The Thistle Archive

Media report

PARTICK player-boss Gerry Britton was forced off the field by ref Ian Frickleton last night to avoid being shown a red card. Whistler Frickleton asked the Jags co-boss to leave as a substitute with 20 minutes to go after he lunged in to catch Stenny sub Paul McGlinchey who was left clutching his ankle. Britton trudged straight towards the dug-out and was replaced by sub Matt Shields. Britton, however, played down his tackle on McGlinchey. He said: “It was just mistimed rather than malicious. The ref just said to go off as a sub and that's what I did.” Co-boss Derek Whyte said: “I'll be fining him a packet of biscuits for that one. But he is showing the kind of attitude and determination that we need - I don't mind that.” The striker had earlier been involved in a furious bust-up with Stenny's Paul McGrillen, lashing out with a flurry of kicks at the home player after the ball became caught up in his legs. McGrillen squared up to him while Andy Smith raced up and appeared to punch Britton on the back of the head.

On an eventful night for Britton, the veteran grabbed the opener with a powerful header in six minutes from a Jamie Mitchell cross. Thistle were 2-0 up in half an hour as Andy Gibson raced into the box on the left and squeezed a low shot under keeper Willie McCulloch. Stenny's Ryan Davidson came close moments later with a snap shot from the edge of the box which flashed inches past the left post. Britton came close with a fabulous volley three minutes from the break when he keyed up the ball from a Mitchell pass, but keeper McCulloch smothered the ball on the line in front of 675 fans.

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