One team in Glasgow Partick Thistle

Thistle finally secured their First Division status for next season with a win over Dundee in a keenly contested match at Firhill. The visitors had nothing to play for, but not surprisingly for a side managed by the combative Alex Rae, they didn’t make it easy and Thistle had to work hard for the win.

Both managers made just one change to their respective line-ups, Craig Sives coming in for the suspended Alan Archibald in the Thistle defence and the injured Paul McHale was replaced by ex-Jag Derek Lyle in midfield for Dundee.Thistle went into this game searching for their first win in five games but it was Dundee, full of confidence following back-to-back wins over Airdrie and Ross County, who started the brighter of the two sides. They forced a few early corners and player/manager Alex Rae twice came close with efforts from the edge of the box, while at the other end all Thistle could muster was a wayward half-volley by Mark Roberts which sailed well off-target.

However, it was Thistle who should have opened the scoring after 12 minutes when from another Dundee corner Strachan won the ball from Rae and combined with Derek Young to launch a counter-attack, but when the latter squared the ball for Strachan in front of goal, the young winger wasted the chance by trying to side-foot it home but failing to connect properly.

Billy Gibson’s long pass set up another chance a few minutes later, Young and Jimmy Gibson exchanged passes on the edge of the box to set up Roberts, but his low shot was saved at the second attempt by Dundee keeper Ludovic Roy.

Thistle were on top now though and they made the breakthrough in the 17th minute courtesy of a great run by fullback John Robertson. He combined well with Billy Gibson on the right to get in behind the Dundee defence and his cutback was met at the back post by Strachan who slammed the ball high into the back of the net.

The lead lasted barely five minutes though as a ball into the box by Swankie was only partially cleared by the Jags defence and Derek Lyle popped up on the edge of the area to meet it sweetly on the volley and find the bottom corner of the Thistle goal.

Just before the half hour mark in-form striker Dyron Daal got his first sight of goal when he ran onto Rae’s pass, but his early shot was fairly easy for Tuffey to deal with. The effort was to prove a costly one for the on-loan Aberdeen man, as he appeared to twist his knee when he fell after shooting and limped on for a few minutes before having to be subbed.

Dundee’s Alex Rae rarely fails to entertain the Jags support when he plays at Firhill, and he livened up proceedings with a high challenge on Mark Roberts and then treated the yellow card it merited with typical derision. He caught the same player again a few minutes later and this time was quick to walk away to avoid getting himself into any more trouble…. thankfully that didn’t last, but that was to come much later!

From a corner kick Mark Roberts was next to threaten when he came close with a header from Boyd’s flick on, but it was Dundee who finished the half the stronger, twice profiting from loose passes to go for goal. First it was Barry Smith’s poor header that gifted Swankie possession and he drove forward before bringing out a good save from Tuffey. The same player then picked up a wayward pass from Billy Gibson and again drove down the left, this time he got more power in his shot but Tuffey was again up to the task and blocked his effort.

With the two sides level at half-time and the same scoreline in the match at Dingwall, Thistle knew a win could be enough to steer them clear of the relegation zone and they got the second half off to the perfect start when Derek Young fired them in front after only five minutes. He ran onto Roberts’ hopeful overhead kick and although Griffin intercepted the pass he could only knock it high into the air and Young did superbly to control it before turning and firing a low shot past Roy.

Ten minutes later Young was involved again when he stole the ball from the Dundee full-back deep inside his own half, he cut the ball back from the by-line to set up Strachan with a glorious chance to extend the lead, but as in the first half, Strachan failed to connect properly and Roy was able to make the save.

An entertaining game was swinging from end-to-end now and Dundee twice came close through McDonald and Lyle, while Strachan headed narrowly wide from a Roberts cross and Roy touched a Boyd header over the bar.

Next up it was McDonald who again tested Tuffey with a low drive that the Jags keeper did well to turn it round the post, before play returned to the other end when Thistle broke quickly up field from defending the corner and only Jimmy Gibson’s lack of pace stopped him getting on the end of Young’s through ball.

Sam Morrow replaced the tiring Derek Young for the last seven minutes and he threatened within seconds of coming on. He collected Strachan’s pass and drove towards the by-line before cutting inside and going for goal himself but Roy blocked and was then able to gather the ball before Morrow could get a second chance.

With five minutes left Dundee won a free-kick right on the edge of the box following a rash tackle from sub Sandy Hodge, but Swankie’s low effort was comfortably saved by Tuffey, and that was about as close as the visitors came to grabbing an equaliser with wild efforts from McDonald and Clark all they could muster in the closing stages.

The win was sealed for Thistle in the last minute when Jimmy Gibson stole possession from the impressive but hot-headed Alex Rae, and the veteran midfielder reacted with another rash challenge leaving the referee with little choice but to show him a second yellow card.

The gleeful “cheerio, cheerio” chants from the Jags support were only drowned out by the cheers (of joy and relief) as the final whistle blew and the announcement that the draw in Dingwall meant the Jags were safe after a hard fought but probably deserved win.

Man of the match:
DEREK YOUNG - The sponsors award went to Tuffey but while the young keeper made a few saves they were for the most part routine, so I’ve went for Derek Young instead. He never stopped running throughout the game and won the match with an excellently taken goal.

Thistle: Tuffey 7, Robertson 7, McChrystal 6, Smith 6, Boyd 6, Sives 6 (Hodge 70), J Gibson 6, Young 8 (Morrow 89), B Gibson 6, Roberts 6 (Russell 83), Strachan 6.
Unused subs; Arthur, Ferguson.

Dundee: Roy, Shields, Dixon, Rae, Griffin, G Smith, K McDonald, Lyle, Davidson, Daal (K Smith 31 (Clark 84)), Swankie.
Unused subs; Forsyth, Gates, Higgins.