Match report Stirling Albion 2 v 3 Partick Thistle
Stirling Albion V Partick Thistle Scottish Cup Third round
Saturday 29th November 2008
Forthbank Stadium Stirling
Kick -Off 15.00
Attendance: 1,472
Match reporter: Kieron Dempsey
Referee: C Richmond
Appologies to all our loyal visitors for the lateness of this ‘match report’. I use the term match report loosly as this is more a match account than a report. First of all let me explain: due to illness our match reporter (me) missed the game and spent the day in bed being brought up to date on Thistle’s progress relayed from the BBC’s live scores bit on the internet to my bed by shouts from downstairs. A nightmare.
At least the bed was warm, but falling in and out of sleep saw the result change from one nil to us to a final score of two one to Stirling. I could see the whole game as I lay half asleep: standing in the wee bit of terracing behind the goals and cheering on the team, Buchanan netting and later Tuffey parrying only to see the rebound going behind him from the foot of Hogarth. Stirlings second came minutes from the end: a fine shot from a free kick that came off the crossbar and into the net. Waking from this dream you can see why the actual performance and result seemed more positive to me than to those who attended. From what I was told by my mate the match did not go too well for the Jags. Indeed Thistle were given a real fright particulalrly in the second half with Stirling really giving us a game of it. This is my retelling of his account.
Thistle had started well and had a couple of chances in the early minutes of the game. In 27 minutes they went ahead. From a McStay corner and a flick on from Donnelly, Chaplain fired a low shot into the Stirling net. Only minutes later we had a penalty. Buchanan was pulled down in the box and Harkins scored from the spot. Two nil. At this point it seemd to be an easy day out for the Jags but old habits die hard and Tuffey had to save us on two occasions before the half-time break.
In the second half a deterimined Stirling came out to upset us and in only ten minutes they has pulled one back. From a rocky defense came a clearance that went straight to Molloy who took advantage of the gift and slammed the ball into the net. Rather than rallying, it was Tuffey who was again called on to produce some magnificent last minute saves as our defense evaporated. Shots from Buchanan and McKinlay gave the Thistle fans some cheer, but it was Tuffey who was becoming our star player. First he saved from Molloy then from Hamilton in quick succession. Stirling were taking the game to us at this point and chances came to them in quick succession with shots just going over the bar and one going just wide of the post.
However, in the 82nd minute Buchanan eased the pressure by putting us three one in front with a well taken header. It looked as though the game was settled, but again Stirling came back with another goal in the 89th minute from Murphy. A Tuffey save in injury time prevented the home side from taking the match into extra time, but it was a close run thing for the Jags.
This was a very important result for us as a good Cup run can bring much needed revenue into the club. The game against ICT will be a good day out for the fans but will be a difficult one to get past. Hopefully the crowd figures will be enough to put extra cash into the Thistle coffers before the transfer window closes in January. If we could progress and get another money spinner like that against Rangers last year we would have a really big bonus for the club in its efforts to push for promotion.
Man of the match: has to be Jonny Tuffey for saving us on several occasions.
Stirling Albion: Christie, Lawrie, Lowing (Waddell 77), Graham (Ross 46), Gibb, Molloy, Corr (Hamilton 70), Murphy, Grehan, McKenna, Docherty.
Players not used: Devine, Hogarth.
Booked: Lowing, Gibb, Murphy, Grehan.
Partick Thistle: Jonathan Tuffey, Paton, McKinlay, McStay (Turner 60), Archibald (MacBeth 82), Maxwell, Chaplain, Rowson, Buchanan, Donnelly (Roberts 70), Harkins.
Players not used: Michael Robertson, Hinchcliffe.
Booked: Roberts, Jonathan Tuffey.
Scorers: Thistle Chaplain 28, Harkins 33 pen, Buchanan 83 minutes; Stirling: Goals: Molloy 55, Murphy 89.
Referee: C Richmond
Att: 1,472