One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Out of season fireworks on the other side of the canal provided a bizarre backdrop as Thistle dumped Stirling back into the Second Division in front of a sparse home support and an almost empty North Stand.

Overall the Jags deserved their narrow win courtesy of a 92nd minute Paul Keegan tap in, but the lack of enterprise shown by the Albion along with a succession of missed chances by the Jags ,with at times over-complex build up play, meant that this game went off like a damp squib rather than a 50 shot mega barrage.

Both sides lined up as a conventional 4-4-2 with Kevin McKinlay at left back, Ricky Little in the centre of defence and the enigmatic Ryan McStay at centre midfield, being the most obvious key changes. Mooc joined Gray up front, with Donnelly and Murray in the wide positions whilst McKeown took up the roving Rowser role. The widely trailed inclusion of four youngsters in the squad saw Eaglesham, Ardalany and Michael Robertson on the bench.

Despite a return from a ban there was no place for John Paul McBride in the Stirling line up, which included the fashion faux pas of the season, with goalkeeper Christie sporting a baggy shorts and leggings combination that looked like ladies culottes with 80 denier woolly tights.

Nathan Taggart looked lively early on for the Binos and pulled both Storey and Little out of position with his pace down the left flank, but it was the Jags who showed the first indication of serious intent when in the tenth minute Mooc laid the ball off to Murray who played the ball inside the full back to the onrushing Gray who blasted over from 16 yards.

Shortly after, another enterprising move by the Jags saw Storey play the ball off the ineffectual Devine for a corner which led to a Donnelly shot being charged down. Murray gained a second chance to cross only for Albion to clear at the expense of a further corner which came to nothing.

Thistle’s domination continued when Gray delivered a tantalising ball to the back post which McKeown did well to half control, but Mooc with his back to goal could not capitalise. A further chance came on sixteen minutes when a kick out by Tuffey was flicked on well by Mooc to Gray who set up Donnelly on the burst. Sid’s first touch was poor and Christie raced from his line to clear.

By this point, Thistle were beginning to exert pressure from the midfield going forward, but Murray was being closely patrolled and despite neat interplay down the left involving both forwards and Donnelly, there was less to show for Thistle’s dominance than in the first quarter of the game. Albion on the other hand looked cumbersome and pedestrian with their full backs disinclined to commit themselves forward and the midfield lacking any real quality. Despite this, a Devine free kick from deep bobbled around the Jags area and gave a glimpse of goal to Rodriguez who half volleyed over.

Thistle’s interplay became ever more complex but less fruitful as the half wore on, with some lovely close control followed by less sure footed final balls, Murray being the prime offender when with Donnelly in good position his final ball failed to reach its target. Route 1 was tried from an early taken free kick but the fans were just as frustrated with Gray’s inability to stay onside as they had been by the earlier wayward balls.

McKeown then passed up a chance with a low drive that was well saved by Christie and when the ball was fired back into the danger area Gray was gain ahead of his marker in an offside position. Albion began to claw their way back into the game with a couple of corners dealt easily with by Tuffey and a 25 yard Aitken free kick which Jonny held at the second attempt.

The first half drew to a close in typical fashion with good interplay between McStay and Murray ending in a cross/shot/chip which Christie easily gathered.

The Jags started the second half by far the brighter team with a great run by Murray followed by a Mooc lay off eventually culminating in Gray driving into the side netting. Murray again set up Gray on 55 with a cute lay off but Damon ballooned the cross well over with Mooc well positioned. Thistle continued to dominate but McKinlay almost let Rodriguez in after getting tangled in his own legs. Luckily the shot was deflected and with the sting taken out of it, Tuffey easily gathered.

By this stage of the game the fans were beginning to become frustrated and as the corner tally mounted it seemed that we were destined for another nil nil, especially when McKeown shot weakly at the keeper after a well worked short corner found him unmarked on the six yard line. The game was beginning to stretch as both teams tired on the heavy surface and both McCall and Moore introduced subs to freshen things up, Keegan replacing Mooc and shortly after, Eaglesham replacing Gray.

Ball watching by McStay led to a Stirling break with Robertson tidying up effectively and confirming this correspondent’s view that he was the outstanding Thistle player of the night.

Eventually on 85 minutes the Jags fans got to see the player we have all been hearing about as Pedram Ardalany replaced Stevie Murray. His first couple of touches looked assured, but his third, a late challenge 25 yards out may have proved costly, but luckily Aitken fired over. Ardalany then had a dig over the top which inspired McStay to do likewise, something that could have been more evident earlier on. and to possible greater effect.

As the 90 minutes passed and fans began to head down the South Drive, Eaglesham made a great run into the box drawing Christie out to narrow the angle. The youngster had the composure to push the ball across to the back post where despite three touches, Keegan eventually steadied himself and shot home from 6 yards to consign the Albion to their fate.

All in all it was a strange 90 minutes with no fight from Stirling despite their position and a Jags performance that promised much but delivered little, with good one touch lead up play spoilt by mediocre final passes or badly hit shots. Ryan McStay remains an enigma, with a deft touch and inspirational vision at times, but a tendency to look on the ball as a hot potato which has to be got rid of. Stevie Murray on the other hand is inclined to paint himself into corners when a more direct route is called for and both approaches are a poor fit for the thud and blunder of First Division football.

A strange game, a bit like eating Quorn mince rather than the real thing. It had a passing resemblance to a real good game but didn’t really feel like it Fair play to the shed boys in section 1 who sang enough to make the experience as authentic as it could be.

Roll on Sunday, when the troops will be out in force and the team will be more recognisable.

Man of the match: John Robertson