The Thistle Archive

Ben Kearney, 22-Jul-2023, Falkirk Herald

Despite being down to ten men for the final 25 minutes of the match, the Bairns secured a 2-2 draw before going on to win the shoot-out 7-6, thanks to three penalty saves from Sam Long. John McGlynn’s men travelled to the Glasgow knowing that a victory would send them to the top of Group B, and they started very much on the front foot at Firhill. In the opening passage of the play, Sean Mackie saw an effort in the box go wide after neat play by Brad Spencer and Callum Morrison out wide. Former Thistle striker Ross MacIver then struck from close range to open the scoring on 14 minutes, with Falkirk’s impressive start rewarded. He was in the right place at the right time to poke home after Gary Oliver’s first effort was spilled by Jamie Sneddon in net. Spencer was the next to test the Thistle backline with a well-taken volley nearly making it two nil just after the half hour mark. Thistle then went close when Aidan Fitzpatrick’s excellent run saw him dart past three Falkirk bodies into the box. His cut-back found Brian Graham but Tom Lang was there to deny him the effort. Goalkeeper Long nearly handed the hosts an equaliser just before the break when his slack clearance was caught by Steven Lawless, who crossed in for Graham but couldn’t quite reach him.

In the second half, Thistle began to really take a complete foothold in the game, with the Falkirk playing deep within their own half. On 65 minutes, the Bairns were finally punished when Long was once again caught out with a slack pass at the back. His pass to Spencer put the midfielder on the wrong side of play, seeing him forced to wipe out the attacking Thistle man, with referee Steven Kirkland showing a red card for his last-man challenge just outside the area. And from that resulting free kick, the Bairns were punished by veteran hitman Graham. His sweetly struck effort flew into the top corner to level the tie. Despite being a man down, Falkirk then surged into life, with Alfredo Agyeman putting on a second-half show for the 526 travelling fans. Five minutes after the equaliser, he drove forward on the right, cut inside and beat his man before unleashing an effort in the near post to put the Bairns ahead. McGlynn’s side then had to deal with waves of pressure, and they managed to just about hold out until injury-time came. Substitute James Lyon was afforded an effort at goal during the second phase and he found the top corner with a cracking volley to send the match to a shoot-out. Long then redeemed himself, saving three spot-kicks as the Bairns won 7-6 to earn two points instead of one from their Firhill trip.

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to Jagzone):

I felt as if we were a bit slack at times with the ball and that isn't like us, we usually look after it really well. Especially in the first half, our touches //and passing were slack and they get a goal, and you're always chasing it from thereon. When we got back into the game - when Brian scored a terrific free-kick - we were in the ascendancy, we changed the shape, went with a couple of strikers, we were going after them, but then we lose another poor goal. It's a great strike from the boy, but I still felt we should have done better to stop it. I said to them at half-time that I felt we lacked that bit of quality with the final pass, we were doing well to win the ball back, but then we just lacked that wee bit of quality that we normally have, but James Lyon was the one that popped up to show that he's got it.//

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