Wednesday 14 March 2007
| Written by Mark Hone | ||||||||||
| Wednesday, 14 March 2007 | ||||||||||
It was sweet revenge for Thistle tonight in the second game of their double header with promotion chasing St Johnstone, beating them 2-0 and finally breaking a run of home defeats against the Perthshire team that stretches all the way back to 1993! After the uninspiring and lethargic showing on Saturday, the Firhill faithful could have been excused for not wanting to turn up to tonight’s game and watch another heavy defeat unfold in front of their tormented and weary eyes. So, great credit must go to the fans who made up the healthier than expected attendance. With Dick and his beloved bunnet safely ensconced in the Jags dugout and with many fans wondering for how long the bunnet and its owner will remain there, the teams filed out into the cold March night and lined up with a few changes in personnel from Saturday. Thistle had to make do without Alan Archibald due to a slight hamstring strain and he was one of three changes to the Jags line-up, Sives coming in for his first start in four months while Brady and Boyd made way for Adam Strachan and Sam Morrow. Owen Coyle made just the one change for St Johnstone with Anderson coming in for the injured Kevin James. Thistle started the match at a terrific speed and moved the ball forward quickly. Within the first minute, after good approach work on the left, the ball broke kindly to Adam Strachan whose tame shot was deflected wide for the first corner of the game. Roberts floated a lovely cross into the box but Keogh could only direct wide and out. Brown Ferguson began the game as he meant to go on, tearing down the right hand side at every opportunity. In the seventh minute, he made one of these forays to just outside the box and cut the ball back for Sam Morrow who didn’t quite connect and saw his shot trundle past the St Johnstone goals. Thistle were up for this game and were giving Saints no time to settle on the ball. The visitors finally started to press into the Jags half after ten minutes when a free kick from the middle of the park was swung into the Thistle box. After a heart-stopping few seconds, when the Thistle defence seemed to stand and watch the ball as it bounced between players Keogh hoofed the ball to safety.There now followed a sustained attack from the Jags and they seemed to come in waves, supporting each other when the move broke down and moving forward as a unit. The Jags pressure paid off and they were awarded a corner. Mark Roberts swung the cross towards the front post. It broke to Young who had his back to goal. He swivelled on the spot and managed to direct the ball over his left shoulder and between a crowd of defenders. Morrow bravely stuck his head where it hurts and sent the ball over the line to open the scoring for Thistle. The confidence began to ooze through the Thistle players and none more so than Morrow. The on loan Hibs youngster began to show superb skills, juggling the ball over a bewildered St Johnstone midfielder’s head before laying the ball off to his team-mate. An inspired bit of business, Mr Campbell. The only threat that St Johnstone could muster was through the ever-present Jason Scotland. Twice he was able to latch onto huge goal kicks that bounced between and over the Jags defence but, luckily for Thistle, he was not able to make his shots count. On twenty two minutes, Thistle had a great chance to go further ahead from a free kick after Steven Anderson received a booking for a high challenge on Young. The ball was played superbly into the box and Young dived full length to head towards goal. The goalkeeper managed to parry the ball but only into the path of John Robertson whose shot was wonderfully saved again by Cuthbert. It was an open game and play swung to the other end where St Johnstone then had a fantastic opportunity to draw level. Scotland made a terrific run between two Thistle defenders. Keogh’s lunging tackle managed to divert the ball ever so slightly and in the time it took Scotland to adjust his stride, Tuffey had raced off his line and was able to block the shot. A very timely reminder that a one goal lead is always precarious. St Johnstone started the second half brightly and committed more players forward. In the forty ninth minute, Jason Scotland tried a speculative shot from thirty yards but it cannoned off his own player, who was in an offside position. The game had really opened up now with both teams looking for the next goal. After coming back from injury, Craig Sives was having a blinder of a game. He recovered the ball in midfield after a loose pass, took it round three players, lost his way and lost the ball, won it back and took it round another two players before finally slumping to the ground in exhaustion. Keogh had a nervy moment, when he tried to clear from the dangerous MacDonald, he tried to control the ball and failed. However, just as Sives had done, he battled to get it back and made two fine recovering headers to send the ball clear. Thistle’s hopes of a win were boosted on sixty three minutes when the visitors were reduced to ten men. Steven Anderson, who was already on a yellow, clattered into Derek Young yet again and off he went. This should have killed the visitors off but to their credit, St Johnstone kept pushing for a goal. However, the star of the night shone again. Morrow took the ball after some superb build up play by Thistle and from a tight angle on the right hand side of the St Johnstone box, he let fly only to see his shot thunder off the crossbar. Saints were still threatening though and a few minutes later they came close to grabbing an equaliser after some great football down the right ended with a flighted ball to the Jags back post. Paul Sheerin waited an eternity for it to drop and when it finally did, he screwed his shot wide and Keogh was able to clear. Thistle now changed gear and played some good football, with Morrow and Ferguson in particular playing well. And they got their reward with 17 minutes remaining when firstly, Strachan played a wonderful disguised pass into the path of Morrow whose shot produced a great save from Cuthbert. Roberts swung the resultant corner in to the near post, and the St Johnstone attempt at a clearance saw the ball head towards the back post were Keogh was waiting to bundle the ball home and seal a much needed three points for Thistle. What a difference three days make. This was a completely different Thistle team that turned up tonight. Full of passion, full of fight and, perhaps most importantly, full of ideas. While St Johnstone failed to play football you would expect a promotion chasing side to play, you can take nothing away from tonight’s Jags team. The manager and fans were hurting from the result against Clyde and at the weekend against St Johnstone. Tonight’s performance proves that this team were hurting too and they decided to do something about it. Man of the match:
Thistle: Tuffey 7, Robertson 5 (Brady 61, 5), McChrystal 8, B Gibson 6, Keogh 8, Sives 8 (Boyd 65, 5), Ferguson 8, Young 6, Morrow 8 (Russell 79), Roberts 6, Strachan 6. St Johnstone: Cuthbert, Mensing, Stanic, McInnes, McManus, Anderson, Morais, Hardie, MacDonald (Milne 59), Scotland (Lilley 59), Sheerin. |
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