Sat 6 December, 2025
William Hill Championship 
Somerset Park, Ayr
William Hill Championship
Sat 6 December, 2025. Kick Off: - 15:00
Somerset Park, Ayr
Team News
Oisin Smyth returns to the squad after missing out against Forfar Athletic last weekend with late checks required on Logan Chalmers and Tony Watt before their return to action can be confirmed.
Robbie Crawford’s calf issue continues to keep him on the side-lines short-term with Dan O’Reilly missing through suspension.
Tickets:
Thistle supporters can choose between the Railway End (standing behind the goal) or the West Stand (seating) for this fixture.
Tickets prices are as follows:
Adult – £22
Concession (Over 65s, Disabled, Ambulant and Students) – £15
Juvenile (13-17-years-old) – £15
Child (Under 13s) – £6
If any disabled/ambulant supporters require a carer, then they will be able to obtain 1 free carer ticket by calling Ayr’s Club Shop on 01292 263 435 (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.
Supporter Buses Information
City Centre
Pick up:
Station Bar : 11.30
For seats call Duncan 07979496154 or e-mail
John Lambie Jordanhill
Pick-ups
Jordanhill 13.20
Thornwood at 13.25.
Prices are £20 for adults and £14 for concessions.
To make a booking contact Iain on 07779668357 or .
North-West Branch
When booking seats, it is essential that you state your name, pick-up point and category of fare (Full or Concession).
Pick ups:
Milngavie Stn 1300
Esquire House 1320
Maryhill CCH 1335
Fares for non-members:
Full £20
Concession* £14
One primary school age child may travel free of charge when accompanied by a fare paying adult.
*Eligibility for concession fares:
Anyone in full time education (e.g., secondary school pupils, matriculated college or university students)
Anyone aged over 65 years
Anyone unwaged
Streaming Service
Ayr United offer a live streaming service to supporters outside of the UK and Ireland.
Details can be found @ Ayr United FC | Live Stream
Drums, Banner and Supporter instructions
Drum and banners are permitted however no megaphones are allowed. Any drums will be searched before entry with banners and flags requiring to be fully unfurled and checked.
Thank you for your co-operation in all the above especially as the club are serving a suspended sentence from the SPFL which could see a Stand closed for a game at The Wyre Stadium at Firhill should there be the use of Pyrotechnic devices, any incursions onto the pitch or to an area of the stadium not designated for the use of Partick Thistle fans.
Weather Forecast for Ayr – HERE
The spoils were shared at Somerset Park on Saturday as Partick Thistle drew 0-0 with Ayr United in the William Hill Scottish Championship.
It was a clash between second and third in the table, with Thistle aiming to extend the gap between them and the Honest Men to 14 points, whilst also keeping apace with league leaders St Johnstone in the battle for the title.
There were four changes to the side that advanced in the Scottish Cup away to Forfar last weekend with Oisin Smyth and Ts’oanelo Lets’osa returning to the heart of the midfield in lieu of Scott Martin and Kyle Turner, while Logan Chalmers and Paddy Reading both returned to face their former club, stepping in for Stevie Lawless and Cammy Logan.
Having been put on the back foot from kick off in their last three encounters with the Jags, Scott Brown had his men racing out the traps from the start in an effort to try and beat us to our own game.
Thistle were penned into their own half in the opening minutes, as Ayr launched an assault on the Thistle goalmouth, with keeper Josh Clarke forced into an excellent save on seven minutes from Ethan Walker’s powerful effort from inside the box.
Mark Wilson’s men remained firm under the pressure, withstanding the early onslaught to keep things level.
Thistle’s first chance came in the eleventh minute. Smyth unleashed a curling effort from outside the box, with Ayr defender Kevin Holt getting himself in front of the shot to ensure his former club didn’t take the lead.
After that, the Jags started to feel their way into the game more, tempering Ayr’s bombardment as the game became more even.
Ben Stanway was at the crux of Thistle’s positive moments, through the midway period, with two close chances in close succession. First, he collected a cross from McPherson, but his close-range effort is saved by Ayr keeper Liam Russell, thanks to a well-executed stop low to his right.
Seconds later, Stanway had another chance, but the ball looked to deflect off Chalmers as it limply rolled towards Russell for him to easily scoop up.
Ayr continued to threaten, but were wasteful from set pieces, first working a short corner routine that saw them pass back to the taker in an offside position, before blasting a second corner over the heads of everyone in the box and straight out for a goal kick.
Having stopped Smyth’s effort early on, Holt came to Ayr’s rescue again ten minutes before half time. Paddy Reading found Alex Samuel at the back post ready for the tap in, only for Holt to get himself onto the ball, clearing the danger.
Luke McBeth then saved Thistle’s bacon at the other end moments later as Ayr burst forward on the counter. McBeth, deputising for the suspended Dan O’Reilly, extinguished the threat with a lovely clearing header
Fitzpatrick then gave Ayr a real fright, picking the ball up from an Ayr corner and blazing a trail along the length of the pitch and into the penalty area, beating his marker while doing so. However, his shot with the outside of his boot was snap trouble for Russell.
Moments before the break, Reading teed up Logan Chalmers with a lovely 50-yard pass across the park. Chalmers was unable to keep his shot down, chipping it over the bar, as the two sides went down the tunnel goalless at half time.
Thistle had the edge for the majority of the half, but lacked that touch of a clinical finish that could put them in front.
Half Time – Ayr United 0 Partick Thistle 0
Ayr left back Liam Dick was replaced at half time by Nick McAllister, after Dick had received treatment for a head knock earlier in the half.
The second half was a far more cagier affair, with a lot of the energy and intensity of the first half absent, as both sides failed to keep a hold of the ball and chances became thin on the ground.
Walker was gifted a chance to open the scoring, when a pass from Jamie Murphy cut open the Jags back line and left him with the goal at his mercy, one-on-one with Clarke. However, Walker spurned this gilt-edged chance, blasting his shot wide as the Jags support in the Railway End breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Thistle then flung themselves up the other end immediately, with Fitzpatrick finding himself with the ball at the corner of the box and fire goalwards, only for Russell to palm the ball away from goal, onto the post to deny Fitzpatrick the opener.
Ayr looked to pile on the pressure though, with a ghost of Thistle past, Anton Dowds coming off the bench to slip past the Thistle defence for another Ayr one-on-one. Dowds would get his shot on target this time, but Clarke was on hand to stop it with a superb save that kept Thistle in the game.
Ayr started to peter out, as Thistle went on the search of a killer blow late on. The home side were forced to shut up shop in the face of multiple corners, throwing themselves in front of chances from Kyle Turner and Smyth, with Turner’s header being scythed off the line to deny an almost certain goal.
Thistle turned the dial up to 11 in their attempt to break the deadlock, but Ayr’s defence remained steadfast in their determination, as the game finished goalless.
Full Time – Ayr United 0 Partick Thistle 0
The draw saw Thistle pass up the chance to go top of the league, as St Johnstone also drew 0-0 with Raith Rovers, ensuring the Jags remained level on points with the Saints.
Partick Thistle return to action on Tuesday for the third of four consecutive away trips, travelling to Cove Rangers for a Round of 32 tie in the KDM Evolution Trophy.
Teams
Ayr United: Liam Russell; Leon King, Kevin Holt, Liam Dick (Nick McAllister 45’); Dylan Watret (Anton Dowds 63’), Jude Bonnar, Ben Dempsey (Stuart Bannigan 88’), Jamie Murphy (Aaron Brown 88’), Scott McMann, Ethan Walker, Mark McKenzie.
Unused Substitutes: David Mitchell; Shaun Want, Dom Thomas, Lucas McRoberts.
Partick Thistle: Josh Clarke; Paddy Reading, Lee Ashcroft, Luke McBeth, Ben McPherson; Oisin Smyth, Ts’oanelo Lets’osa, Ben Stanway (Kyle Turner 73’); Aidan Fitzpatrick (Stevie Lawless 82’), Logan Chalmers, Alex Samuel.
Unused Substitutes: Lewis Budinauckas; Cammy Logan, Scott Martin, Sean McArdle, Nick Lockhart, Gabriel Nosa.
By David Forrest
It's ends goalless at Somerset Park.
An Aidan Fitzpatrick shot that hit the post being the closest that Thistle came to scoring.
Into whatever added time referee Anderson elects to play.
Ayr clear the second Turner corner.
Turner's corner is cleared as far as Chalmers at the edge of the box. His shot is blocked for another Thistle corner.
Samuel is fouled and this will give Thistle the chance to get bodies forward.
Chalmers tries to find Ashcroft at the back post with the free kick but it is well defended.
Thistle have a free kick about 35 yards from the Ayr goal and left of centre.
McKenzie is able to get his head to a ball in from the left but his header isn't threatening the Thistle goal.
Murphy slides the ball through to Dowds who, at an angle, only has Clarke to beat. Clarke makes himself a big target to beat and gets just enough of a touch to Dowds effort to get the ball round the post for a corner. Another fine stop from the Thistle keeper.
Fitzpatrick swings the corner in but Russell is there to claim the ball.
Break in play while Ayr's Murphy receives some treatment.
Mark Wilson takes the opportunity to have a chat with Logan Chalmers.
Chalmers shoots from the edge of the box but it is a straight at Russell who makes a comfortable save.
Thistle so close to scoring as Fitzpatrick's low shot beats Russell but comes off the base of the post.
Big chance for Ayr. Murphy's through ball finds Walker who is clear of the last defender. He shots past Clarke but also wide of Clarke's right hand post.
Stanway looks to have taken a bit of a sore one. He's back on his feet though without the need of the physio.
Stanway barges King as he tries to get his head to a McPherson cross and play restarts with a Ayr free kick.
There is a push at the back post as the corner comes over and Thistle have a free kick.
Change from the home side at the interval.
Goalless at the break. Thistle have probably had the better of the first 45 minutes with Stanway coming close with a low shot.
Ayr's main threat has come from set pieces though Clarke did have to make an excellent stop inside the first ten minutes to prevent Ayr from taking an early lead.
All four Championship games being played today are goalless at half-time.
Into added time at the end of the first half.
It's a great ball from Reading that finds Chalmers on the right. Chalmers tries to lift the ball over Russell. He's successful but he gets too much elevation on the ball and it clears the crossbar.
Walker's corner goes into a dangerous area but the referee spots an infringement and it is a Thistle free kick.
A ball falls nicely for Reading at the edge of the box. His shot goes wide. It's a goal kick though Thistle protest that Reading's effort took a deflection as it went wide.
Thistle are quickly on the attack and a Fitzpatrick shot is beaten away by Russell.
This corner goes straight into the waiting arms of Clarke.
And another.
It's a timely header from McBeth that gets the ball clear but Thistle have a corner to defend.
Ayr try and work a short corner but the flag goes up for offside after Fitzpatrick goes across and blocks.
Stanway has another effort at goal. It looks as if it might come off Chalmers. Certainly there is no pace on the ball as it rolls through to Russell.
Stanway collects a McPherson cross and it takes a good stop low to his right from Russell to prevent Stanway from finding the net for the second game in a row.
Break in play as an Ayr player receives some treatment.
An even game so far. Ayr with the clearest chance with Clarke saving well from Walker's effort following a cross from the left.
Closest for Thistle a Smyth effort that was deflected wide of goal.
Lets'osa clears the Walker corner at the front post. When the ball is clipped back into the box the flag goes up for offside.
A Smyth shot looks to be heading in until it is deflected wide for another Thistle corner.
Ayr fail to make anything from the corner but that really was an excellent stop from Clarke that prevented Thistle from falling behind early.
It takes an excellent save from Clarke to deny Walker.
An excellent pass from Chalmers finds Fitzpatrick who is able to advance into the Ayr box. The home defender in close attention is just a little too strong and snuffs out the danger albeit with Fitzpatrick ending up on the ground. No hint of a penalty though.
We're underway. Thistle shooting towards the away support in the first half.
After a break for the Scottish Cup it is William Hill Championship action this afternoon as a second place Thistle side travel to face third place Ayr United at Somerset Park.
Head Coach Mark Wilson has made 4 changes from the side that defeated Forfar in the cup seven days ago.
In come Paddy Reading, Oisin Smyth, Logan Chalmers and Ts'oanelo Lets'osa.
Cammy Logan, Scott Martin , Kyle Turner and Steven Lawless are the quartet that make way for them.
Tony Watt continues to miss out through injury.