27th Feb 2024 Ayr United 4 Partick Thistle 3 (SPFL Championship - game 25)

Partick Thistle – a People’s History will be the 150th anniversary book; author Kenny Pieper needs your memories and stories from following the Jags… read more on the club website

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matches:2023-24: ← 35game 3637 →

	Scott Brown	Kris Doolan	37y, 2m, 16d

		no changes
		no changes

Nick McAllister (0-1, 15 mins); Kurt Willoughby (1-2, 43 mins); Kurt Willoughby (1-3, 45‎+‎2 mins); Harry McHugh (3-4, 84‎ mins)		Brian Graham (1-1, 33 mins); Tomi Adeloye (2-3, 78‎ mins); Jack Sanders (3-3, og 83‎ mins)
none (0-1, 15 mins); Mark McKenzie (1-2, 43 mins); Fraser Bryden (1-3, 45‎+‎2 mins); none (3-4, 84‎ mins)		Kerr McInroy (1-1, 33 mins); Harry Milne (2-3, 78‎ mins); Harry Milne (3-3, og 83‎ mins)
Harry McHugh; Nick McAllister

Mark McKenzie (Roy Syla, 75 mins); Jamie Murphy (Scott Tomlinson, 75 mins); Kurt Willoughby (Franny Amartey, 82 mins)		Kerr McInroy (Scott Robinson, 57 mins); Stuart Bannigan (Tomi Adeloye, 63 mins)

	future Jag Josh Clarke	Ross Stewart	28y, 10m, 17d
	Nick McAllister	Jack McMillan	26y, 2m, 9d
	Frankie Musonda	Harry Milne	27y, 3m, 29d
	Jack Sanders	Lewis Neilson	20y, 9m, 12d
	former Jag Sean McGinty	Aaron Muirhead	33y, 5m, 28d
	Ben Dempsey	Stuart Bannigan	31y, 5m, 10d
	Harry McHugh	Luke McBeth	24y, 5m, 18d
	Jamie Murphy	Steven Lawless	32y, 10m, 15d
	Mark McKenzie	Brian Graham	36y, 3m, 4d
	Kurt Willoughby	Kerr McInroy	23y, 5m, 27d
	Fraser Bryden	Aidan Fitzpatrick	22y, 11m, 7d

			28y, 0m, 5d

	Charlie Albinson	David Mitchell	33y, 10m, 23d
	Aiden McGeady	Wasiri Williams	23y, 10m, 26d
	Franny Amartey	Kieran Ngwenya	21y, 5m, 2d
	Paul Smith	Scott Robinson	31y, 11m, 16d
	Roy Syla	Blair Alston	31y, 11m, 4d
	Scott Tomlinson	Ben Stanway	19y, 5m, 7d
	Max Guthrie	Zander MacKenzie	18y, 5m, 30d
	Shaun Donnelly	Ricco Diack	18y, 9m, 20d
		Tomi Adeloye	28y, 0m, 10d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.
The network awards an assist to Mark McKenzie for Ayr's first, but his shot was completely knocked off-target by Thistle's Harry Milne, the 90 degree deflection putting it into the path of the goalscorer, so the reality is “no assist”. The network awards no assist for Thistle's first goal but, although Kerr McInroy's shot was blocked, the (spinning) trajectory was bound for the scorer, Brian Graham, so an assist should be awarded. As always, we stick with the original (but now defunct) OPTA policy of awarding assists for own goals where appropriate, so Harry Milne gets our award for Thistle's third goal.

TTA report

League's top scorers/3rd worse goals conceded. Defensive dithering led to the opener (15) but Graham nodded in a mis-hit shot (33). Goals 43 (back post) and 45+2 (Stewart lobbed) exploited terrible defending. Adeloye knocked in a deep cross (78) and an OG levelled things (83) but poor play in midfield led to the winner from 18 yards a minute later.

TTA man of the match

STEVEN LAWLESS deserves it for his work-rate alone lately, and you always feel like there is hope when he's on the park.

Media report

Andy Burke, 27-Feb-2024, bbc.com

Kurt Willoughby's debut brace helped Ayr United edge a seven-goal thriller with Partick Thistle. Nick McAllister put the home side in front before Brian Graham marked his 150th Thistle appearance with the equaliser. A quick-fire double just before the break from Willoughby gave the hosts a 3-1 half-time lead. Tomi Adeloye and a Jack Sanders' own goal brought Partick level but Harry McHugh's late strike won it for Ayr. Ayr are fifth, five points off the promotion play-off places, while Thistle are six points ahead in third.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan:

A sore one, really sore. For the majority of the game we played well enough but the goals we give away, they get worse every time I see them. We get back to 3-3 and then within about 60 seconds the ball is in the back of our net. There's huge things to learn and get better at, but I'm fed up hearing my own voice saying the same thing. You make a mistake, you get punished at this level.

Ayr United manager Scott Brown:

It was exciting for everyone. Both teams tried to play and I think the wind helped in both halves. We played with it in the first half and scored three goals and they did the exact same in the second half. We're always looking both ways [in the league]. It's such a tight league, anyone can beat anyone. Lucky enough to get three points today and now we look forward to Dunfermline on Saturday and try and build some momentum.

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