cinch Championship
Fri 29 April, 2022. Kick Off: - 19:45
Somerset Park
Ticketing Information:
Tickets for this game are only available online. There will be no cash gate in operation on matchday.
Click here to get your tickets now through Ayr United’s ticketing platform.
Tickets are priced as follows:
Adults – £18
Concessions – £12 (Over 65s, Students, 18–21-year-olds and Disabled).*
U18s – £6
*If a disabled supporter requires a carer to attend the match with them, then please contact the Ayr United Club Shop on 01292 263435 (option 5).
Thistle supporters will be situated in the Railway End Terracing (standing behind the goal) and the West Stand (seating in the Main Stand).
Livestream
Ayr will be livestreaming our game at Somerset Park for anyone who can’t make the trip to Ayrshire.
PPV passes are available to buy online for £18 – click here to get one.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 15:45
Station Bar – 16:00
For seats call Duncan 07979496154 or e-mail
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 17:00
Thornwood Bar – 17:05
Prices:
Adults – £10
Concessions – £6
Booking is essential and priority will be given to former members and regulars. Seating will be limited and face-coverings must worn: this follows instructions from the coach company.
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 – 17:00
Esquire House, Anniesland – 17:20
Maryhill Community Central Halls – 17:35
Fares:
Full fare – £12
Concessions – £7.50
While the Scottish Government has removed the mandate regarding the wearing of a face covering, we recommend that you do so at all times when on the North-West bus.
The management team’s written previews and reactions are presented by The Jags Trust. You can keep up to date with the latest from The Jags Trust by visiting their website, www.jagstrust.com.
The regular cinch Championship season concludes with this Friday night’s slate of games as Partick Thistle travel to Somerset Park to take on Ayr United, hoping to confirm their spot in the promotion play-offs. If Ian McCall’s side can avoid defeat then fourth place will be theirs while the Honest Man have to match or better Dunfermline’s results to ensure they don’t fall into the relegation play-off spot. Jags assistant manager Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of the trip to Ayrshire:
“We’ve prepared well this week and everyone has been feeling good after the win against Dunfermline. Losing the Raith game was hard to take because we felt we deserved a draw at least but the boys did exactly what they had to by responding with a win.
“Now we go to Ayr in a great position to secure a play-off place which was our goal at the start of the season. We’re not taking it for granted though, we’ve got to presume Raith are going to win their game and do the business in ours.”
Looking back more closely at the victory against Dunfermline, Archie felt there were plenty of positives to take from the game.
“Of course, getting the three points was the most important thing but I think there were aspects of the performance that we were pleased with as well. We started the game strongly and got in front after 15 minutes which was key having lost the week before. We also created a couple of other good chances which could have had us further ahead.
“Then, in the second half when they were pushing for an equaliser and putting four or five players up front we stood up to it well and made sure Jamie had little to nothing to do. That’s now three clean sheets in four games so we’re getting back to what we’ve come to expect from the guys at the back.”
Now, Alan is hoping to carry those positives into another game against a team who are desperate for points as they look to avoid second bottom.
“I’d expect them to be quite open to be honest. They might need to win the game depending on what Dunfermline do against Queen of the South so they can’t really risk sitting in for a draw when the circumstances could change during the match.
“They gave us a really tough game the last time we played them, back in February I think it was, so we know they’ll not make it easy. From our perspective though we want to go and win the game and then carry that momentum into the play-offs.”
Archie finished by giving us the latest team news ahead of the game at Somerset Park.
“We do have a couple of concerns with Scott Tiffoney and Brian Graham. Tiff passed a late fitness test to play last week but didn’t look his usual self in the first half because of what’s been bothering him so he’ll probably miss this week’s game.
“As for Brian, he’s been carrying a knock for a little while and put in great effort to play through that but it might keep him out for the Ayr game.
“They’re obviously big misses for us but the last time they were both out we had five or six others out at the same time. That’s not the case this time – it’s pretty much a full squad apart from those two so we have more options in terms of replacements.”
Exclusive video interviews with Alex Jakubiak and Thistle assistant manager Alan Archibald will be available for JagZone subscribers to watch today – log in to view.
JagZone subscribers will be able to tune in to live audio commentary for our clash with Queen of the South, starting at 7:15pm – click here to tune in.
Our hosts, Ayr United, will be livestreaming Friday night’s game with PPV passes available for £18 – click here to buy yours.
We’ll have extended highlights and a full game replay of the fixture on JagZone following the game.
Article Copyright © 2022. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
The regular cinch Championship ended for Partick Thistle as they travelled to face Ayr United at Somerset Park in a game that had play-off implications at both ends of the table.
Thistle went into the game knowing that they would secure a top four spot barring an unbelievable set of results in Raith Rovers’ favour while the home side knew that a win would see them avoid the relegation play-offs irrespective of Dunfermline’s result against Queen of the South elsewhere.
Five changes were made to the Thistle side which started against Dunfermline the previous week with Scott Tiffoney and Brian Graham missing out completely while Kevin Holt, Stephen Hendrie and Stuart Bannigan dropping to the bench. The five players who took their places were Tunji Akinola, Richard Foster, Robbie Crawford, Cammy Smith and Kyle McAllister.
The Jags were yet to concede a goal against Ayr United in three meetings this season but that record was quickly put right by the Honest Men when they took the lead after just six minutes. A low ball into the box landed at the feet of Tomi Adeloye and Lewis Mayo stepped in looking to dispossess Ayr’s top scorer only to clatter into the Englishman and give away a spot kick. It was former Jag Aaron Muirhead who stepped up to take the penalty and he slammed it past Jamie Sneddon confidently, going down the middle as the goalkeeper went to the side.
The Honest Men could have been two to the good 10 minutes later when an Ayr corner caused the visitors all manner of problems. A ball into the six-yard box was forced away from goal by Jamie Sneddon but only as far as Aaron Muirhead who flicked the ball back towards the target as he sought his second goal of the game. His effort was looping towards the top corner but Sneddon was able to touch it over the bar with a smart save.
The hosts wouldn’t have to wait long for a second goal though and on the half hour mark they found the back of the net again. A Kerr McInroy free-kick from the Ayr left landed on the head of Tomi Adeloye and the former Barnet striker directed the ball towards goal. His attempt was very central but Jamie Sneddon couldn’t handle it and it squeezed past the Thistle number one to double the home side’s advantage.
It wasn’t until the second half that Thistle created their first real opportunity of the game through Kevin Holt. The defender, who came on as a first half substitute for the injured Kyle McAllister, got on the end of a Stephen Hendrie cross to volley goalwards but Aidan McAdams was on hand to make the save. It fell back to Holt who tried to force the ball home with a header but McAdams was on hand again to deny him before Sean McGinty cleared.
Any hopes that those chances would spark a red and yellow comeback were quashed three minutes later when Ayr won their second penalty of the game. A chipped ball forward was not dealt with by Kevin Holt and Tomi Adeloye took the ball from the number three. Holt then tried to make amends for his error with a tackle but only caught the man as for the second time in the game, Adeloye was fouled for a penalty kick. Muirhead stepped up again and sent Jamie Sneddon the wrong way to hammer home the hosts’ advantage.
There would be a consolation for the Jags as Alex Jakubiak found the back of the net for the first time as a Thistle player. The Dundee loanee received the ball from Stuart Bannigan just inside the Ayr box and quickly shifted onto his right foot, rifling a shot towards goal. McAdams couldn’t react quickly enough to the powerful drive and it flew into the far corner to make it 3-1.
That was how the game finished with Ayr confirming their place in next season’s Championship while the Jags’ play-off spot was secured courtesy of Raith’s failure to beat Kilmarnock at Stark’s Park.
Next up for Ian McCall’s side will be the first leg of their promotion play-off quarter-final against Inverness at Firhill. That one is a 7:05pm kick-off on Tuesday, 3rd May.
The management team’s written previews and reactions are presented by The Jags Trust. You can keep up to date with the latest from The Jags Trust by visiting their website, www.jagstrust.com.
Partick Thistle’s regular cinch Championship season ended in disappointment tonight as they were beaten 3-1 by Ayr United at Somerset Park. Two penalties from Aaron Muirhead either side of a Tomi Adeloye goal earned the Honest Men three points as they secured their Championship status for next season. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Jags though with the results of the evening confirming their place in the cinch Premiership promotion play-offs which begin on Tuesday night. Thistle assistant manager Alan Archibald gave his thoughts to ptfc.co.uk following the final whistle:
“We got off to a terrible start and that really set us back tonight. We knew they were going to come out quickly because of what the game meant to them but we just didn’t deal with it well at all. They outfought us during that opening half an hour or so and we deserved to be two down.
“We didn’t deal with their physicality and that allowed them to sort of pen us in our own half for the majority of the first half and that’s not good enough from our point of view. They got their tails up after that and ultimately it was that start to the game which decided things.”
Looking at the manner of the goals conceded in Ayrshire this evening, Archie says they all felt avoidable.
“The thing is, we’ve been better over the last few weeks defensively. We had a spell when we were making silly errors and it was costing us but I think we’d conceded one goal in four coming into tonight so I’m not sure why that crept back into our game.
“The two penalties were ones that were of our own making. The first one Lewis just lunges in when he maybe doesn’t need to and then for the second one Holty tries to play out of a difficult spot at the wrong time and gets punished for it.”
Now, the Maryhill men have four days to prepare for the first leg of their play-off quarter-final against Inverness and Alan says the team have to get tonight’s result and performance out of their system before that game.
“We go into the play-offs knowing what we need to do. Inverness are a good team but we’ve shown we can compete with them in our games this season so we can’t have any fear. Tonight’s result was a bad one but we’ve got to move on from it and get ready for a massive game on Tuesday because it’s going to come around quickly.”
The one bright spot for the Jags on a pretty miserable evening was Alex Jakubiak’s first goal for the club and Archie is hopeful that the striker can now build on that in the play-offs.
“We were all really pleased to see Alex get that goal. He’s performed really well over the past few weeks and his play has warranted more than he’s got so hopefully that gives him a lift.
“It’s something that can just hang over you a little bit the longer it goes on so maybe Alex will play with a bit less pressure on his shoulders now and hopefully he’s got more to come in terms of goals.”
Further reaction from Thistle assistant manager Alan Archibald and captain Ross Docherty will be available to watch on JagZone tonight – log in to view.
We’ll have extended highlights and a full game replay of the fixture on JagZone later tonight.
Article Copyright © 2022. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Fri 29 April, 2022
cinch Championship 
Somerset Park
GOOOAL! Alex Jakubiak gets the ball on the left, cuts inside and fires a brilliantly struck shot past the keeper.
Muirhead gets his second of the game from the spot.
Adeloye sends a header past Sneddon from a free kick wide on the right.
Goal. Muirhead smashes the penalty past Sneddon.