One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Thistle made it through to the fourth round of the Scottish Cup at a wet and windy Firhill this afternoon, but as expected, were made to work hard for it and had to come from behind to see off a battling Ayr United side 2-1.

Thistle lined up exactly as they had at Livingston ten days ago, although injuries meant McCall’s options were limited so he was thankful to be able to recall Everton youngster Connor on the bench alongside the likes of Murray and Donnelly. Ayr welcomed Michael Moore back into their starting line up, and he partnered Williams in attack with on loan Gretna winger Ryan Baldacchino providing some width on the left.

It was the Jags who were first to threaten when following a couple of breaks down the left by Rowson, they won a corner but Twaddle’s header from the set-piece was easily saved by Ayr keeper Mark McGeown. McStay gave him more of a test a few minutes later when he shot through a ruck of players from the edge of the area, but the keeper got down well to save.

The visitors came close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute when Williams’ through ball looked to set Stevenson clear, Hinchcliffe raced from his area to close him down but the Ayr midfielder managed to get there first and touched the ball past him, and there were some sighs of relief when the ball rolled just wide of target.

Ayr weren’t looking much like a side struggling to mount a promotion challenge in the Second Division and with 19 minutes on the clock they shocked the Jags with the opening goal of the game. The Jags players were still complaining about not getting a free kick when the ref awarded a soft one against them, and the ball from the right was headed goalwards by Robertson, Hinchcliffe got down really well to get his hand to it, but could do nothing to stop Williams’ bundling the ball home from barely a yard out.

They almost caught out the Jags defence for a second time within a minute when they won a corner and took it quickly, but Ryan Stevenson wastefully blasted his shot into the side netting with the Jags defence still sleeping.

Thistle responded through the lively Liam Buchanan but although he connected well with Robertson’s cut back, his effort flashed just wide of the keeper’s far post. Gary Harkins was next to threaten as Thistle pushed for the equaliser but his long-range drive was well over. McKinlay then profited from good play by McStay to get into a dangerous position, but his effort was neither a cross nor a shot and it sailed harmlessly out for a goal kick.

Ayr were still well involved in the game at this stage and they could have extended their lead shortly before half-time when the ball was spread wide to Stevenson on the right and his powerful shot could only be parried straight back out into the middle of the penalty area by Hinchcliffe - luckily there was no one in white to pounce on the rebound. The Jags keeper was tested again right on half time when full-back Lowing strode forward and went for goal and his dipping effort had to be touched over the bar.

However, Thistle got themselves back on level terms with the last kick of the opening 45 minutes when the keeper failed to collect McStay’s in swinging corner, and Mark Roberts slammed the ball home at the back post much to the annoyance of the away support behind the goal who had just moments earlier been telling him that he was a “dirty Killie B”!

It didn’t take Thistle long to put the visiting defence under more pressure in the second half, and Buchanan had already headed just over from McKinlay’s cross before the same two players were involved again to put Thistle in front. McStay’s ball into the box looked to be to deep, but it was headed back into the danger area by McKinlay and Buchanan ran onto his knock down to fire the ball low past the keeper and notch up his eighth goal of the season.

Ayr battled away to try and get back on level terms and in the 65th minute Eddie Forrest hit a low shot that caused Hinchliffe problems, not for the first time in the game he failed to hold onto the slippery ball and had McStay to thank for clearing under pressure from Stevenson. From the resultant corner McStay took a kick in the face from the boot of Moore when trying to clear, amazingly both the ref and his linesman failed to spot the reason for McStay falling to a heap on the floor and play raged on, before Thistle eventually scrambled the ball behind for a corner.

After some treatment, McStay returned to the field but didn’t look fully recovered and was replaced by Murray soon afterwards. By then a knock had also forced Mark Roberts off with Simon Donnelly joining Buchanan in attack, and his intelligent play almost created a third for Thistle when he played in McKinlay on the left, but neither Buchanan nor Chaplain could get a clean shot on goal from his cross as Ayr had so many players back defending inside their box.

With 15 minutes of the game left Hinchcliffe was called into action to save from Stevenson, this time he held his low shot, and instead it was at the other end where the keeper was in trouble. A hopeful ball into the area was heading straight through to McGeown until Henderson tried to head it back to his keeper, only to head it past him but luckily for Ayr, also just past the post.

Rowson and Williams traded shots on goal for each side, both of which were well saved by the respective keepers then Buchanan was only denied a clear shot at goal by a superb last-ditch tackle from Henderson. Buchanan was involved again a few minutes later when he rolled the ball into Rowson’s path, but his 20-yard drive slid just inches past the post with the keeper well beaten.

The visitors looked to be tiring in the closing stages and Thistle cleverly tried to retain possession inside their opponents half to run down the clock. It worked pretty well except for one occasion that gave Ayr a final chance at securing a replay, but Moore’s half-volley from the edge of the box flashed wide of the far post and seconds later the ref blew the final whistle.

On a heavy, sodden surface, with a blustery wind and up against a physical team like Ayr, today’s game was never likely to be a great one. It certainly never came near to hitting the heights of the performance at Livingston, but the Jags did well to recover from a slow start and battle their way to the win. Bring on the next round.

Man of the match: Liam Buchanan