The Thistle Archive

Media report

JAGS TURN ON GRAND OLD SHAW. GEORGE SHAW and Martin Hardie gave Partick Thistle their second Glasgow derby victory of the season at the new Hampden. Queen's supporters had worked up a sweat on New Year's Day to get the pitch cleared of snow so the match could go ahead but it was their heroes who were labouring in the early stages.

Home keeper Colin Stewart was relieved to hear the referee whistle for a foul as he tangled with Thistle's Peter Lindau for a high ball in the six-yard box inside the first 45 seconds. Good work down the left by Brian Hamilton, Hardie and Alan Archibald then set up Derek Collins for a long-range effort that deflected over the Queen's Park goal for a corner after two minutes. A minute later Hardie put Thistle ahead after they had forced another corner, volleying home delicately at the near post from Danny Lennon's cross. Shaw had a great chance to make it 2-0 in the 10th minute after he found himself in space in the box when Hardie chested down a high ball to him but he blazed his effort wide. Queen's were chipping away and Kevin Finlayson was unlucky not to get on the end of Jim Brown's cross after Brian Hamilton intercepted. The home side forced the first corner in 18 minutes when Stephen Craigen was forced to put the ball out after Ross Jackson tore down the right but keeper Kenny Arthur dealt admirably with the cross. Arthur was back in action two minutes later, plucking a Neil McFarlane cross out of the air, while under pressure. Shaw made a mess of things in the Queen's box in 25 minutes, deflecting a Jim Smith header almost off the goal-line. And Smith was denied again a minute later when keeper Stewart punched a cross from a corner into his path, then flung himself at the ball to save Smith's goal-bound header. Denis Connaghan tested Arthur from long range after 27 minutes, then Stewart pulled off a stunning save when Ross Caven's slack back-header allowed Lindau into the box to shoot from eight yards. At the other end, Arthur had to be alert to tip over young winger Finlayson's 30-yard screamer, then McFarlane saw an effort cleared off the line from the resultant corner. However, in the 36th minute Archibald found himself in space on the left flank after Finlayson had tried to run the ball out of defence. And the Jags wing-back's low centre into the six-yard box was banged home by a delighted Shaw. Sandy Stewart was unlucky moments later when he couldn't control another Archibald ball into the box. Hardie nodded yet another Archibald cross wide a minute before the break.

Queen's boss John McCormack rang the changes at half-time, bringing on Frankie Carroll and Mark Gallagher for Jackson and Brown. Arthur easily held a cross-shot from Spiders left-back Paul Borland in the 53rd minute. Connaghan earned the game's first booking after 57 minutes for a tackle from behind on Shaw and Gallagher followed him into the referee's notepad a minute later. Stewart dived bravely at the feet of Lindau to deny the midfielder Thistle's third in 59 minutes and Hardie drove the follow-up just wide. Lennon picked up a booking for a 63rd-minute foul on Stephen Marshall but Queen's couldn't make anything of the free-kick at the corner of the box. Lindau set Shaw free on the right flank after 69 minutes and Hardie got on the end of his deep cross from the by-line but couldn't get his shot on target. Thirteen minutes from time Lindau twisted and turned in the Spiders box before powering in a drive which Stewart turned away excellently. Queen's battled hard for a consolation goal in the closing minutes and Connaghan drove a free kick straight at the Jags' wall as the clock ran down.

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