One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

This would have been a dreadful day out for a neutral or a County fan, but the Thistle support could put up with the cold, the wet weather and the grim game as we progressed to the next round courtesy of a John Robertson goal, making all worthwhile.

The big team news was that Tuffey replaced Arthur in goals for Thistle and that the Jags were sporting a new look defence featuring loan signing Barry Smith for the first time. Ross County had been badly hit by a flu bug and were without a few players while Lee Wilkie didn’t feature to stop him being cup-tied. But new loan signings Jay Smith and Diarmuid O’Carroll both featured.

The game started brightly enough with McConalogue shooting weakly when set up by Roberts, and Young blazing over from ten yards inside the first five minutes. By this time John Tuffey had also made his first save from a long range effort. But it was Thistle who edged in front after 15 minutes. The Jags won a free kick on the right hand side and Billy Gibson’s good delivery found John Robertson at the back post and his header crept inside the post into the corner of the net.

McConalogue was showing some good skill with the ball at his feet and getting plenty of possession but unfortunately the end product was always lacking. The defence of Smith, Boyd, McChrystal and Robertson were looking very solid, professional and organised in the first period of play and County were reduced to shooting from distance as they were unable to break Thistle down in their unambitious 4-4-1-1 formation.

After 20 minutes one such long range effort from the on-loan Gardyne was badly misjudged by Tuffey and much to his relief the spinning skidding rebound did not fall to a County player. County had plenty of possession but did little with it, huffing and puffing but ultimately being snuffed out time and time again in the final third. Tuffey’s kicking both from the deck and from hand was erratic meaning on two occasions in quick succession possession was quickly returned to County in the Thistle half, but the home side couldn’t take advantage.

Shortly before half time County’s best two players combined as Adams threaded a ball beyond the Thistle defence for Gardyne to run onto. Gardyne got there before Tuffey and knocked the ball past the outrushing keeper and was then clattered by him, but much to the relief of the sizeable Thistle support who thought a red card was to follow, the ref waved away the shouts for a penalty and Boyd cleared the trundling ball from the line.

Despite this, the referee did not escape criticism from the away support who were disappointed that the persistent fouling by Higgins did not result in a yellow card. From one such foul, Billy Gibson delivered into the box a ball of equal quality and precision to the one for the goal, however on this occasion Boyd could not direct his header and so the first half ended with Thistle leading one nil.

Ross County started the second half brightly and within a minute of the restart Tuffey was called into action to make a smart save from a Gardyne snap shot. County seemed to be playing with more purpose in the second period and another attack soon followed after good build up play involving Cowie, Higgins and Gardyne, but after Gardyne’s good lay off, Cowie shot weakly and his effort as easily gathered by Tuffey to his left.

Thistle just could not clear their lines effectively at this stage and County had all the possession and all attacking momentum. Although, much like the first half, couldn’t really do anything productive with it. They tried to change things by replacing Higgins with Celtic loan player O’Carroll and he looked a different proposition immediately with pace and a direct approach.

A few errors began to creep into the play of the defence, particularly Smith who had been outstanding in the first half although generally these were not punished or good recoveries were made from the mistakes. Brady and Roberts were both working tirelessly when County had the ball, closing down and giving their players no time on the ball.

There was not much goalmouth action to report and what little there was, happened in the Thistle box. Tuffey got involved with one of the County players when he would not give him the ball for a corner they had just won and received a few words lecture from the referee.

Graeme Gibson replaced the ineffective McConalogue and immediately raced free of the County defence from a throw in showing good pace to get to the by-line. His cut-back fell nicely for Roberts but Thistle’s one real chance of the second half was poorly finished by Roberts’ own high standards and the County defence scrambled the ball clear.

As the game drew to a close Dick Campbell and every Thistle fan was looking optimistically at their wrists and then at the referee, keen to hear the final whistle so that the journey south could be made and the match categorised as ‘job done’.

Tuffey almost created an opening for County with a poor kick out that only reached McChrystal, he flicked it on with his head but County picked up possession and broke with pace, but thankfully the keeper made amends by collecting the cross from the right, and in fact, Tuffey had demonstrated good judgement in coming for crosses throughout the game.

Ex-Jag Andy Dowie was somehow named the sponsors man of the match although Gardyne had by far looked the most threatening County player until he appeared to chuck it in frustration in the last 15 minutes and started randomly shooting from every angle.

This was a day when Thistle showed that if you have a solid defence and don’t concede you can always steal a game you don’t really deserve to win and all the plaudits should be for the manner of the defensive performance. Save for one breathtaking crossfield ball by Mark Roberts and the break by Gibson to set up Roberts chance in the closing stages, Thistle showed very little creativity from open play and Donnelly’s return would be welcome from that point of view.

The fragility of the squad was illustrated by the fact that there were 3 defenders among Campbell’s four outfield substitutes and one must hope that any more January signings provide attacking options.

Man of the match:
MARK McCHRYSTAL - It was a hard-working and battling team performance by Thistle and so there weren’t many good individual displays. The most impressive Thistle players were Robertson, Boyd and McChrystal and any one of the three would be a deserving man of the match, and for demonstrating leadership, organisation, winning virtually everything in the air and after a shaky start showing good distribution Mark McChrystal would be pick.

Thistle: Tuffey 6, Smith 6, Robertson 7, Brady 6, Boyd 7, McChrystal 7, B Gibson 6, Ferguson 6, Young 5, Roberts 6 (McCulloch 89), McConalogue 6 (G Gibson 80).
Unused subs; Arthur, Kane, Hodge

County: Samson, Smith, McKinlay, Dowie, Webb, McCulloch (Gunn 66), Gardyne, Adams, Higgins (O’Carroll 58), Cowie, Moore.
Unused subs; Malin, Scott, Anderson.