their places in the Sled. Mary and Joseph would have found plenty of room in the Away Stand. Ian McCall was a wise man to stay away from the karaoke and also resisted the temptation to sign Robbie Winters or Evander Sno or even to recall Jukka Santala, Derek White or Jesus Tejero. As the familiar strains of “Sylvia” floated on the chill breeze, the focus moved from the King of Kings to the King of Spain and the Queen of the South. The match of the day was not to be used to light the Advent Candle.

John Robertson came back into the defence to replace Ian Maxwell in the only change to the team which started against Airdrie. Liam Buchanan made a welcome return to the bench at the expense of Kris Doolan. Speaking of faithful, Marvin Andrews wore the gloves of God on his sleeve in the heart of the Queens’ defence. The last two fixtures between the teams were decided by a change in the Weather, but this time Peter Weatherston was on from the start, not that anyone would have noticed, so little did he contribute to the game.

The snow was pushed back a sliding tackle away from the touchlines and the Bing looked like a scene from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, but the pitch was in good condition as Thistle kicked off. Archie immediately launched a high ball and Andrews headed clear in a cameo to be repeated more often than “The Sound of Music”. Paul Paton snatched a shot wide and we were on our way.

Lovell and Donnelly combined well and with just one defender between them and the goal, excitement rose in the Firhill support. Nobody did anything wrong and possession was retained, but somehow the initiative of the attack was lost and by the time Adams, who had done well to get forward, was played in, cover was in place to make the block. Such was the story of the game with many attractive passing movements spoiled by one pass too many. We seem to have a team of pacifists and conscientious objectors, such is the unwillingness to shoot.

With Stephen Dobbie having departed to run his garden centres and Stevie Tosh out injured (though still apparently able to play the starring role in the Grinch), much of the subtlety has vanished from Queens’ play. The main tactic was to launch the long ball to the bulky Derek Holmes, who was generally well marshalled by Robbo and Adams. Paul Burns and Willie McLaren endeavoured to provide width, but the former was too far withdrawn to be effective and the latter did not seem to fancy it after shipping a strong tackle from Paul Cairney.

Cairney himself became the King of Pain after getting in the way of a firmly struck ball and most of the denizens of the Jackie Husband Stand winced and then applauded as he struggled back on to his feet. The referee decided that like Herod he wanted to be the only king in the story and began to make some fussy, unnecessary and often plain wrong decisions. He was spreading his disfavours evenly and it was the Queens’ fans who were the first to chant “You don’t know what you’re doing”.

His first decisively dodgy decision came as Stephen McKeown, who was showing up well, lashed a shot from the “D” straight against a Queens’ hand. We all claimed for it, of course, but we would have been equally aggrieved to have the free kick given against us. Everyone remembered Simon Donnelly’s previous goal against Queens from the same spot. The desire to do something different seemed to inhibit Simon and his tame shot hit the wall but squirmed through. Lovell was on to it in a flash and whipped a shot off the post. It flew back at an awkward angle and Paul Paton did really well to rearrange his feet and crack an unsaveable drive into the roof of the net.

Andrews tried to shepherd the ball out at the corner flag, but it was not good news for him, as Lovell and Paton nipped at his ankles, with Paton whipping over a fine cross which Mark Corcoran headed narrowly wide. Paton then tee’d himself up for a volley which slid over the bar, before Cairney, having been set up by a typical interchange between Lovell and Donnelly, tested Hutton (who performed well in the Queens’ goal) with a drive from the edge of the box.

Jonny Tuffey may have been given a packet of dolly mixtures for Christmas as you never quite knew what flavour was going to come out next. He has worked really hard at the peripheral elements of his game and his kicking of the moving ball and his quick long throws to set up Thistle attacks were immaculate both in conception and execution. Yet some of the basics seem to have gone out of kilter and he badly needs a sequence of commanding catches of cross balls to reignite the confidence of defenders and supporters alike. However, he displayed his better side by arching back to tip over the bar an Andrews header from a corner.

Archie fired in a 40 yard daisy cutter, which for those with long memories was reminiscent of Derek Stark’s goal for Dundee United in their run to the UEFA Cup Final. Unfortunately Hutton was able to get down to the ball low by the post. The first half drew to an end with Thistle generally good value for their lead, but there were a few warning signs as Thistle surrendered possession cheaply, Adams being a chief culprit, and invited attacks that could have had more unfortunate consequences against a sharper strike force.

There were no changes at half time and the game followed a similar pattern. Thistle strung together 93 passes, but the ball did not fall kindly for a shot. Lovell was through on Andrews, but rather than take him for pace, tried to play in Donnelly. There was just too much weight on the pass and Hutton was out and down quickly to make a brave save.

Then came one of those moments which you sense even at the time will determine the outcome of the game. Three Thistle players resisted the opportunity to have a pop at goal before Cairney took charge. His angled strike from just inside the box hit the inside of the far post before trundling along the line like a homing pigeon into the arms of the waiting Hutton. Nae luck and soon nae joy.

Andrews fouled Lovell, but at least had the Christian grace to apologise. Corcoran chased back to put in a superb covering tackle on Burns. Three minutes short of the hour mark, Archie gave away yet another free kick on the halfway line, although this one was softer than powdered snow. For once Big Marv did not amble forward but instead hoofed it high. Derek Holmes had made more moan than a frosty wind and Rocco Quinn had been anything but mighty up to this juncture. Nevertheless this time they combined to leave a footprint in the slush as Holmes won the first header and Quinn seized on the second ball to dispatch it past Tuffey.

Adams was perhaps not directly at fault for this goal, but his being a natural midfielder means that he does not have the defender’s instinct to be in the right place at the right time in such situations. Even Manchester United have not mastered the art of defending with midfielders, so why should Thistle be any more successful? It will be interesting to see what Davie Irons does to install more metal into the Thistle rearguard.

Five minutes later Donnelly played a neat long pass to the left corner of the box. Mark Corcoran was steaming towards it and Craig Reid came steaming out to meet him. His challenge was of the Andy Wilkinson variety, collecting ball and man in one movement. I suspect that Coco had seen him coming and was already on his way down (this going to ground easily is somewhat UnThistlelike for this commentator, but others may have less qualms). Diving or drawing the foul, whichever way you want to call it, worked and Steve McLean was delighted to seize the opportunity to take centre stage and award a penalty.

At least two Queens’ players were booked in the resultant stramash, which delayed the taking of the spot kick. In the absence of Liam Buchanan, Lovell came down at Christmas but hung the ball at a convenient height for Hutton to fist away. Jamie Adams showed commendable hunger to be first to the loose ball, and, like Paton in the first half, he fired high into the net.

Thistle had several chances to secure the points. Lovell pulled a shot across goal and Coco almost deflected it in. A fullblooded David Rowson drive after he powered in from outside from the box needed another deflection to force it wide. Kean replaced Weatherston while McLaren was finally withdrawn in favour of a Trialist, prompting ironic shouts of “Who are you?”. McCall introduced Bryan Hodge for a tiring Dosser and the new man immediately split the defence with a pass to Donnelly. Hutton was again equal to the shot.

Tuffey did not regard Boxing Day as a day to stay in his box. He had already caused unnecessary concern by taking a freekick from the corner flag and having to scramble quickly to cover his goal. Later, as a bouncing throughball eluded his defence, Jonny was off his line rather too fast and his weak header fell to Holmes. Sherlock quickly figured out the key to unlocking the defence by the aerial route. His lob was accurate but lacking in pace and Robbo was back in time to disconnect from the internet and head off line.

McAusland came on for Quinn and as Big Bird (Chris Erskine, not Peetee-he was the one in the Santa hat) limbered up on the sidelines, we were treated to the Christmas pantomime.

Referee: Corner (to Queens).
Linesman: Oh, no it’s not. Player offside. Free kick (to Thistle).
Referee: Oh, yes it is.
Linesman and Thistle fans: Oh, no it’s not!
Referee and Queens fans: Oh, yes it is!

The referee wins again and the inevitable script is written. The corner is half cleared and Bob Harris (could we sign him as left back, please?) whips in a vicious low shot at the near post. Keepers should never lose goals there, but to be fair to Jonny this one did come at pace through a ruck of players. The only small consolation was that this goal did count for the Wuffmeisters First Division Dream Team.

Liam joined Big Bird in replacing Sid and Coco. There were a few more chances at either end in the last ten minutes. Jonny did make a low near post save to keep out Andrews. Thistle had a few unproductive corners and that was it.

Today’s winners were Dundee, who despite only drawing at Inverness, maintained their margin over both Thistle and Queens. However as they trudged homewards, news filtered through that a former Firhill favourite had been red carded. The now redundant Herald-angels could perhaps permit themselves an unangelic “Ha Ha Hark ins”.

Teams:-

Thistle (ratings): Tuffey 6, Paton 8, Archibald 5, McKeown 7 (Hodge 6), Robertson 7, Adams 7, Cairney 7, Rowson 8, Lovell 7, Donnelly 8 (Buchanan 7), Corcoran 7 (Erskine 6)

Unused Subs: Hinchcliffe, Maxwell

Queen of the South: Hutton, McMillan, Harris, Scally, Andrews, Reid, Burns, Quinn (McAusland), Holmes, Weatherston (Kean), McLaren (Trialist)

Unused Subs: McGeown, Wyness

Referee- Steve McLean
Assistants- John Gilmour, Alan Newlands

Goals:
Thistle: Paton 20, Adams 63
Queen of the South: Quinn 57, Harris 80

Attendance: 2766