The Thistle Archive

Partick Thistle came back from a goal down to draw with St Johnstone and move two points clear of Premiership bottom side Ross County. Joe Shaughnessy headed Saints in front from Liam Craig's delivery shortly before half-time. Chris Erskine's second-half volley for Thistle and George Williams' effort for Saints were saved. The Jags were awarded a penalty after Craig's challenge on Ryan Edwards and Conor Sammon converted. Alan Archibald's Thistle, who host County on Friday, are now four points behind Hamilton Academical and Dundee.

It hardly had the look of a classic before kick-off given that no team had scored fewer goals at home in the Premiership than St Johnstone while no side had hit fewer away goals than Partick Thistle. The reasons for that were all too obvious from the off as both teams struggled to create any real clear-cut chances in a first half that was all about commitment but little composure. The big surprise was that the visitors were so lacklustre given Ross County's defeat at Hamilton earlier in the day but they seemed more intimidated than inspired by that. They did at least create the first good opening on the counter attack after just eight minutes but Steven Lawless wasted the chance by slashing Kris Doolan's cross well wide of the far post. Saints looked like a side low on confidence themselves at times and were equally negligent after working a good position for themselves midway through the opening period after some good work by Richard Foster. The former Rangers and Aberdeen player threaded a pass that sent David Wotherspoon clear but he shot straight at Tomas Cerny when Steven MacLean was in the clear and calling for a cutback. Former Arsenal and England star Martin Keown was at the game to watch his son Niall play in central defence for the Jags and he could not have been impressed with the way Alan Archibald's side conceded the opener. Foster was involved again in the build-up before Craig's cross from the left found Shaughnessy in space at the back post and the Saints captain angled his header back across Cerny into the far corner of the net.

Archibald waited only seven minutes into the second half to shake things up by bringing on Sammon for Lawless and they certainly started to look more of a threat after that. Erskine finally tested Zander Clark with a shot from 18 yards after catching Callum Booth's cross with a sweetly struck volley while Sammon glanced a header that the goalkeeper was relieved to save. It was at least a more entertaining second half with chances at either end as MacLean lashed a shot over the bar while George Williams brought out the best in Cerny, who was making his 100th Thistle appearance. But Saints were to be denied what would have been only a fourth league win since beating Rangers at Ibrox in December when Thistle substitute Edwards was flattened in the box with just two minutes left. Sammon sent Clark the wrong way as he kept his nerve to bury the equaliser.

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright:

I'm hugely disappointed as that's another two points dropped. We couldn't deal with a 50-yard punt into the box. I've seen the penalty and I don't know if there was any real contact on the player and I would have to look at the referee and see if he gets a clear view of it but he was in no doubt as he couldn't wait to point to the spot. Ultimately we have allowed Partick to get a point when they shouldn't have because we were in total control of the game but that has been our Achilles heel all season. If it happens three or four times a season you are a little bit unlucky but it has happened so many times for us with people not doing their jobs - that has cost us today and throughout the season.

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald:

I think some people got sucked in because we have a decent enough record here but you still have to earn it and our levels weren't what they were last week. We looked a bit laboured at times in terms of moving the ball but I was delighted to get the point in the end. I thought we started brightly enough but we just sort of fell out of it after the first 20 minutes. The subs have been great for us as they made a real impact for us last week and maybe not as much this week in terms of during the play but a lot of that is down to St Johnstone and how they played. Thankfully, though, Ryan wins the penalty and Conor tucks it away. Now it's a massive game for us on Friday and we know what we have to do.

Scott Davie, bbc.com, Saturday, 28th April, 2018.

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