Saturday 23rd May, 2015 at 9:50am
Thistle concluded the 2014/15 season with a trip to Fir Park to play a Motherwell side who were condemned to the relegation playoffs as a result of the results a week before. Thistle were hoping to finish the season on a high following a massively disappointing 4-1 reverse against Kilmarnock the week before.
Manager, Alan Archibald, used the opportunity to experiment with the formation implementing a 3-5-2 formation which saw Jack Hendry make his full debut for the club. He was flanked in central defence by Stephen O’Donnell and Ben Richards-Everton. Christie Elliott and Callum Booth were deployed as wingbacks. There was also a start, for the first time, for David Wilson while another player in the development squad, Neil McLaughlin, was listed on the six strong bench.
Motherwell started the game stronger but there was little in the way of clear goalscoring opportunities. Stephen O’Donnell tried an ambitious 40 yard effort but Twardzik was equal to it and turned it around the post.
It was a typical end of season affair with both sides trying hard to impose themselves on the game but lacking quality at times. Thistle crafted a couple of opportunities with Doolan unable to control a long ball from Jack Hendry before Elliott cut the ball back to Wilson who fired wide of goal.
Craig Moore had the games clear chance as he scampered away from the defence but O’Donnell was across quickly to challenge winning a free kick.
Gary Fraser appeared to be on a one man mission to fire Thistle to a last day win with a memorable goal, peppering Dan Twardzik with a variety of shots from all manner of distances.
Motherwell posed a threat on the break and John Sutton was unable to turn the ball home with Fox struggling to get to it after good play set him free in the box.
With a little under 10 minutes remaining Neil McLaughlin came on as a substitute for Kallum Higginbotham, making him the youngest ever Partick Thistle player to play for the club in the top flight of Scottish football. He also became the first player to play for the club who was born after Scotland last appeared in a major international tournament, a trend that hopefully won’t continue for too much longer!
The game played out to a tame ending with Sutton heading straight at Fox in the dying embers as neither side could find a goal to separate the sides.
