The Thistle Archive

Media report

MOTHERWELL'S fine run continued as they hauled themselves out of the Premier League danger zone and plunged Thistle deeper into trouble. Alex McLeish's men couldn't have found a better time to rediscover some of the form which saw them finish second in the table last season. Motherwell have now gone six League games on the trot without conceding a goal - a feat which beats a 66-year-old club record. And they have now picked up a valuable 16 points, though they've only found the net six times in the last 540 minutes of League action.

Right from the start, Thistle knew they would be in for a tough time when the visitors took to the field with six defenders in their line-up. But it was Motherwell's sharpness on the break that really stung the Jags. In the fifth minute Billy Davies showed the shape of things to come when his 22-yard left-foot swerving shot brought out a diving save from Partick keeper Micky Walker. For it was Davies who pounced to put Motherwell into the lead in the 26th minute with a wonder goal. The little midfielder netted for the first time this season when he lashed a superb left-foot piledriver from 20 yards past Walker, who had no chance. Earlier, Thistle should have taken the lead when Ian Cameron fired a stinging volley from a Tommy Turner lay-off just over. And in the 37th minute Thistle should have equalised. Hitman Derek McWilliams controlled the ball on the edge of the box and turned to crack a snap- shot which Motherwell keeper Scott Howie tipped over the bar at full stretch. Then Motherwell surged forward again and almost went two up just before the break when John Philliben thumped a fierce shot just wide from the right-hand side of the box.

Just after the restart, Motherwell were back on the attack again when Dougie Arnott got on the end of a Eddie May cross. But Walker did well to stop his close-range effort at the near post. In the 59th minute Motherwell finished off Thistle with a second. Big Dutch defender Mitchell Van der Gaag slotted home a left-foot volley from close range, which deflected off Thistle full-back Gregg Watson and past Howie. With this latest victory, Mothwerwell now look to be safe as they leap- frog Kilmarnock to go further clear in the table. But Thistle manager Murdo McCloud was left wondering what had happened to his side, who had thumped Hearts 5-2 last week and seemed to be getting their act together.

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