cinch Premiership Play-Off
Sun 4 June, 2023. Kick Off: - 16:30
The Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall
Match Information:
Fixture Details:
Ticket Information:
Ticket sales have closed for this match for Thistle fans.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 10:45
Station Bar – 11:00
Both City Centre coaches for Dingwall are now fully booked.
For seats call Duncan 07979496154 or e-mail
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 11:15
Thornwood Bar – 11:20
Prices:
Both John Lambie Jordanhill coaches for Dingwall are now fully booked.
There have been no change to arrangements. Both Jordanhill buses will be going to Dingwall.
To make a booking phone or e-mail Alistair on 07817612563 or Alternatively phone or e-mail Iain on 07779668357 or
North-West Branch:
Pick ups:
Milngavie Railway Station – 11:00
Esquire House, Anniesland – 11:15
Maryhill Community Central Halls – 11:30
The North-West coach for Dingwall is now fully booked.
The bus will stop at Aviemore for approximately one hour en route to Dingwall.
Muirhead - Scores (1-0)
Dhanda - Scores (1-1)
Holt - Saved (1-1)
Murray - Scores (2-1 County)
Turner - Scores (2-2)
White - Scores ( 3-2 County)
Graham - Scores (3-3)
Baldwin - Saved (3-3)
McMillan - Scores (4-3 Thistle)
Harmon - Scores (4-4)
Bannigan - Misses (4-4)
Watson - Misses (4-4)
Docherty - Saved (4-4)
Sims - Scores (5-4)
Ross County win 5-4 on penalties.
Penalties it is then!
Graham's cross is cleared.
Glorious chance or Thistle. The ball is worked to Bannigan who fires over the bar.
There's a chance for Mullen but he skies his shot over the bar.
Minimum of 3 additional minutes to be played.
Some quick footwork from Murray gives him a chance to advance but Muirhead is across quickly to clear.
Turner's knock down from a McMillan cross can't find a Thistle player.
Murray catches Holt and is booked.
Graham is able to flick the ball to Tiffoney to his left but Tiffoney can't get his low shot past Laidlaw.
A flicked effort comes off the top of the Thistle crossbar.
Graham is down inside the County box. He's going to need a spot of treatment.
The Thistle fans are doing all they can to help lift the team in this extra-time period.
A knock to Sims halts play as he is treated.
County get the first period of extra-time underway.
Murray misses a glorious chance to win it for County right at the finish.
Laidlaw collects a Lawless cross.
Watson's shot is straight at Mitchell.
Muirhead's volley is blocked before Docherty sends a shot over the bar.
A Docherty shot is blocked which takes the pace off it allowing Laidlaw to make a comfortable save.
Turner fires in a cross that Laidlaw takes.
Laidlaw claims the corner.
The goal stands.
Goal being check for a possible offside.
Nine minutes of additional time to be played.
We're level on aggregate.
Tiffoney is fouled inside his own half and Thistle have a free kick as we near the 90 minute mark. Expect a lot of additional time in this game.
The red card is changed to a yellow.
Or are they down to ten as the referee goes over to check with VAR.
County are down to ten as Watson's cynical challenge on Tiffoney get him a red card.
It's excellent play from Bannigan who picks out Graham inside the box and to his right. On this occasion though Graham's finish is poor.
A County head gets a flick to Dhanda's corner but the ball drifts away from goal and out for a Thistle goal kick.
A Tiffoney cross drifts out for a goal kick.
Turner is able to get a cross over from the left but there is nobody in support.
The ball is crossed from the right and Murray fires home.
Thistle lead 3-2 on aggregate.
Not sure I can cope with this.
Dhanda converts the penalty and we're back to where we were at kick-off. Thistle lead by two on aggregate.
After the check it's a penalty to County.
The referee is going over to the screen. This doesn't look good.
VAR check taking place for a possible handball and a Ross County penalty.
We have a check here for a possible County penalty. The ref hasn't gone to the VAR screen. Yet.
Thistle clear the corner and Holt is fouled as he tries to start a Thistle counter attack.
County are struggling to contain Thistle at the moment.
It's a magnificent clearance from Randall that denies Lawless a goal after Lawless and McMillan again combined brilliantly.
Ross Docherty picks up the game's first yellow card.
A low Fitzpatrick cross is cleared. The ball is picked up by Turner but he fires high over the bar.
Fitzpatrick's pass finds Tiffoney but his shot is saved by Laidlaw. Tiffoney is offside though and play is brought back for a Thistle free kick following an initial foul on Fitzpatrick.
A long throw into the Thistle box causes anxiety until Lawless is fouled as he attempts to clear at the edge of the box.
Graham in the thick of the action again as he just fails to get his head to a chipped Docherty cross into the box.
Graham goes down as if caught by an elbow but there's no foul or VAR check.
If you thought this game was over then think again on the evidence of the first few minutes of this game as Mitchell makes a great stop from a deflected effort.
Huge moment. Brownlie slips and Samuel is clean through he gets the ball past Mitchell but Muirhead, while lying on the ground, somehow manages to get the ball clear.
We're back underway. Thistle shooting towards that magnificent Thistle support in the second half.
Thistle take a vital 1-0 lead on the day, and 3-0 on aggregate, into the dressing room at half-time.
It's not been a great game and County have had plenty of pressure, without creating much in the way of chances to be fair, but Thistle through Fitzpatrick's goal after 42 minutes have the vital breakthrough.
Samuel sends over a cross from the left that White only needs to get a touch to produce an equaliser but he can't get that vital touch and it is a Thistle goal kick.
County break after the corner is cleared but McMillan makes a great challenge on Samuel.
Mitchell collects after Holt's half clearance.
Minimum of 5 minutes additional time to be played.
Tiffoney gets to the edge of the box where he is tackled an opportunity to test County is lost.
The game's vital first goal comes for Thistle. Fitzpatrick picks up a Tiffoney cut back, finds space and fires home.
Thistle lead 3-0 on aggregate.
A shout for handball and a penalty after a Lawless cross is blocked by a defender. No need for VAR this time though.
After a long VAR check there is no penalty.
The referee is coming across to the screen.
VAR check for a Thistle penalty.
Docherty goes down inside the County box and there are some shouts for a Thistle penalty,.
Tiffoney collects a Graham pass and drills a low ball right across the face of the County goal that nobody is able to get a touch to.
Brownlie can't get enough on Turner's corner and the ball comes off his head and wide of goal.
Watson makes a dash towards the front post to reach Dhanda's corner but his header goes over Mitchell's crossbar.
Mitchell gets a good solid fist to Dhanda's corner which is whipped over with pace.
County are close as a Purrington header is cleared from close to the Thistle goal line.
We've reached the midway point in the first half. We haven't seen much of Thistle as an attacking force but the score remains unchanged from the first leg. Been a few anxious moments in and around the Thistle box though.
There is a lecture for Graham after he catches Baldwin when chasing a Turner pass that goes out for a goal kick.
Lawless and Tiffoney try and work a short corner but the ball is cleared for a Thistle throw.
Samuel comes off worse after an aerial challenge with Muirhead.
There is a push from Watson as Dhanda's corner comes over and Thistle have a free kick.
It's County that have made the better start with Thistle looking a little nervy. Not unlike the Firhill first leg in that respect.
Turner's corner goes high towards the back post where the referee spots a push and County have a free kick.
Early County pressure and Watson has a shot blocked.
The waiting is over. Thistle kick-off and are shooting towards the home end in the first half.
The Thistle fans are starting to fill the away end at Victoria Park with kick-off still a little under 20 minutes away.
This play-of journey has been incredible so far and Kris Doolan has once again selected an unchanged starting eleven as that journey will reach its final destination later this evening.
Whether that destination is the Premiership or the Championship remains to be seen.
Thistle certainly start the afternoon is a good position, bringing a two goal lead north to Dingwall but the job remains anything but done.
The sun is shining on the quite magnificent playing surface but it is distinctly cooler in the shade of the press box but it isn't just the temperature that is causing this reporter to shake a little.