One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

The recent form of free scoring Livingston came to an abrupt halt tonight as Thistle out-fought, out-worked and out-thought Livingston. Injuries to Storey and Keegan meant Ian McCall was forced into making a couple of changes, Greg Cameron also missed out with McStay, Roberts and McKinlay coming into the starting line-up.

As I travelled through to Livingston on a cold and dark evening, I was questioning the wisdom of my decision to come to this match with such a certain feeling of foreboding and lack of expectation. It was hard to see a Thistle victory tonight before kick off, however it was pleasing to see so many like minded soul and the away support was greater than I had imagined it would be.

The support nearly got something to shout about in the first minute but an off-balance Buchanan’s left foot shot was never on target. The opening goal wasn’t long in coming though and after 9 minutes, Thistle, who by this stage had faced a few inswinging corners expertly delivered by Dorrans, took the lead. Roberts did well on the Thistle right and centred well where Thistle attackers were arriving thick and fast and Chaplain fired the ball confidently home. A great start.

Thistle kept up the pressure and after 16 minutes the ball broke to Harkins outside the box after a couple of successive corners but he shot just wide.

Thistle were frustrating Livingston and the entire team was following the example set by the Buchanan and working so hard. The left side of defence of Twaddle and McKinlay was operating particularly well. But they were also showing that by breaking at pace they could cause the defence of Livingston difficulty and one such break by Buchanan on the Thistle right led to Roberts picking up the ball after a challenge on Chaplain but he fired just wide.

However, a few minutes later Thistle doubled their lead. A ball over the top played in Roberts but the ball caught up in his feet but broke kindly for Buchanan whose effort was almost saved by the advancing keeper, but inched over the line despite despairing efforts by the Livingston defence.

This second goal five minutes before the break brought about a sense of urgency in the Livingston ranks but all of the huff and puff led to little in the way of chances, their best effort being when McStay headed a header by McKay off the line when stationed on the back post.

At the start of the second half, Livingston won a soft free kick which was cleverly taken by Livingston’s hardest working and best player, Dorrans, and the incoming Livingston forward, having lost his marker, just failed to connect. It was really the last scare Thistle were to have to endure.

From the resulting goal kick Thistle broke and Robertson was played in on the right and fired a fierce shot just past the right hand post. Then lovely play involving McStay and Roberts led to Roberts being tripped on the edge of the box. Unfortunately, for the free kick the new rule of the wall only having to be about 6 yards away was used meaning that Twaddle’s effort was charged down. However immediately Livingston reoffended in a similar position albeit a bit less central, and this time McStay found McKinlay’s head but McKinaly only found the keepers arms.

Roberts found himself in a good position on the edge of the box after 62 minutes but was incredibly adjudged offside by the linesman immediately in front of the Thistle support. Moments later Buchanan sprang the offside trap with the Livi defensive line high up the pitch, the linesman kept his flag down on this occasion and Buchanan raced through and although his shot was saved by the advancing keeper, he showed composure to finish off the rebound from a tight angle.

Thistle were now rampant and moments later Buchanan may have had a hatrick when Roberts cross from the left was just taken out of the onrushing Buchanan’s reach by the keepers fingertips.

With twenty minutes remaining McStay picked up a booking and Livingston replaced Snodgrass with Craig. A further few minutes passed before the welcome sight of Simon Donnelly in a Thistle strip was seen once again when Sid replaced McStay.

A party atmosphere had erupted amongst the travelling support and a series of good passing and ball retention involving Roberts Donnelly, Rowson and Buchanan was cheered loudly, not as loudly however as goal number four after 82 minutes. Roberts was fouled wide on the Thistle left, and the free kick was played into the box and headed onto the back post where Buchanan cleverly kept it in and headed it back across goal for Roberts to bundle it over the line.

The Livingston defence was very poor and Thistle got the break of the ball but this was a good Thistle performance. Players who have under-performed this season such as Twaddle, McKinlay and Roberts all had much improved games and the work ethic throughout the team was first class, as indeed was the support for the team from the stand.

Now lets just hope the next time I have low expectations for a hard working group of players going into a game (this Saturday) a similar result can be achieved.

Man of the match: Liam Buchanan