SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership
Sat 30 September, 2017. Kick Off: - 15:00
Fir Park, Motherwell
Supporters Information:
Admission Details:
Thistle fans will be accommodated in the McEwan Fraser Legal stand, behind the goals as usual.
There will be cash turnstiles in operation on the day with the following prices:
Adults – £23
Concessions – £16
Junior(15 & under) – £12
Family (1 adult and 1 junior) – £29
A concession is classed as a person over 60 years of age, aged 16-18 and a student with a valid matriculation card.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 12:20
Station Bar – 12:30
Non members welcome.
Please call 07979496154 or email to book.
Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 13:30
Thornwood Bar – 13:35
Prices:
£12 for adults
£6 for concessions
All Jags fans are welcome but booking is essential.
For seats please contact Alistair on 07817612563 or email
For general enquires please contact Iain on 07779668357 or email
North-West Branch:
Pick ups:
Milngavie Station – 13:15
Esquire House – 13:35
Maryhill Community Halls – 13:45
Prices:
£11 for adults
£7 for concessions.
For seats non-members should e-mail
As his side prepare for a massive game at Fir Park which could see Thistle put to bed one of the longest streaks without a win at an opposition stadium, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk to deliver the latest news and updates from inside the camp.
Archie started off by turning his thoughts to Saturday’s in form opposition.
“I think they will be a confident and buoyant team as they’re in a real good run of form. I think Steve has managed them brilliantly, especially considering the turnover of players they’ve had. I’ve been really impressed by them so far.
“A lot is made of their physicality and I don’t want to go down the route of them just being big and strong because I don’t think that does them justice. They are a strong side but they also have one of the best strikers in the league who is in excellent form.
“We need to be aware of their strengths but we need to play to ours as well. We don’t want to change the way we play too much because you have already seen this season how well we can play – now we just need the results as reward for that play.”
In Louis Moult Motherwell have one of the most in form strikers in Scotland and Archibald is only too aware of just how much of a threat he can be.
“He’s a real handful but it isn’t all about him – it’s not a one man team. We have to stop the supply to him further up the park too, if you can do that then he becomes less of a threat because you start to stop them playing the way they want to play.
“We know they are going to look to play to their strengths and get it up to him early but our players are aware of that. It’s not like it was when I played when there wasn’t a great deal of footage available, now the lads can watch as much as they want and learn how a player plays and the movement he makes.
“Middle to front we’ve done well and scored some good goals so we need to find a way to go and win the game too.”
Despite still searching for their first league win of the campaign the Jags boss insists the mood in the camp is still good, something that owes a lot to the good, albeit not winning, performances on the pitch.
“The boys are in pretty good fettle surprisingly enough. I think it makes a difference that we have played well and got good points from teams who some people had written us off against. We don’t take it lightly though and the longer it goes on the harder it becomes to win a game – we know that and that’s why we are desperate to win on Saturday.
“We’ve got a real run of games now where we have to get victories. The players are well aware of that fact and I’m aware of that pressure as well. It’s no time for panic stations yet though as there have been plenty of positives and good play in the last few games. If we keep attacking teams and looking to win the results will come. These fixtures become real six pointers though. We’ve done well when it has come down to these kinds of runs in the past and we need to do it again this term.
“We asked the boys to go and build on the good point they got against Ross County and I think they’ve dine that with the point at home to Hearts. Now we just need to get the right combination to get a win under our belts and hopefully kick start our season.”
More exclusive video interviews with Niall Keown, Chris Erskine and Jags gaffer, Alan Archibald are now available to Jagzone subscribers – log in now to see them.
Jagzone members will also be able to watch extended highlights of the game.
Can’t make it to the Fir Park? Jagzone members can listen to live audio commentary of the match. JagZoneLIVE begins at 2:30pm on Saturday.
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Article Copyright © 2017. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Partick Thistle continued their search for their first win of the league season this afternoon with a trip to Fir Park to face Betfred Cup semi-finalists, Motherwell. The Jags came into the game in 11th place on three points having drawn their last three Ladbrokes Premiership fixtures against Ross County, Rangers and Hearts.
Tomas Cerny returned to the Thistle line-up having overcome his stomach muscle problem having missed three games through injury. The three centre-halves from the Hearts game retained their place in the backline. Paul McGinn and Milan Nitriansky started at wing-back with Milan replacing Christie Elliott after the number 14 picked up an injury against Hearts. Ryan Edwards and Adam Barton started in the middle of the park with Blair Spittal sitting in front of them. Alan Archibald went with Kris Doolan and Miles Storey up front once again as he searches for the perfect attacking combination. Chris Erskine returned to the bench having served out his two-match suspension.
The Jags hopes of claiming a first win of the league season were dealt a devastating blow when they fell behind just six minutes into the game. Tomas Cerny committed a foul just outside the box on the Motherwell left. Louis Moult stepped up and hit the inside of the near post. The ball then fell to Peter Hartley and he bundled the ball in from close range to give the Steelmen the advantage.
The ’Well had an excellent opportunity to double the deficit in the 10th minute. They broke in behind the Thistle rear-guard and Moult got on the end of a cut-back. The Motherwell number nine shot on goal but was denied by Tomas Cerny and then Cadden’s attempt on the rebound was blocked by Paul McGinn on the line.
Action was scarce for the rest of the half as the sides went into the break at 1-0. Neither side had been particularly creative in possession but the early goal from Hartley separated the teams.
In the opening five minutes of the second period, both teams had half-chances. Paul McGinn’s clearing header fell straight to Craig Tanner but the former Reading man horribly misjudged his shot and it went out for a throw. Next up, Miles Storey’s deflected shot came to Adam Barton but when the midfielder went for the shot, he sliced it up into the air. Just after Barton’s attempt, Blair Spittal had a free-kick chance from 20 yards but his effort smashed straight into the wall. In the 53rd minute Conor Sammon came on for Kris Doolan in Alan Archibald’s first change of the game.
Thistle would be made to rue their failure to get level when Motherwell doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half. Richard Tait worked the ball on the ‘Well left and drilled a low cross into the Jags’ box. Tait found his teammate Craig Tanner and the number 27 hit a first time shot which just about squeezed past Tomas Cerny and into the back of the net.
In attempt to drag his side back into the game, Alan Archibald made two changes after that second goal. Daniel Devine and Blair Spittal were replaced by Chris Erskine and Steven Lawless in the 55th and 65th minutes, respectively.
However, despite these changes, Thistle’s misery was compounded in the 81st minute when Ryan Bowman made it 3-0 to the hosts. An Elliott Frear corner fell to deadlock-breaker, Peter Hartley, and the loanee tried a low cross. It was turned away by Tomas Cerny but then fell to Bowman who, on the second attempt, buried his effort to make it three.
The game ended 3-0, representing the Jags’ heaviest defeat of the 2017/18 campaign so far and it keeps them in 11th place, equal on points with Kilmarnock who suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ross County this afternoon.
Alan Archibald’s Thistle return to action in two weeks with the international break filling the interim. Their next match comes against Kilmarnock on the 14th of October. Kick-off is at 15:00 from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.
Article Copyright © 2017. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Partick Thistle’s winless start to the Ladbrokes Premiership continued this afternoon as they fell to a 3-0 defeat by Motherwell at Fir Park. The Firhill side fell behind early to a Peter Hartley goal before second half goals from Craig Tanner and Ryan Bowman condemned the Jags to an eighth straight game without victory in the league. The game represented the first time the Jags had conceded three in 90 minutes since the opening day of the league season and the first time that they had failed to score in six games. Thistle boss, Alan Archibald, spoke to ptfc.co.uk after the game.
First of all, Archie addressed his side’s lacklustre performance which saw them slump to their heaviest defeat of the campaign so far.
“Obviously, I was utterly disappointed with the manner of the defeat. We didn’t deal with the second balls and the scrappy parts of the game. That’s no disrespect to Motherwell they did what was needed to win the game which is less than can be said of us.”
The gaffer was surprised with the lack of fight shown on the day by his players considering the difficult spot they’re in at the moment.
“That was one of the worrying things for me. With half an hour to go at 2-0 it looked as if the team had almost given up hope of getting anything. I haven’t seen that since the first game of the season and that’s definitely something that we’ll have to address.”
Having gone eight games without victory in the league, Alan recognises the importance of October with a string of winnable fixtures in the near future.
“To be honest, today marked the start of the run of games that we were expecting to take points from. We play Kilmarnock at home in our next game and all of a sudden that’s a crucial match with both us and Killie on three points at the bottom of the table.”
With the international break now upon us, Archie has a lot of work to do to ensure that his side put in a better showing against Killie than they did this afternoon.
“The boys will be in working hard during the break. It’s not a case of punishing them because they played poorly, we have to work with them to try to get that win.”
Archie’s Jags return to action in the Ladbrokes Premiership with a match against fellow strugglers Kilmarnock on the 14th of October. Kick-off is at 15:00 from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald is available now to Jagzone subscribers and will be followed by reaction from Paul McGinn and Jordan Turnbull. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available.
Jagzone subscribers can rewatch the full 90 minutes soon.
Highlights will be added shortly and will be free for Jagzone subscribers.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Article Copyright © 2017. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Sat 30 September, 2017
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership 
Fir Park, Motherwell
GOAL - Motherwell 3 Thistle 0
From a Frear corner, the ball eventually comes to Hartley. His cross is blocked by Cerny but it falls to Bowman who at the second attempt finds the net, firing high past Cerny.
Tait's half-volley from just outside the box goes a few yards wide of Cerny's left-hand post.
From Cadden's corner the ball falls to Kipre in the box. The big centre-half hits a shot but it deflects off his teammate Andy Rose and goes behind.
Cadden gets into the box and past McGinn and lays it back to Allan Campbell. The youngster shoots but Niall Keown is there to block the effort.
Moult nutmegs Barton before curling a shot on goal from around 30 yards. He doesn't catch it well though and it goes straight into Cerny's arms.
Bowman lays the ball off to Moult in the box and he shoots but it's deflected behind.
Barton's attempted thump up-field is blocked by Bowman and it loops towards goal. Thankfully for Thistle it clears Tomas Cerny's bar.
Richard Tait drills a low cross to Craig Tanner. Motherwell's number 27 then hits it first team with the ball just about squeezing past Tomas Cerny.
Miles Storey lays the ball to McGinn on the edge of the 'Well box and McGinn shoots. He drags his attempt wide of the near.
Spittal hits his free-kick low from 20 yards but it comes back off the wall.
Storey takes a shot from five yards outside the box on the Jags' left. It deflects to Adam Barton but he slices a shot. It then comes to Spittal who wins a free-kick just outside the area.
A clearing header from McGinn falls straight to Craig Tanner. The number 27 tries a volley but horribly misjuges it and it goes for a throw-in.
Thistle caught sleeping by a quick free-kick but McGinn clears a low drilled cross.
Motherwell kick-off the second 45.
Moult gets in behind Turnbull on the 'Well right and he lifts a cross into the box. It finds Bowman but the number 12 gets caught under the ball and the ball skims off his head and away from danger.
Miles Storey comes inside from the left and lifts a right-footed cross towards the back post. He finds Doolan but the stand-in captain can't direct an effort on target.
Barton is cautioned for going into a challenge with studs showing.
Motherwell break in behind and a cut-back gets to Moult. Moult's shot is saved and then the rebound attempt is blocked on the line by Paul McGinn before a Motherwell shot is dragged wide for a goallkick.
Moult's free-kick comes off the post and falls to Hartley who has the easy job of tapping home from a matter of yards.
Moult plays a great lofted ball in behind to a temmate and Cerny is forced to come for it. He is beaten to it by the Motherwell attacker and takes him out. The referee brandishes the yellow.
Louis Moult gets the ball 20 yards from the Thistle goal. He is stood up by Milan Nitriansky but gets the shot away anyhow. The attempt takes a deflection off Nitriansky and Cerny holds easily down to his right.
Kris Doolan kicks things off here at Fir Park.
Hello and welcome to the ptfc.co.uk text commentary for this afternoon's Ladbrokes Premiership clash between Partick Thistle and Motherwell at Fir Park.
11th placed Thistle come into the game still without a league win this season but hvaen't lost in their last three Premiershup games, drawing with Ross County, Rangers and Hearts in recent weeks.
The Well are coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat by Aberdeen last weekend but will no doubt be in high spirits having secured a Betfred Cup semi-final place against the same opponents just days before that loss by the Dons in the league.
Tomas Cerny returns to the starting line-up for the Jags having overcome his stomach muuscle problem. Niall Keown, Jordan Turnbull and Daniel Devine begin the game as a back-three once again. Paul McGinn retains his place at wing-back while Milan Nitriansky comes in for the injured Christie Elliott on the opposite side of the pitch. Ryan Edwards and Adam Barton are Thistle's central midfielders while Blair Spittal sits just in front of the deep-lying pair. Up-front it's Kris Doolan and Miles Storey as a two just as it was against Hearts as Storey continues his search for his first Jags goal.
The warm-ups are over and the game is almost here. Kick-off is in three minutes.