One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

In other places it might be said that Thistle and Dunfermline played out an entertaining one each draw which the neutrals would have much appreciated. But those are places where real football people are not to be found. This was a game a several parts, not all of them entertaining, and there appeared to be few if any neutrals present, including those meant to be impartial arbitrators of the match. In the end the visitors stole away from Firhill with a point and almost left with more than they were due.

Thistle lined up with almost the team which started last weeks game, Storey pinching a first eleven place ahead of McStay. The visitors, looking for their first league win since the early days of October, were without the services of Bamba and Young.

It was the home team who were first to show their mettle with Storey shooting over the bar from distance after the Jags had worked their way down the left flank. And almost immediately after that Gallacher had to look smart when dealing with a hanging deflection which he was force to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner the ball was crossed deep to the Dunfermline back post where Roberts just failed to make contact. Thistle continued to press and again Mark Roberts saw a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide.

And so it continued through the opening half of the first period Thistle pressing and probing with Chaplin in particular looking to thread balls through the visitors defence to link with the busy Buchanan and Roberts. And it was the latter in the seventeenth minute who twisted and turned to deliver an inviting cross into the Dunfermline six yard box which was met with full force by McKinlay and saw the first in a string of impressive saves from Paul Gallacher.

In the twenty third minute Roberts, eventually to be named the sponsors Man of the Match, controlled the ball at the edge of the box and his over the shoulder shot went narrowly past the Dunferline goal with Gallacher rooted to his line. Five minutes later Roberts again combined with Buchanan to release the running Chaplin into the heart of the Dunfermline penalty area and his shot from twelve yards was saved by Gallacher at point blank range.

The law of averages dictates that the visitors had to contribute at some point and Dunfermline did begin to edge into the game after the half hour mark. This began with a shot from full back Harper which could be at best described as low, wide and ugly. Very ugly. The full back continued to roam the right flank delivering a deep cross into the Thistle box which Robertson guddled away for a rare Dunfermline corner. The first half like the ensuing corner ended in a less than memorable fashion.

The halftime break saw Thistle replace Storey with McStay and Dunfermline change Crawford with McManus. The visitors were first to show, Harper again looked dangerous with a quick run down the right wing. This was followed by a free kick which saw a McManus shot blocked for a corner. Thistle won possession though and broke at speed through the centre of the park. The attack was rapidly brought to a halt by a tug on McKinlay which resulted in the first booking of the match. Soon after the Jags came close to breaking the deadlock when Buchanan skilfully lost his marker at the edge of the box. Latching onto the through ball from McStay Thistle’s top scorer rounded the Pars goalkeeper and amazingly his shot on an empty goal was cleared eventually for a corner.

From the resulting kick it was the same player who found himself on the cross but his header was too well headed in a downwards direction and in the end the danger was cleared away.In fifty six minutes Buchanan was on the end of another good cross, this time from Roberts, but as before the result was disappointing.

Almost immediately the Jags number nine was threatening the visitors goal again and Gallacher had to tip his shot smartly over the bar from close in. From the restart the ball found its way onto the Main Stand side where a challenge involving Simmons and McStay saw the Pars defender clearly kick out at the Thisle sub. Referee McCurry chose to ignore this incident and almost immediately he awarded Dunfermline a goal when the ball was played into the Thistle box and a great point-blank block by Tuffey rebounded to Burchill who slotted the ball home from close range.

The visitors were energised by the goal and they pressed forward looking to kill off a game that they had hardly been in. Although the home team did move the ball forward there seemed to be a lack of commitment to push players in numbers.

Some ragged passing saw Dunfermline break down the right and the ball played into the Jags box was intercepted by Twaddle who deflected it wide seemingly for a corner. But as the ball dribbled towards the deadball line the pursuit in the shape of McManus fell over the outstretched Twaddle’s leg and the referee, not for the first time this season, chose to award a soft spot kick to visiting team. With twenty minutes left it seemed that Glass would put the game out of reach but he contrived to squirt the kick well past the right post with Tuffey going in the opposite direction.

Thistle replaced Chaplin with Donnelly and Dunfermline removed Burchill and sent on Williamson. Then Murray came on for Roberts to add some width to proceedings. And so Thistle began to press for an equaliser and the Pars defended in depth with two banks of four. It seemed for a time that the Pars would record their first victory in two months but the break through came with twelve minutes remaining. A cross played in from the left found Kinniburgh in an advanced position and his nod down was controlled by Buchanan who pushed the ball home from three yards.

Both teams seemed keen to take all three points and although the Jags had the better of the remaining attacks there was to be no decisive strike and so a share of two points had to be settled for.

On chances, effort and the application of skill Thistle were for most of the match miles ahead of the men from Fife. The visitors might have felt disappointed on not taking the victory especially following on from their penalty award but they rarely matched the endeavour of Ian McCall’s team. Another home draw is obviously disappointing but the men in Red and Yellow are showing signs that this relatively young team do not know how to lose even when the signs are against them.

Simon Storey had a good first half and his dead ball kicks were a potent threat. Chaplain is showing signs of being as inventive and energetic as his midfield partner Rowson. McStay has a great eye and nice feet but he needs to learn how to tackle effectively for this level of football. Robertson got forward well in the first half and Twaddle could do well to follow his example. But once again Buchanan and Roberts are the heart of this team who on another day might have put Dunfermline to the sword.

Man of the match: Mark Roberts