One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Today saw Gerry Britton back in the Jags dug-out for the first time following his return to the club, but there was little else to cheer as Thistle and Livingston will have to try again at Firhill in ten days after today’s drab encounter at Almondvale ended all square with neither side doing enough to deserve the win.

Thistle’s plans were upset by Mark Roberts injuring his calf in the warm up which meant Simon Donnelly took his place alongside Buchanan in attack. It was one of two changes to the side, the other saw Kinniburgh start with McKinlay dropping to the bench as the Jags reverted to a 5-3-2 for this game.

The home side have lost Pesir and McMenamin since they last played Thistle, and the latter’s recent departure meant a rare start for Alan Walker, but Graham Dorrans was in his usual forward role supporting fellow frontmen Craig and Snodgrass.

Despite the wintry weather, the pitch at Almondvale looked in excellent condition, prompting more than one member of the healthy looking Jags support to comment “what’s that green stuff”?

The Livingston players certainly knew how to deal with the grass better than Thistle did, as although on the whole neither side really got going today, it was the home team that looked the better of the two and will feel they should have won.

They had the only chances of note inside the opening 20 minutes or so, but long range efforts from Fox and McPake were both high over the bar while Lee Makel’s attempt from a free kick was dragged wide of Tuffey’s goal.

Apart from a bit of head tennis inside the penalty box following a corner, Thistle hadn’t threatened at all, but it was the Jags who called the keeper into action for the first time in the game in the 21st minute when they broke quickly down the right and from Robertson’s cross Stewart had to bundle Buchanan’s effort behind at his near post.

With Thistle unable to make anything of the corner Livingston resumed possession and worked their way down the right wing, Lee Makel eventually collected the ball and from 25-yards went for goal, but although his low shot took a slight deflection it was a fairly comfortable save for Tuffey.

Five minutes later Thistle had their best spell of the game when they created a handful of chances but couldn’t score. The best chance came when Gary Harkins did well to win the ball and his pass sent Robertson racing down the right, his first time cross was met by Donnelly at the near post but Stewart clawed it out from the top corner to deny him.

From the resultant corner kick Twaddle wasted a good opportunity when he got a free header but failed to direct it on target. Minutes later Thistle were on the attack again but this time when Chaplain spread the ball wide to Buchanan, he sliced his effort wide from a promising position.

At half time we hoped for better things to come, but if anything, the second half was even less entertaining than the opening forty-five minutes. Both defences continued to be on top and again, although Livingston had more of the ball and played the better football, there was little goalmouth action.

In fact, it was events off the field that grabbed the attention more than the football in the opening ten minutes or so of the second half. A single Thistle supporter, who many will recognise as a guy who clearly likes a drink to lubricate his voice for 90 minutes (or as much as he can manage) of chanting “red and yellow army”, was chucked out for doing nothing more than singing.

Admittedly the guy in question has been seen getting ejected from games before, but on this occasion he did nothing more than stand up and sing, and thanks to an over officious steward eventually the police had to act and as a result the guy was thrown out. To make it worse, the steward in question was a supervisor.

Anyway, back to the game that was following a similar pattern to the first half. A snap-shot from Snodgrass called Tuffey into action but again it was a fairly routine save, however, just a few minutes later the Jags keeper was tested for the first time in the game when following a loose pass from Rowson, Dorrans was sent clear inside the area, but Tuffey did well to dive at his feet and force him wide, and although he tried to cut the ball back for a team-mate, the chance was gone.

Livingston came close again soon afterwards when Storey was harshly penalised, and booked, for a handball. Snodgrass took control of the set piece and there was a hushed silence as his effort rippled the net, but thankfully he’d curled it just the wrong side of the post.

McCall tried to freshen things up for Thistle by bringing on Keegan and then Murray for Donnelly and Harkins, but although Keegan added a little more presence to the Jags frontline, the changes didn’t have the same affect as they’d had in the previous round against Dunfermline.

Instead it was Livingston who continued to press, particularly down Thistle’s right where Robertson was being left exposed time and time again with Chaplain, and latterly Murray, not doing enough to help counter the threat of Livingston’s attacks. Fortunately from Thistle’s point of view, their forays down that side only led to one clear chance, and from Snodgrass’ cross, Craig should have done better than head wide.

Apart from Donnelly’s first half effort that was superbly saved by Stewart, the quality of finishing was poor today, and this was typified when Livingston’s man of the match Dorrans had a late chance to snatch a win, McStay’s slip gave him a clear sight of goal but he scuffed his shot and Tuffey was able to make an easy save.

With a couple of minutes to go Livingston made a couple of changes, one which was enforced when defender McCaffrey pulled a hamstring and had to go off. Bizarrely he pulled up next to the touchline and knocked the ball out of play before hobbling off, but for some reason then seemed to think better of it and hobbled back onto the pitch before going down clutching his leg. The home fans and his fellow players were then aggrieved when the ref made him get back up and remove himself from the field of play.

Not that it mattered as the final whistle blew soon afterwards. Apart from a brief spell in the first half when they created the clearest chances of the game, Thistle were distinctly average and will therefore feel the happier of the two sides at taking it to a replay. But they’ll need to improve on today’s showing if they are to make it to the quarter final stage of the cup for the third year in a row – and another home game isn’t exactly good news for the pitch…

Man of the match: Alan Archibald

Thistle: Tuffey, Robertson, Twaddle, Storey, Kinniburgh, Archibald, Chaplain, Rowson, Buchanan (McStay 83), Donnelly (Keegan 65), Harkins (Murray 73).
Unused subs: Hinchcliffe, McKinlay.

Livingston: Stewart, MacKay, James, McPake, McCaffrey (MacDonald 88), Makel, Dorrans, Walker (Griffiths 88), Craig, Fox, Snodgrass.
Unused subs: Weir, Jacobs, Lunn.