William Hill Championship
Sat 25 January, 2025. Kick Off: - 15:00
Somerset Park, Ayr
Ticket Information:
Thistle supporters can choose between the Railway End (standing behind the goal) or the West Stand (seating) for this fixture.
Tickets are priced as follows:
Adult – £22
Concession (Over 65s, disabled, ambulant, students) – £15
Juvenile (13-17 year-olds) – £15
Child (Under 13s) – £6
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET
If any disabled/ambulant supporters require a carer, then they will be able to obtain 1 free carer ticket by calling our Club Shop on 01292 263435 (option 1).
Supporters must have a ticket or they will not be permitted entry to the Stadium. Tickets must be purchased online in advance of the match as there will not be any cash gates in operation at Somerset Park.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick up:
Cue Club: 11:15
Station Bar: 11:30
For seats call Duncan 07979496154 or e-mail
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick-ups:
Jordanhill Railway Station – 13:20
Thornwood Bar – 13:25
Prices:
Adults – £20
Concessions – £14
Booking is essential. To make a booking contact Iain on 07779668357 or e-mail
North-West Branch:
Pick ups:
Milngavie Railway Station – 13:00
Esquire House, Anniesland – 13:20
Maryhill Community Central Halls – 13:35
When booking it is essential that you state:
Fares:
Full fare – £20
Concessions* – £14
Primary School age – Free when accompanied by an adult
*Eligibility for concession fares:
Partick Thistle could not quite pull off a late fightback at Ayr United with the Jags going down 2-1 at Somerset Park
The welcome sight of Harry Milne’s name was back on the team-sheet with Aaron Muirhead also returning with the defender listed as a substitute.
Kanayo Megwa was on the bench with further changes since the 2-1 win at Hamilton Academical being Liam Smith’s departure from the club and Ricco Diack move on loan to Airdrieonians.
The kick-off was delayed five minutes and when the game got going it was Thistle that got the game going in a 3-4-3 formation with Milne popping up in the home box early with his cut-back smothered by goalkeeper Harry Stone.
Dan O’Reilly stood strong to repel an Ayr raid on five minutes after Jay Henderson and Connor McLennan had advanced down the left and then across the 18-yard box.
Henderson threated danger again three minutes later as he dribbled clear with Robbie Crawford stepping in to tidy things up with a pass-back that David Mitchell kicked clear.
Scott Robinson looked to be darting through on goal shortly afterwards to get on the end of a through ball only for the home defence to regroup and end the danger.
The hosts opened the scoring on 18 minutes when George Oakley rose to meet a McLennan cross from the right and sent a 12-yard header past Mitchell.
Milne did well to win a 50/ 50 midway through the opening half and that allowed Robinson to tee up am attack that was only ended when Stone darted from his line and grabbed a wayward Mickey Devlin diving header.
Ayr replied with half an hour gone with a Jamie Murphy drive that rose and cleared Mitchell’s bar.
Three minutes later O’Reilly popped up 30 yards from the Ayr goal and took a couple of steps forward before firing in a low shot that fizzed past the left-hand side of Stone’s goal.
The Honest Men grabbed a second goal ten minutes from the break when Henderson chipped a cross to the back post where Oakley sent a header back across goal and into the net.
Half time – Ayr United 2 Partick Thistle 0
Jags manager Kris Doolan shuffled his pack at half-time with Megwa and Aidan Fitzpatrick brought on in place of Turner and Crawford.
McBeth now in a midfield role found Brian Graham at the edge of the Ayr box on 50 minutes and the skipper slipped a pass to Logan Chalmers who reached the touchline with his cross blocked for a corner.
Four minutes later Robinson looped over a cross that was just taken off the head of Graham and as Thistle continued to press Milne sent a long-range effort just off target.
Lee Ashcroft put in a fine block tackle to stop Murphy advancing shortly afterwards with the big defender doing well again on the hour mark as he slid in to halt Henderson.
With 63 minutes played Fitzpatrick’s trickery created problems for the home defence before Devlin headed the substitute’s cross clear.
Ayr went back on the attack and Mitchell was forced to push a stinging Oakley drive out for a corner.
Steven Lawless came on for Chalmers 20 minutes into the restart and second later Milne came the closest yet with another thumping drive.
A fourth substitute Ben Stanway almost made an instant impact with a precise through ball to Graham who was only denied by Stone who had darted from his line to collect.
A thumping McBeth challenge won the ball close to the half-way line and Fitzpatrick took things forward before cutting in and firing for goal with a home boot kicking his shot clear.
Ayr’s Nick McAllister was shown a straight red card with quarter of an hour to go for a overly robust sliding challenge on Milne 10 yards into the Thistle off.
As the Firhill men looked to capitalise quickly on their numerical advantage quickly Graham met a Lawless corner with his header going wide.
Thistle came really close on 82 minutes when Megwa showed strength to get down the right and picked out Fitzpatrick with a cut-back with the wide-man firing in a curler that had beaten Stone but not Paddy Reading who slid in and
A goal was pulled back four minutes from time when Stanway powered in a low drive that was too strong for Stone and MILNE found the net when he lashed in the loose ball.
Pressure almost produced a second goal as Megwa found Milne with a high ball and his knockdown created panic before Ayr cleared.
Fitzpatrick had another charge down the left in injury time with his low curling shot scooped up by a grateful Stone.
Full time – Ayr United 2 Partick Thistle 1
Teams
Partick Thistle – David Mitchell, Luke McBeth, Lee Ashcroft (Terry Ablade 79), Dan O’Reilly, Kyle Turner (Kanayo Megwa 46) Robbie Crawford (Aidan Fitzpatrick 46), Stuart Bannigan, Harry Milne, Logan Chalmers (Steven Lawless 65), Brian Graham, Scott Robinson (Ben Stanway 69).
Unused substitutes – Luis Cameron (GK), Aaron Muirhead, Matthew Falconer.
Ayr United – Harry Stone, Nick McAllister, Paddy Reading, Mickey Devlin, Ben Dempsey, George Oakley (Curtis Main 74), Connor McLennan, George Stanger, Jamie Murphy (Cole McKinnon 65), Jay Henderson (Mark McKenzie 80), Scott McMann.
Unused substitutes – Robbie Mutch (G/k), Jack Hastie, Marco Rus, Kenzie Mitchell, Lenny Agbaire,, Dylan Watret
Referee – Peter Stuart
Sat 25 January, 2025
William Hill Championship 
Somerset Park, Ayr
Milne's late goal isn't enough to spark a Thistle comeback as they go down to defeat at Somerset Park.
Stone grabs the ball low at his front post.
Thistle free kick and a chance to load the Ayr box.
Stone comes through a crowd of players to punch clear.
Into added time.
Stanway's shot is saved and Milne is there to fire high into the net.
It's a poor corner.. Fitzpatrick gets the ball back but his cross this time goes out for a goal kick.
Megwa's cross finds its way to Fitzpatrick and his shot is cleared from near the goal line.
Graham's head from the Lawless corner goes wide.
Ayr go down to ten men as McAllister is sent off as he catches Milne late.
A Fitzpatrick shot is blocked.
Stanway wins the ball in midfield band threads a pass through looking for Graham. Stone is sharp off his line though and he gets to the ball just ahead of Graham.
Milne loses out to McLennan and the Ayr player forces a smart save from Mitchell.
A neat Thistle move ends with a Milne shot going just over the bar. It's been better second half from Thistle but in truth they haven't had Ayr under any sustained pressure.
Mitchell saves at his front post.
Chalmers tries to curl an effort into the top corner of the Ayr goal but just fails to get enough curl on the ball.
Milne cuts in from the left and shoots from just outside the box. Hs effort clears Stone's bar but not by too much.
Ayr deal comfortably with the Chalmers corner.
Thistle try and counter when the corner is cleared but Chalmers is held up.
We're back underway. Massive improvement from Thistle needed. Details of changes coming.
It's a deserved half-time lead for Ayr and Thistle will have their work cut out to find a route back into the game.
Thistle clear the free kick and try and counter but there is no real tempo to the Thistle attack and it fizzles out.
Ayr free kick near the corner of the Thistle box on the Ayr right.
Turner's corner is headed clear.
Henderson's deep cross is met by the head of Oakley who heads the ball back in the direction that bit came and into the corner of the Thistle net.
O'Reilly has a shot at goal but it's a long way wide of Stone's goal.
An excellent chance for Ayr to increase their lead is spurned. Henderson sweeps the ball over to Murphy who should do better than fire high over the bar.
A little more positive from Thistle as Stanger is forced to stoop to head clear a McBeth cross.
Dempsey's effort from outside the box clears the Thistle crossbar. The home side are in control of this match at the moment and are pressing hard for a second goal.
The home side take the lead. McLennan sends over a cross from the right that is just perfect for Oakley to power a header past Mitchell.
McLennan zips in a low cross from the right that Mitchell does well to collect inside his 6 yard box.
Chalmers plays the corner to Turner at the corner of the box. Turner sees his cross headed clear.
Thistle come under some pressure but O'Reilly does well to snuff out any threat.
Thistle get the game underway. Thistle shooting towards the away end in the first half.
Edit: There is to be a five minute delay to kick-off.
There is a welcome return from injury for Harry Milne and his inclusion at the expense of Kanayo Megwa is the only change to the Thistle side that started last time out against Hamilton Academical.