The Thistle Archive

Media report

06-Mar-2012, ptfc.co.uk

The frustrating nature of Thistle’s season continued last night with defeat at league leaders Ross County who, with a nine point lead at the top of the division, are surely destined to be First Division champions this season. Manager Jackie McNamara feels that Thistle have underperformed this season and unquestionably feels an acute sense of frustrating over the fact that his side can play so well in one game, as they did against Hamilton last weekend, and then fail to hit the same level of performance in the very next fixture. The manager was denied the opportunity of fielding the same side that defeated Hamilton. Injury ruled out Captain Alan Archibald and top scorer Kris Doolan, who joined the suspended Paul Paton on the sidelines. There was, however, a first return to first team action for Willie Kinniburgh whose injury had kept him out of action since last August.

Facing a strong wind in the first half Thistle struggled to make an impression against a well organised and well drilled County defence, whilst also struggling to effectively clear their lines such was the strength of the wind. They were, however, restricting County to at best half chances even though the home side were enjoying the lion’s share of the possession. County though were to take a 30th minute lead. A patient County attack finished with a cross from the right being steered home by the head of Colin McMenamin who simply had far too much room inside the Thistle box. County, as befitting a side that have lost just once in the league, are not a team to let a lead slip and six minutes after opening the scoring they doubled their lead, leaving Thistle with it all to do. Iain Vigurs, who scored the goal that separated the teams at Firhill earlier in the season, found the net with an excellent free-kick that went in off Scott Fox’s right hand post.

With Thistle have the benefit of the wind in the second half there was hope that a comeback could materialise but those hopes were extinguished just five minutes after the restart. There was a hint of offside as County hit Thistle on the break but McMenamin’s cross was converted by Gardyne from six yards out. Unlike the first half Thistle at least made the home goalkeeper work in the second half. Chris Erskine twice forced Fraser into making decent stops, as did Kieran Burns, who was lively as a second half substitute. Fellow sub Sean Welsh too came close to a goal. His effort from the edge of the box took a slight deflection before clipping the top of the bar. A goal at this point though would have been scant consolation for a well beaten Thistle side. Indeed County could even have rubbed salt into Thistle wounds before the finish. Scott Fox was required to make a close range block to deny Steven Craig and with the game in injury time the same player struck the post after he had managed to take the ball past the Thistle keeper.

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