One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle V Ross County
Irn-Bru Scottish First Division
Saturday 27th February 2010
Firhill Stadium Glasgow
Kick-Off 3pm
Reporter: Paul Murray
Referee: C.Brown

This was the second time Ross County this season had made the long journey to Glasgow. The trip this time no doubt made considerably more difficult by the heavy highland snow that has fallen over the last few days shutting down their A9 route.  During the first game, Thistle, on a smooth late summer pitch, passed and moved but to little effect against a stuffy , defensive County side intent on a draw.  However those Jags fans who thought that they would see a re run of the August meeting between the two sides were to be proved very wrong.

This time it was clear the roles were reversed. County, very much in the promotion race, were bringing a scintillating goalscoring form to Firhill and were out to take maximum points. To curb this threat Thistle lined up with three central defenders, supplemented by Jackie McNamara, who provided extra cover, sitting just in front of them. Ian McCall obviously deciding that his team would be best served with a more cautious 3 5 2 formation. A ‘difficult to beat’ philosophy that will hopefully see us through three up coming tough away matches.

Early on the signs were not good for the Jags.  Our ball retention was poor and, hindered by a lack of wide options, we played it long far too often. Ross County, in contrast were free flowing and neat and tidy. But despite this and their recent scoring form they produced little in front of goal. All of this made for a turgid first half, with only one or two half chances shared between the two sides.

A goal unexpectedly did come and it brought the only real moment of first half quality for Thistle. Jackie McNamara breaking from his defensive duties strode forward and scooped a clever pass over the heads of the County centre backs for Liam Buchanan to run onto. Liam took a few strides over the crumbly surface before placing a coolly placed shot into the right hand corner of the County goal. The one nil half time score line, provided a welcome relief.

At the start of the first half County added to their attacking options with the defensive midfielder Kettlewell replaced with striker Steven Craig meaning they would be playing three up. This extra attacking emphasis almost brought an equaliser. The right back Girvan firing in a low cross from the right into Woods, who, from point blank range, looked like  he only had to get a touch to turn the driven ball past Tuffey. However the Northern Irish international pushed out an arm to deflect and the ball was cleared.

The Thistle fear of a County equaliser at this point was soon allayed with a second goal from an unlikely source. It has to be said that Brian Hodge did not do an awful lot right in this game- clumsy in touch, careless with pass, he certainly was unable to bring last week’s decent form up in Dundee back to Glasgow. However his one real
piece of quality- firing in a rocket of a volley from the edge of the box ultimately won Thistle the game.  It also earned him an extra ten minutes on the park as it looked as though Stephen McKeown was stripped and ready to replace him just before his moment of magic.

When McKeown  did eventually come on Thistle looked a far better side. He not only added extra tenacity, but also provided a bridge between the forwards and the midfield. Thistle now had a spell where they took the game to County and looked as they could add another. The best chance of this period fell to the other sub Donnelly, who in one movement brilliantly dummied a through ball, span of his marker then took a lovely weighted lay off from Buchanan before forcing McGovern into a good save at his near post.
Despite this period of excellent Thistle play Ross County, with 15 minutes remaining found themselves back in the game. A lofted ball into the back post found Craig- who was allowed to simply nod back across goal for Barrowman to net from close range.

What followed was a very nervy remainder of the match not helped by the referee bizarrely finding four minutes of injury time. However despite managing to negotiate their way through four foot of snow and  the A9 snow gates  to get down to Glasgow, the Ross County forwards could not find a way past a solid looking Thistle back three, meaning the Glasgow side saw out the game and earned a deserved three points.

MOM: David Rowson- back to his best.