The Thistle Archive

27-Oct-2023, queensparkfc.co.uk

After battling for a well-earned point at Airdrie last time out the Spiders were keen to build on the platform they’d given themselves and Lewis Reid thought he was in dreamland inside the first three minutes into his full-debut, only to be brought crashing back down to earth in a matter of seconds. The youngster looked to have headed home a Jarrett corner after visiting keeper Jamie Sneddon made a hash of the set piece delivery – dropping the ball on the young defender’s head, but whistler Chris Graham judged Ruari Paton to have pushed the stopper. Queen’s started the game with a great deal of intensity, immediately putting their opponents on the back foot and they let another huge chance go begging with 12-minutes on the clock. Dom Thomas’ delivery from the left had the visiting backline scrambling as they defended yet another set piece into their box and all that was needed was a final touch to send the ball goalward but nobody was prepared to take the gamble. A driving run from Robson saw him combine with Thomas down the left hand side. The former Partick man delivered a wicked ball along the face of the six-yard box, finding Paton’s near-post run, but Ruari couldn’t get enough on his effort as it flew past Sneddon and the right hand post from a few yards out just shy of the 20-minute mark. The game was getting a bit feisty in the middle of the park and after a few comings together, man in the middle Chris Graham put his foot down, Paton’s late challenge on Lawless punished.

Paton was cutting a frustrated figure, after he missed another guilt edged opportunity after Thomas found a yard of space to whip a sensational cross into the box only for the Irishman to not get enough on his effort from close range yet again. Calum Ferrie was called into action for the first time nine minutes short of the half time interval as the visitors got their first sniff in front of goal. A big switch from Lawless on the right found Kerr McInory’s supporting run at the left corner of the box and when presented with time to chest the ball down and take advantage of the slick Hampden surface, fizzing a bouncing volley across goal for the stopper to tip round the post. But all of the Spiders’ pressure was for nothing as all of their hard work was undone right on the cusp of the break. A Thistle move down the left caught Louis Longridge a yard too high. This saw Ben Stanway’s underlapping run into the box get him the wrong side of Longridge who brought the Partick midfielder down, giving Chris Graham no choice but to point to the spot. Steven Lawless obliged by rifling the ball into the top right corner, despite some good guess work from Ferrie who dived the right way. Queen’s thought they might’ve got themselves on level terms just 120 seconds later after Turner was harshly bought down on the edge of the box as he pressed for a quick equaliser, but Paton’s powerful free-kick fizzed over the bar.

Queen’s didn’t let their late disappointment get the better of them and soon found themselves back on level terms within seven minutes of the restart thanks to a spot-kick of their own. A great bursting run forward from Turner saw him latch on to Thomas’ pass in-field and find himself one-on-one with Partick’s Wasiri Williams in the penalty area. Some great tricks from the No.20 saw him draw a clumsy challenge from the former Swansea man as Graham immediately pointed to the spot. Paton put his frustrations behind him to slam the ball down the middle and level things up. And Queen’s thought they’d completed a brilliant four-minute second half turnaround only a matter of minutes later as Turner got in on the act to capitalise on some poor Thistle defending. Some intricate play in the final third saw Turner play in the man over on the right, who turned out to be Jack Thomson, his initial effort across goal was headed towards goal by Milne but his clearance cannoned off Sneddon for Turner to sneak in at the back post and volley home into an empty net. But there was a moment of confusion as assistant referee Scott Anderson to flag for offside, but after a brief discussion with Graham the strike was ratified and allowed to stand. However, the celebrations were short lived as the visitors scored almost instantly from their centre. A momentary switch off saw Lawless played in behind Robson by McInroy. The Thistle winger did well to pick his head up and pick out Tomi Adeloye with a low drive along the six-yard line and the English man got the better of Ferrie with a first-time effort from the the middle of the box.

As both sides searched for a winner, it would be Queen’s who kept on playing the most football, with Partick looking to pounce on the counter attack. But it would be Turner who was denied his second and the Spiders’ third. A great driving run saw him first out to the left and have time to cut inside on to his left foot and look for the top corner, but his curling effort was tipped over the bar. Queen’s would continue to push for a winner and Turner was yet again denied with nine minutes to play as a his stinging drive from the edge of the box was well held by Sneddon at the second attempt. Substitute Alex Fairlie could have won it in the dying embers of stoppage time to give Queen’s what should’ve been a well-earned three points. Some quick thinking from a throw deep in the opposition half saw McCormick and Thomson combine, with the Spiders no.8 clipping a lovely ball in behind to return the ball to where it once came, for the academy product to beat Bannigan too and drive a brilliant delivery to find another academy graduate Fairlie who delayed run into the back post, but he was always stretching and couldn’t keep his lunging effort down as it sailed over the bar and meant that both sides had to settle for a point. Queen’s will have felt hard done by not to get all three points after a brilliant display in front of a lively home support.

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan (speaking to Jagzone):

We didn't play well enough and we turned the ball over too many times, and it probably feels then like Queen's Park are constantly coming at you, but we continually gave them the ball back. I felt as if we grew into it though, especially at 2-2 when we looked like the team more likely to get a winner, but if you can't win the game they always say find a way not to lose, so in that regard, I'm pleased.

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