Sat 18 August, 2012
Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Division 1 
East End Park, Dunfermline
Steven Lawless (24)
Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Division 1
Sat 18 August, 2012. Kick Off: - 15:00
East End Park, Dunfermline
It’s unlikely that tomorrow’s game with Dunfermline at East End Park will produce another nine goals, or produce as explosive a finish as Tuesday’s game with Queen’s Park did but it is still a fixture to look forward to.
The start that we have made to the season has been a very positive one, albeit three of our victories have come in cup competition. Our one league game played so far though produced an excellent 3-1 win over one of the pre-season favourites for the title, Falkirk. In what has been a tough opening to our league campaign, tomorrow in the shape of Dunfermline we face another side that manager Jackie McNamara expects to see challenging at the top of the league.
“Our first two league games this season have been against the two favourites for promotion. We started well with a win over Falkirk and if we can follow that up with victory at Dunfermline tomorrow it will do wonders for the players’ confidence. I’ve been saying this for some time, but if we play as well as we can then we needn’t fear anyone in the division. If our mental attitude is correct and if we can continue to show the desire and belief that we have been doing so far this season then we can keep our early season momentum going.”
As expected the manager will be making changes from the side that was involved in that dramatic match with Queen’s Park on Tuesday night.
“There were a few things in that game that I wasn’t happy about but a few that I was. I’ve watched the game back and it really was a bizarre match but we did at times move the ball about the pitch well and of course the lads did really well to come from 4-3 down to win 5-4. Overall it was a good exercise for us. It was important to give some players some game time and to make them feel part of the squad. It is important that all our players are as fit as possible should they need to come in to cover injury and suspensions. Tomorrow though those that missed out on Tuesday will come back in.”
The manager does, however, have some injury problems to content with
“David Rowson is still out with his back problem which doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Sean Welsh’s eye meantime is still closed. He’s had an x-ray and everything is okay but with his eye still closed we will need to keep our fingers crossed that he shows a remarkable recovery over the next 24 hours if he is to play this weekend. As things stand he has to be considered a major doubt. Having watched Tuesday’s game again it really was a horrendous challenge that led to his injury and it could have been much worse even if he does miss tomorrow’s game.”
Partick Thistle Stats
Season 2012-2013 So Far
W D L F A
4 0 0 11 5
Scorers Season 2012-2013
Kris Doolan 3
Chris Erskine 3
Steven Lawless 2
Stuart Bannigan 1
Christie Elliott 1
Aaron Sinclair 1
Last Game
Ramsdens Cup Second Round
Tuesday August 14th 2012
Partick Thistle 5, Queen’s Park 4
Dunfermline Athletic Stats
Season 2012-2013 So Far
W D L F A
1 0 1 6 3
Scorers Season 2012-2013
Andrew Barrowman 2
Ryan Thomson 2
Josh Falkingham 1
Ryan Wallace 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday August 11th 2012
Cowdenbeath 0, Dunfermline Athletic 4
Last Meeting
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday March 26th 2011
Dunfermline Athletic 0, Partick Thistle 0
Teams
Dunfermline: Smith, Woods, McCann, Mason, Rutkiewicz, Keddie, McDougall, Burke, Buchanan, Hardie, Graham.
Thistle: Fox, Robertson, Boyle, McGowan, Balatoni, Archibald, Flannigan, Rowson, Doolan, Grehan (Donnelly), Erskine (Campbell).
Match Details
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday August 18th 2012
Dunfermline Athletic v Partick Thistle
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Prices
Adults £17
Concessions (under 18 and 60+) £11
Under 12s £5
Travel
By Supporters Bus
Supporters’ Bus information
By Car
Car Parking is available in a large car park adjoining the East End of the ground and there are also facilities in various side streets. Multi-storey car parking approximately 10 minutes walk from ground.
By Bus
Buses destined for Kelty, Perth, St. Andrews and Kirkcaldy all pass close to East End Park.
By Train
There is a regular train service from Edinburgh to either Dunfermline Town or Dunfermline Queen Margaret Stations. The ground is a 15 minute walk from either Station.
Match Officials
Referee: Iain Brines
Assistant Referees: Alastair Mathers and Mark Ainslie
Other First Division Fixtures
Dumbarton v Cowdenbeath
Falkirk v Raith Rovers
Hamilton Accies v Morton
Livingston v Airdrie United
After opening the league season in such impressive fashion against Falkirk, manager Jackie McNamara returned to the side that started that game after making six changes for the midweek Ramsdens Cup tie. The only change to the 16 from the Falkirk game came on the bench where there was a slot for Conrad Balatoni replaced Mark McGuigan.
It was the home side, in their first match of the season at East End Park, that were the first to settle on a breezy afternoon and in the third minute a swirling corner from the left escaped the reach of Scott Fox, but the ball drifted out for a goal kick.
Ryan Thomson was looking dangerous for Dunfermline and he had the game’s first shot on goal in the 13th minute but Scott Fox was able to watch the ball go wide and wasn’t required to make a save.
There were signs by this stage though that Thistle were beginning to get into their stride on an excellent East End Park playing surface. Chris Erskine was the first Thistle player to have a shot on goal but a deflection took most of the pace off his 20th minute effort allowing Gallacher to make a comfortable save.
Three minutes later though Erskine was involved in the heart of the move that saw Thistle take the lead. A dip of his shoulder gave Erskine space at the edge of the box and he threaded the ball through to Steven Lawless. Lawless still had a lot of work to do but he got the ball under control, turned towards goal and fired a low shot past Gallacher and into the net.
With Thistle in confident mood, Stephen O’Donnell surged forward from the back but his left foot effort was blocked by a defender. Dunfermline were struggling to contain Erskine and Lawless every time they got the ball and a swift Thistle counter attack involving Sean Welsh nearly reaped dividends but Erskine’s return pass to Welsh was just a shade too far in front of the Thistle midfielder.
At the other end Dunfermline only rarely were able to threaten the Thistle goal in the first half. There was anxiety when Thomson hit the deck inside the box after a sliced clearance from a Thistle defender but the referee wasn’t interested in awarding a penalty despite the Dunfermline player’s protestations
Thomson too was able to set up Joe Cardle right on half time but the Thistle defence were across swiftly to deny Cardle space and a shooting chance.
A goal to the good at the interval, Thistle were close to doubling their advantage in their first attack of the second half. Chris Erskine was able to touch the ball back into the path of the industrious Sean Welsh and his well struck shot was just wide of Gallacher’s right hand post.
Paul Paton wasn’t too far off target either with a shot from 25 yards in the 54th minute that took a touch off a Dunfermline player on its’ way wide of goal.
Dunfermline though were able to have Thistle under far more pressure than they managed during the first 45 minutes but they were frequently coming up against some resolute Thistle defending. Both Paul Paton and Hugh Murray was in the right place at the right time to head dangerous balls clear and Alan Archibald made a fine block to deny Willis at the edge of the Thistle box.
As had the previous week’s game with Falkirk, this was proving to be another good advert for the First Division and Dunfermline were expanding every ounce of energy in the attempt to find an equaliser. There was anxiety in the Thistle box in the 80th minute when a free kick into the Thistle box bounced dangerously about before an Andy Dowie shot was blocked by Aaron Muirhead.
A second Thistle goal would have eased the growing tension considerably and in the 84th minute Chris Erskine missed a glorious chance to all but seal the win. With just Gallacher to beat his composure deserted him and he dragged his effort wide of goal.
Three minutes later Erskine had another opportunity to add a second for Thistle but this time Gallacher was able to dive to his left and smother Erskine’s shot.
It didn’t, however, prove costly as Thistle held out for their second league win of the season.
Victory at East End park this afternoon means that the five games that Thistle have played this season have produced five victories. No wonder the Thistle fans were in such good voice at the end of the game as well as throughout the 90 minutes.
The Thistle manager was also in a happy mood when we spoke to him after the game.
“I think the players showed a lot of desire this afternoon and real team work in terms of getting the ball back. Even in the last minutes of the game the left back is up at the other end trying to get the ball back. The players displayed a lot of energy today although I could have done with a second goal to ease my nerves.”
Jackie continued;
“Credit to Dunfermline they came at us in the second half. There was the physical aspect to worry about with second balls but I’m delighted to get the three points. Dunfermline are going to be up there come the end of the season.”
Is there any danger of the players getting carried away with the start they’ve made to the season?
“No, I don’t think the players will get carried away at all. We are at home to Dumbarton next week and that game carries three points just like today’s and that’s what we will be telling the players every week. There is a long, long way to go. We’ve still to be Falkirk and Dunfermline another three times and everyone else four times. What it is, is a good start and hopefully we can keep the momentum going. Today was a good result and a good result but we start to focus now on next week’s game against Dumbarton. We’ve a lot of tough games coming up. ”
“I think everyone and every team wants to win promotion. You don’t start the season with the ambition of just wanting to survive. The way I was brought up was that no matter what I do I want to succeed and hopefully that is something that I can install in my players. There are signs there that they have the required desire and tenacity.”
Dunfermline boss Jim Jefferies was encouraged, if a little frustrated, by his side’s performance.
“We’re a new team and today was going to be a good indicator of how we are going to do this season”, said Jefferies
“Based on our second half performance if that is as close that we are going to run Partick Thistle, and take nothing away from them they are a good side, then we are going to be there or thereabouts this season.”
“We’re frustrated. We started the game well and then Thistle took control and scored an avoidable goal. Second half I thought that we totally dominated up to the final third where our decision making was poor. The only threat we came on the break and I thought that we handled that well.”
