Tuesday 24th October, 2017 at 11:23pm
Having secured their maiden victory of the Ladbrokes Premiership on Saturday, Partick Thistle travelled to the SuperSeal Stadium in a buoyant mood, aiming for a second win in a row. Their opponents on the night, Hamilton Accies, were on a run of six consecutive defeats going into the clash.
The Jags started with the same eleven who finished the match against Dundee at the weekend with Tomas Cerny in goals behind three centre-halves; Niall Keown, Daniel Devine and Jordan Turnbull. Paul McGinn started at right wing-back with Steven Lawless operating in an unfamiliar left wing-back role. Andrew McCarthy missed the game through injury so Ryan Edwards and Adam Barton reverted to a two-man central midfield partnership with Blair Spittal sitting just ahead of them. Kris Doolan and Miles Storey, the men who combined for the winner at the weekend, started up front together as Conor Sammon and Chris Erskine dropped to the bench.
The game’s first chance came in the fourth minute and fell to Daniel Devine. Blair Spittal’s corner was cleared but it eventually came to Devine, 25 yards from goal. He chested down before unleashing a rasping volley which stung the palms of Gary Woods in the Accies goal. He couldn’t hold the ball and it was cleared away.
Thistle were presented with a much clearer cut chance in the 17th minute. Kris Doolan picked up the ball in the attacking third and fired on goal from 20 yards. He shot across goal, beating the ‘keeper, but his attempt rebounded off the post. Miles Storey looked to tap home but an Accies defender did enough to keep him from it. In the end, it came to McGinn on the edge of the box and the wing-back shot low, seeing the effort saved by Woods.
On the stroke of half-time, the hosts had their first big chance of the game. Steven Boyd’s free-kick from the home side’s left flank found Dougie Imrie’s run at the near post. The number seven tried to direct it in target but got more of the ball than he needed and missed by a few yards.
Hamilton started the second half with more energy than they showed in the first. 48th minute substitute David Templeton went close just three minutes after coming on. The ex-Stenhousemuir man cut in from the left wing and shot across goal. His attempt looked dangerous but flew just wide of Tomas Cerny’s goal.
Thistle had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 66th minute. Paul McGinn lifted an exquisite ball through to Miles Storey who cheated it down, moving in on goal. He tried a shot, under pressure, but lifted his effort well over the bar, passing up a great chance to break the deadlock.
The Jags almost took the lead in the 72nd minute following a frantic sequence of events. McGinn tries to take a high ball down and Edwards then took a shot. It was flying towards goal when it seemed to strike the hands of Dougie Imrie. The referee waved play on and Kris Doolan tries an acrobatic overhead kick. He miscued but it then fell to Paul McGinn again. He tried to find the goal from a tight angle but it was saved by Woods before being put out for a corner.
Just two minutes after that, Hamilton passed up on the best chance of the game. The ball bounced around the Thistle box before coming to Dougie Imrie. The midfielder cut it back to David Templeton. Templeton ran onto the ball, seemingly with the whole goal at his mercy, and somehow completely missed the target.
Templeton’s miss was to be the last significant chance of the game as the side’s battled to a 0-0 draw. The point lifts Thistle off the bottom of the league table, albeit having played two more games than new bottom club, Kilmarnock.
Alan Archibald and his squad now look towards Saturday’s meeting with St. Johnstone. Kick-off is 15:00 from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.
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