One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Thistle travelled to a bright and breezy Dens Park today in good heart after recent results and with new signing Paul Di Giacomo added to strating line up in place of the unfortunate Adam Strachan. With both teams having managers the opposite support love to hate, it was sure to be a passionate afternoon.

As early as the first minute, Dundee created the first of what would become many opportunities with Tuffey failing to hold a swerving shot from outside the box but the incoming Dundee player being given offside as Tuffey pounced gratefully on the rebound. Moments later, Dundees attacking potency was seen again as Daquin headed wide after Sturm was set free down the Thistle right and went past Storey with ease.

After 8 minutes Archibald was penalised for a trip on Sturm and Swankie curled in a free kick inside Tuffey’s left hand post with Tuffey nowhere near it. Tuffey looked accusingly at his wall but either he was out of position or the wall was not lined up correctly, or most probably both, whatever Tuffey was at fault for the goal.

Thistle nearly struck back immediately when a free kick was played sideways to Harkins who hit a thunderbolt from 30 yards which Samson did well to touch over the bar. Dundee broke with pace and menace from the resulting corner but Rowson did superbly to tidy things up at the back.

Dundee were all over Thistle at this stage and were winning a succession of corners. Daquin had the beating of Twaddle and Dundee were regularly exploiting this.

After quarter of an hour, Thistle, and Tuffey’s, day got worse as Davidson headed in a back post header from 2 yards out with Tuffey on his line. It was a poor goal to lose in a game where all aspects of young Tuffey’s game came under scrutiny, kicking, judgement, command and organisation of defence, presence, shot stopping and the only one he passed with flying colours was shot stopping.

Dundee kept coming forward and Palenik headed the next opportunity wide from yet another Dundee corner. Dundee’s next move saw Daquin beat both Twaddle and Rowson and then play in Strum who saw his shot hit the diving Tuffey’s legs and rebound for a corner.

Twenty five minutes had now passed and after a bit of pinball in the Thistle box, McStay showed a cool head that some of his defensive colleagues were lacking and released Murray who carried the ball into the Dundee half before releasing Di Giacomo with a good ball. Di Giacomo could not beat his man but won a corner, and the resulting corner from Murray flashed across the Dundee six yard box but no-one could connect with it.

Around the half hour mark Jimmy Gibson replaced McStay who seemed to have picked up a knee injury and Griffin replaced Dixon for Dundee.

As half time approached, Thistle had their best spell of play by using the full width of the pitch and Buchanan and Murray linked well before playing in Di Giacomo with whom the move broke down. Thistle retained possession from the throw-in but Buchanan could not direct his header when the cross came in.

The half finished with a piece of sloppy play by Harkins conceding a corner from which Archibald was beaten in the air but the header went just past Tuffey’s left hand post.

McCall brought on Strachan at the start of the second half for Chaplain, and Di Giacomo moved up front and this nearly paid off with a great chance for Strachan in the first few minutes of the second half. Harkins played an exquisite long pass to Murray who beat his man and squared it for Strachan but he shot straight at Samson and without enough power from 6 yards out. This was a great chance spurned.

Five minutes later Thistle were made to rue the miss when McDonald left Archibald on his backside and finished powerfully from the edge of the box. At this stage Archibald and Davidson became involved in a niggly and verbal battle for a few minutes, the Dundee player and manager feeling that Archibald had trod on Davidson while he was on the ground.

Shortly afterwards Archibald was booked for what can only be assumed to be dissent although it did appear that the player giving most verbal abuse to the referee was Jimmy Gibson who escaped a caution.

Di Giacomo showed his SPL pedigree after 65 minutes by blatantly diving when inside the Dundee box when a lay-off could have set up another Thistle player with a good chance. Storey then covered well to clear a good Dundee cross with players queuing up in centre after some poor play by first Archibald and then Jimmy Gibson gave Dundee possession in a dangerous area.

Now there has been little mention of Jonathan Tuffey for a while. After 78 minutes, we were treated to a sight which, had it been done by our previous number 1, would have jammed the forum with criticism. Tuffey came charging out of his goal to the right touchline but Daquin beat him to the ball and the Dundee player effectively had an open goal from about 30 yards out on the right touchline which, thankfully, he put wide.

With ten minutes left Thistles day got worse. Keegan, who looked useful with his presence after replacing Di Giacomo, was clearly pulled back right in front of the Thistle support for what would have been a Thistle free kick deep in Dundee territory. The referee waved play on and from the resulting break Archibald committed an offence and as shown a second yellow card and sent off, which resulted in Rowson moving back into defence for the remainder of the game.

It was a frustrating day when as individuals and as a team Thistle under-performed. The defence lacked presence and organisation and surely this is something McCall will seek to his address if he has another signing up his sleeve. Tuffey’s performance was one of the poorest by a Thistle goal-keeper for many a day, his kicking being erratic throughout.

Man of the match: David Rowson