One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

There must be, at least, two overwhelming questions which arise from this game. The first is whatever happened to the Thistle team who were in charge for most of the first half of this match? And secondly, how on earth did the visitors manage to get back on the bus to Dumfries without a point in their pocket?

On a bright Autumn day Ian McCall rang the changes following the midweek defeat at Ayr; Tuffey, Twaddle, Keegan and McKinlay all dropped to the bench while Strachan didn’t even make the squad with Storey, Chaplain, Roberts, Murray and Hinchcliffe all starting, the latter making his competitive debut for the Jags. Queen’s named an unchanged side, with pre-match doubts Lauchlan and O’Connor both deemed fit to start.

Thistle lined up with Robertson on the right and Storey in place of Twaddle on the left, and Archibald and Harkins assigned to their usual positions in the middle of defence. Jimmy Gibson slotted into a place in front of the back four with Rowson, Murray and Chaplain in midfield, the latter supporting the front pairing of Roberts and Buchanan.

The best of the opening chances fell to Queens. Dobbie had worked his way across the park and Hinchcliffe had to get down quickly at his near post to turn the strikers shot behind for a corner. O’Connor headed wide from the resultant corner and the same player was just off target again a few minutes later before Thistle finally threatened in the tenth minute when Harkins’ header from Murray’s free kick was just over.

Barely a minute later Thistle opened the scoring when Murray and Roberts combined to prise open the visitors defence and Buchanan was played through the inside left postion. His early shot across MacDonald hit the base of the left post and rolled back into the Queens net.

The Jags continued to press after getting the opener, and the next chance fell to Rowson but his shot was blocked. Then a mix up between Lauchlan and MacDonald allowed Roberts to threaten the Queens goal but the ball was scrambled away on this occasion. Such was the superiority of Thistle in this phase of the game that the cry from an unidentified Doonhamer was clearly heard around Firhill advising his whinging colleagues to “shut your f……” This is why we need a family section?

It seemed that Queens were focussed on the threat from their former player Murray on the left, for anytime the ball was pushed in his direction he was immediately surrounded by a posse of Blue blocking his path. This meant that there were acres of space on the other wing for Robertson to move into and at times he did so with effect but there always seemed to a nagging doubt about his forward runs which were never as devastating as they could have been. Perhaps this might be explained by the big Thistle players lack of pace as evidenced by the run across the park by Dobbie in the 36th minute which left the Thistle number two trailing in his wake. Just as well the Queens man was heading for Row XX at the time.

Before that Queens were literally handed a very good chance to even things up when Storey was penalised for a hand ball close to the edge of the Jags box. But Jimmy Gibson did well to close down Dobbie after the set piece had been rolled into his path.

Thistle’s response was immediate and the always busy Buchanan made his way to the by-line on the right hand side. His well delivered cross was met by Rowson and MacDonald had to make a first class save down low at the left hand post. Just before half-time, Rowson again was the player to deliver the threat when he combined with Robertson to set up Chaplain and the Thistle numbers eight’s snappy shot sailed just over the Queens bar.

What a difference a cup of tea can make. Indeed those who are prone to the odd conspiracy theory might have wondered who put what in who’s cup during the break. The blues came roaring out for the second half and the red and yellows appeared to have lost their bite and their appetite. For the first portion of the second half the Dumfries men threatened to take the game by the scuff of the neck while the Jags appeared powerless to do anything to quench this ambition.

Queens abandoned their first half tactic of playing the ball long towards the very effective O’Connor and instead began probing down both flanks, looking to go around the Thistle wide defenders or, having stretched them wide, slide balls inside the channels to penetrate the Jags defence more directly.

The home side’s response was to clear their lines, but not too far, using whatever means possible, normally involving a knee or a toe or whatever piece of anatomy could be conveniently placed on the ball. This resulted in the Doonhamers (or the home crowd by this time were beginning to believe thye were the Doombringers) coming right back at the No-Name stand which Thistle were attempting to defend.

In the fifty seventh minute a poor piece of defending by Jimmy Gibson saw the ball played through to O’Connor who turned Harkins with ease but his shot was well parried by Hinchcliffe. The resulting corner from the right had to be scrambled clear from the goal by the man on the near post. Five minutes later it was O’Connor again who threatened when he was played through the inside left channel and it took a timely tackle by Robertson to snuff out the danger. A couple of corners in succession saw the home defence pressed and Hinchcliffe has eventually to tip over a good header from Thomson.

The Thistle keeper, who would eventually prove to be the man of the match was pressed into service on numerous occasions, but he was helpless and could only watch when in seventy minutes the ball dropped on top of his bar and over to safety. Things were growing desperate all round and this saw O’Connor tumble in the box but no penalty was awarded.

After much pressure Thistle at last roused themselves to mount an effective attack towards the city end. Keegan held the ball up well for Buchanan and he broke through the middle, but under pressure he shot high over from twenty yards.

Kevin McKinlay had a terrific chance to kill off the Queen’s challenge when fellow second half sub Simon Donnelly’s cross came to him in the middle of the six yard box, but the former Ross County man waved a foot at this glorious chance and the home support wailed at an empty goal which remained astonishingly empty after the ball had gone.

While the Jackie Husband Stand were still debating the effectiveness of McKinlay (that’s the polite version) Thistle broke again down the right side. The ball was scrambled away for a corner and the resulting delivery into the heart of the queens box saw who else but the villain McKinlay rise unchallenged to head in from six yards.

This knocked the stuffing from the visitors and their last good chance, where Bingham wriggled his way along the line and had Hinchcliffe get down smartly to save at the near post only cemented the Thistle keepers status as the Diadora Man of the Match. The game ended with Buchanan bursting through again only to have his shot deflected over the bar.

Three points in the Firhill bag. But both sets of fans left shaking their heads in wonder at the relative fate of their team. How Queens could have played so well in the second half and not breached the Thistle defence must be as much a mystery as how McKinlay could have missed such a gilt edged chance one minute and yet stuck away the crucial chance the next. Such is the nature of football and possibly the reason we will be back, ready to shake our heads in incredulity at the wonder that is the Irn Bru First Divison.

Man of the match: Craig Hinchcliffe