19th Mar 2016 Hamilton Academical 1 Partick Thistle 2 (SPFL Premiership - game 30)

matches:2015-16: ← 36game 3738 →

	Martin Canning	Alan Archibald	38y, 8m, 6d

		Mathias Pogba; Ryan Edwards
		Liam Lindsay; Kris Doolan

Greg Docherty (0-1, 11 mins)		Mathias Pogba (1-1, 50 mins); Ryan Edwards (2-1, 84 mins)
Gramoz Kurtaj (0-1, 11 mins)		Steven Lawless (1-1, 50 mins); Kris Doolan (2-1, 84 mins)
Gramoz Kurtaj; Lucas Tagliapietra		Dan Seaborne

Gramoz Kurtaj (Ali Crawford, 63 mins); Greg Docherty (Danny Redmond, 70 mins); Darren Lyon (Germaine Agustien, 82 mins)		Gary Fraser (Mustapha Dumbuya, 66 mins); Mathias Pogba (Kris Doolan, 81 mins)

	Michael McGovern	Tomáš Černý	30y, 11m, 9d
	future Jag Ziggy Gordon	Sean Welsh	26y, 0m, 4d
	Michael Devlin	Callum Booth	24y, 9m, 18d
	Grant Gillespie	Gary Miller	28y, 11m, 4d
	Dougie Imrie	Dan Seaborne	29y, 0m, 14d
	Gramoz Kurtaj	Abdul Osman	29y, 0m, 21d
	future Jag Darian MacKinnon	David Amoo	24y, 11m, 6d
	Eamonn Brophy	Gary Fraser	21y, 8m, 17d
	Greg Docherty	Mathias Pogba	25y, 7m, 0d
	Darren Lyon	Ryan Edwards	22y, 4m, 2d
	Lucas Tagliapietra	Steven Lawless	24y, 11m, 7d

			26y, 2m, 16d

	Alan Martin	Ryan Scully	23y, 4m, 19d
	Oumar Diaby	Kris Doolan	29y, 3m, 8d
	Alex D'Acol	Mustapha Dumbuya	28y, 7m, 12d
	Danny Redmond	Aidan Nesbitt	19y, 1m, 14d
	Ali Crawford	David Wilson [ii]	21y, 6m, 13d
	Germaine Agustien	Kevin Nisbet	19y, 0m, 11d
	Steven Boyd

notes

Only 6 on the bench for Thistle as Liam Lindsay pulled out with a pre-match knock.

TTA report

Injury to Lindsay at 2.45 meant a makeshift line-up. Luckily it was only 1-0 at half-time (close range, 11). Thistle began to match Hamilton's work rate and a much better second half saw Pogba's stooping header at the back post (50) and Edwards' header at the near post (84) take them up to 7th, 9 points clear of a play-off.

Media report

19-Mar-2016, ptfc.co.uk

Thistle travelled to Hamilton as the side began a four game mini-season that will determine which half of the division Thistle will spend the final five games of the 2015/16 campaign. Thistle were unbeaten in their last four trips to New Douglas Park and were looking to grab three points to pull away from the sides below them. Manager Alan Archibald had only intended on making one change to the side which were edged out by Celtic last weekend with Mathias Pogba replacing Kris Doolan up front. His plans were thrown into turmoil with around 15 minutes to go until kick off when Liam Lindsay suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Ryan Edwards. The tactical switch meant Gary Miller moved in to partner Dan Seaborne in central defence with Sean Welsh occupying the right back slot.

Thistle started brightly and should have taken the lead in the first minute when Callum Booth picked out David Amoo deep inside the Accies penalty area. The winger switched off, however, failing to control the ball and the chance was lost. Gary Fraser was next to fire over a cross which was palmed onto the crossbar by Michael McGovern, before the ball nicked off Pogba for a goal kick. With just over ten minutes on the clock the home side took the lead. The ball was worked in from the right hand side, before falling to Docherty on the edge of the box. The youngster lashed a high effort beyond the reach of Tomas Cerny. Accies were buoyed and beginning to bully Thistle a lot with lots of high pressing, not allowing the side to play their customary brand of football. Mathias Pogba, however, was proving a tremendous out ball for Thistle and he showed good skill to nick away from Lucas Tagliapietra who was booked for the high challenge. Dougie Imrie had a fierce effort from the edge of the penalty area punched away by Cerny as the home side dominated possession. Accies had the ball in the back of the Thistle net through Brophy, but the flag had gone up for offside long before the ball ended up in the box. Thistle were struggling to make an impact in the first half and were relieved when Willie Collum blew for half time with only a one goal deficit.

Better was required from Thistle in the second half and the side made an immediate impact in the second half. Booth and Lawless linked up well on the left hand side before Steven Lawless delivered an excellent cross to the waiting Pogba who had a free header from six yards. He fired a low header into the ground and it powered beyond McGovern. Thistle were having more of the ball and looking a more dangerous threat with David Amoo having particular joy against Ziggy Gordon. He swung over a dangerous looking cross, but Michael McGovern was able to beat Ryan Edwards to the ball and claim the cross. Mustapha Dumbuya made his return from injury to allow Sean Welsh into midfield for the last 25 minutes and after winning a free kick for the side on the half way line, Steven Lawless was only able to fire straight at McGovern. Hamilton continued to employ a direct style of play and when an Ali Crawford free kick skimmed off a Jags body, it went uncomfortably close to Cerny’s goal. Thankfully, it did go the right side of the post and Accies were forced to settle for a corner. Thistle were beginning to cut Hamilton open with ease and from a low Booth cross, Pogba was unable to keep his shot under the cross bar. It was to be the powerful striker’s last contribution for Thistle this afternoon as he was replaced by Kris Doolan who had an immediate impact. Abdul Osman picked up a loose ball and floated a high ball towards Kris Doolan. David Amoo stole in ahead of the striker to flick the ball on. Doolan pulled over a terrific right footed cross which was met by Ryan Edwards who powered home a header to give Thistle the lead. Thistle were content to sit back, hitting Accies on the break as time was winding down. There was one final scare for Thistle fans as Michael Devlin’s effort from the edge of the box arrowed inches past Cerny’s post. There was to be no final hurrah for Accies and Thistle saw out three minutes of additional time to celebrate a well-deserved three points.

POGBA ACADEMICALLY

● Thistle win their first Saturday match of 2016 at the 8th attempt.

● Mathias maintains his 100% scoring record vs Accies; played 2 scored 2.

● In the 84th minute, Kris ended his incredible all-games run of 114 appearances without an assist. The co-incidentals with his only other top-flight assist - against St Mirren in August 2013 - are amazing. That day he had also came on as a second half sub; it was also an away-day; his assist was also in the 84th minute; it also resulted in a 2-1 win; and it also completed a Jags comeback from a goal down.

● Ryan Edwards's first goal for Thistle arrives in his 3rd competitive start for the club. Fittingly, it's his first complete 90 minutes as a Jag.

● Ryan Edwards becomes the first Singaporean to score for Thistle.

● Singapore becomes the 22nd country to be represented in the Thistle goal-scoring charts.

● Thistle are currently on 9 competitive games without a draw; jointly the longest run of its kind since gaining promotion.

● Jags leapfrog Accies to go 4th in the Premiership away table.

● Having set a new all-time club-record of 24 away points in the top-flight as recently as 2013-14, Archie's Jags are tantalisingly close to re-setting the bar higher still. 5 points from the final 3 away games (assuming we get a fair 19-19 split this term) would break the record again.

● A win at home to Kilmarnock in a fortnight's time would see Archie's Jags match Davie McParland's total of 31 top-flight victories.

ongoing sequences:

● 8 competitive home games without a draw, 31st Oct 2015 to date. (Longest run since: 11 games; 21st Jan 2015 to 9th Aug 2015. Club-record: 26 games; 11th Mar 1899 to 13th Oct 1900 & 4th Mar 1944 to 5th May 1945.)

● 9 competitive games without a draw, 2nd Feb 2016 to date. (Longest run since: 9 games; 30th Jan 2015 to 21st Mar 2015. Club-record: 27 games; 18th Feb 1899 to 23rd Dec 1899.)

● 43 consecutive competitive appearances for Callum Booth, 14th Mar 2015 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Aaron Taylor-Sinclair - 55 games; 27th Oct 2012 to 18th Jan 2014. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

● 45 competitive away games without a penalty award, 1st Mar 2014 to date. (Longest run since: 64 games; 17th Apr 1948 to 3rd Mar 1951. Club-record: 73 games; 1st Apr 1911 to 7th Nov 1914.)

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