cinch Championship
Sat 12 March, 2022. Kick Off: - 15:00
Cappielow Park
Fixture Information:
Ticketing Info:
Thistle head to Cappielow on Saturday afternoon to face Greenock Morton in cinch Championship duty.
The game kicks off at 3pm.
Thistle fans can buy tickets for this fixture online or in-person.
To buy tickets online, visit gmfctickets.co.uk and register with Morton’s ticketing site. Once you are registered, select the Wee Dublin End and pick a seat anywhere in that area.
After purchasing your tickets, you can access them through the ‘My Transactions’ section under your account profile – you can use this e-ticket to enter through the turnstiles for the game.
Tickets are priced as below:
Adult – £20
Concessions – £15
A concession is classed as over 65s, students and people aged between 18-20 years old*
Child(aged 12-17) – £10
Child(under 12) – £1
*proof of ID verifying age/student status may be required at the turnstile.
Cash gates will be in operation at Cappielow on Saturday afternoon.
Thistle supporters will be located in the Wee Dublin End.
Livestream
Greenock Morton will be offering a livestream of this fixture to any fan who can’t make it along to Cappielow.
The stream is priced at £14 and can be bought by clicking here.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 13:15
Station Bar – 13:30
For seats call Duncan 07979496154 or e-mail
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 13:30
Thornwood Bar – 13:35
Prices:
Adults – £12
Concessions – £8
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 – 13:15
Esquire House, Anniesland – 13:35
Maryhill Community Central Halls – 13:50
Fares:
Full fare – £11
Concessions – £6.50
Please remember that the wearing of a face covering is mandatory at all times when on the North-West bus and will remain so until government guidelines are changed.
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.
Ian McCall’s Partick Thistle go in search of a third successive victory this weekend as they take on Greenock Morton in the cinch Championship. The Ton remain the only team to have beaten Thistle in the league in 2022 having come to Firhill and won 1-0 last month so the Maryhill men will be looking for some retribution in Inverclyde. Jags assistant manager Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of the fixture:
“It’s vitally important for us to keep this run going. Getting those two wins against Inverness and Queen of the South gives us a springboard to go and hopefully start a run because that’s what we need to be doing at this stage of the season.
“We know how difficult it will be though. It’s easy to talk about going on a run but it’s another thing to go and do it. Morton are a good side who beat us last time we played them so they’ll feel they can go and do the same again – it’s up to us to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Looking back in more detail at the previous defeat to Dougie Imrie’s side, Archie felt the team didn’t do much wrong and that the key moments went against the Jags.
“In terms of the performance, we thought we were actually pretty decent that night. We managed to create some good chances and then we get the penalty which changes the game. If we’d scored I think we’re pretty confident we’d have been able to win it from there but it gets saved and that seemed to give them a bit of a boost.
“The other key moment is obviously the goal. It’s a very simple one and I thought we were a bit too deep at the time and that allows them to win the first header closer to our goal. I think it ended up being one of two shots on target they had and their only real chance of the game which was the frustrating part for us but it just goes to show that you have to take your chances in this league.”
Now looking ahead to another meeting with the Cappielow side, Alan expects a similar game to the one the Jags experienced against Morton at Firhill.
“I think we’ll see the same approach from them in terms of making it difficult to break them down and using their set pieces and throw-ins to cause us problems. They’ll get in our faces and try to make sure we don’t get any time on the ball so we’ll need to be sharp to work a way past them.
“They lost 3-0 to Queen of the South at the weekend and will be desperate for a reaction this week. They’ve done well to put some space between themselves and the bottom so they won’t want to start slipping back down. The points are every bit as important for us though and we’ll be giving everything to get them.”
Archibald ended by giving us the latest team news as we prepare to head towards Greenock.
“Scott Tiffoney will still be out and Kyle McAllister had a problem in the warm-up on Tuesday which means he’s a doubt. Apart from that we’ve got a few guys with little knocks and bumps but they should be able to play through them.”
Exclusive video interviews with Stuart Bannigan 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 Morton, starting at 2:30pm – click here to tune in.
Morton will be providing a pay-per-view option, priced at £14, for any supporter who wishes to watch a livestream of the match – click here to purchase.
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.
Thistle were looking for a bit of retribution as they made the trip to Cappielow to face Greenock Morton for the final time this season. Dougie Imrie’s side became the only team to have beaten the Jags in the league since the New Year when they won 1-0 at Firhill in February and now the Maryhill men were hoping to get one over the Inverclyde side to make it three wins on the trot.
Ian McCall made three changes to the first XI from the previous game against Queen of the South with Brian Graham, Kyle Turner and Cammy Smith all recalled to the starting line-up.
The Maryhill men looked bright in the opening stages and threatened the Morton goal just two minutes in. The ball was worked over to Alex Jakubiak at the right corner of the box and the forward nutmegged his man before unleashing a venomous shot with his right-foot. The power behind the shot would have made it difficult for Jack Hamilton to deal with but unfortunately it rose over the bar, flying into the Wee Dublin End.
The travelling Jags didn’t have to wake much longer for a breakthrough though as they got the scoring started in the fourth minute. A throw-in to the feet of Brian Graham from the left sideline allowed the striker to lay the ball off for Jakubiak and the on-loan Dundee man worked his way to the byline before playing the ball across the face of goal. He picked out Kyle Turner who was able to bundle the ball into the net before wheeling off to celebrate his second goal of the season.
A loose Lewis Mayo pass almost gave the home side an immediate route back into the game as Jamie Brandon latched onto it and played Gavin Reilly into the box. The former St. Mirren man tried a low shot across goal but Jamie Sneddon was able to fall on top of the effort after a deflection had taken the sting out of it.
The Ton had another opportunity to level things after 13 minutes as one of Lewis Strapp’s patented long throws caused havoc for the Jags. Strapp heaved the ball into the middle of the Thistle box and Alan Lithgow rose to meet it despite Jamie Sneddon coming to punch it. Lithgow headed it past the goalkeeper but over the bar as Thistle got away with one.
Coming out for the second half, the momentum seemed to be with the home side as they continued their push for an equaliser. Ten minutes after the break Iain Wilson lifted an in-swinging cross into the Thistle box from the left wing but Gavin Reilly’s tame header made for a comfortable save in the centre of Jamie Sneddon’s goal.
Another headed chance came the hosts’ way just after the hour mark as Gozie Ugwu flicked a Lewis Strapp corner towards the far bottom corner of the goal, however, the striker’s effort drifted wide of the post.
Then, in the 67th minute of the game, Morton missed their biggest chance yet. A corner into the Thistle box was sliced into the air by Kevin Holt forcing Jamie Sneddon to punch the ball under his own crossbar as the bodies gathered around him. That punch fell straight to Alan Lithgow who headed the ball off Holt, seeing the ball fall to Gavin Reilly. The number 14 swung a leg at what looked like a simple finish, however, he skewed the shot wide of the goal.
With 18 minutes left to play the away side had a rare second half sight of goal which could have sealed the win for them. Lewis Mayo met a Kyle Turner corner kick, directing his attempt towards the bottom left corner but Jack Hamilton was equal to it pushing it wide towards Kevin Holt who also saw a shot saved by Hamilton.
That proved to be an important save for Dougie Imrie’s team as they found their leveller in the 75ht minute. A long ball forward was missed by all the Thistle defenders allowing Lewis McGrattan to break through on goal. Jamie Sneddon stood up to the substitute and saved his initial effort but the ball fell back to the number 17 who squared it for Gavin Reilly to slam home.
There was almost a rapid repartee from Ian McCall’s men as Juan Alegria picked up the ball in the midfield and fed it wide to Stephen Hendrie. The number 33 took one touch before driving a low cross towards the front post area where Alegria was waiting, however, the on-loan Rangers man couldn’t hit the target with a first-time shot.
Morton were able to complete the turnaround in the 86th minute as a former Jag struck the lethal blow for the hosts. The goal came from an Oisin McEntee ball over the top which found Gozie Ugwu in the Jags’ box. He then reversed a low ball back into the centre where he found Robbie Muirhead. The number 9 took one touch to set himself before firing low across goal into the bottom corner of Jamie Sneddon’s goal.
The Jags couldn’t find a way back into the game in the remaining minutes and as such fell to their second league defeat of 2022 and their first away league defeat since October. The result leaves Thistle eight points off the league leaders Kilmarnock with a game in hand.
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 suffered their second league defeat of 2022 this afternoon as they were beaten 2-1 by Greenock Morton at Cappielow. The Jags started the game well with Kyle Turner putting them a goal to the good in the opening stages but second half strikes from Gavin Reilly and Robbie Muirhead turned the match on its head and secured three points for the home side. Thistle boss Ian McCall spoke to ptfc.co.uk following the final whistle:
“That was absolutely gutting for us. If I’m completely honest the boys looked really tired in that second half. They’ve put so much into the last two games and again in the first half today but after the hour mark we struggled today.
“To lead the game so early and then lose is tough to take. As I say, it wasn’t for a lack of effort but four or five of our key players were looking a big leggy towards the end of the game.”
The Jags conceded twice in the final 15 minutes and the manager said the manner of the goals they let in was frustrating.
“Both goals come from floated balls forward and we just don’t deal with them. With the first one Jamie makes a great save and they get a bit of luck with the way it bounces back to them but then the second one is far too easy.
“At this point in the season, it comes down to key moments and we didn’t do well enough in the key moments today. We didn’t deserve to win after that second half but we should have made sure we got a point at least.”
Now Thistle have a full week to prepare for their next fixture and McCall says the midweek without a game comes at the right time.
“As I mentioned, there are a few players who were tired at the end of the game there because of the amount of football they’ve played and the effort they’ve put in over the past few games. Now we’ve got a bit of time to recover which we need to use properly to make sure we’re ready again next Saturday.”
Thistle’s next port of call is a cinch Championship match against Hamilton Accies at Firhill and the gaffer says the team need to get back on track.
“We felt like we were moving in the right direction but this is a setback for us. There’s still a lot of football to be played and plenty of points to be won though so the focus for us now is bouncing back against Accies.”
Further reaction from Thistle manager Ian McCall 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.
Sat 12 March, 2022
cinch Championship 
Cappielow Park
It's a defeat that does Thistle's promotion chances no good at all.
Kyle Turner scores early for Thistle but Morton equalise with 75 minutes played and then grab a late winner.
Despite 6 minutes of injury time Thistle can't find an equaliser.
Sneddon is up for the corner but it is the other keeper that takes charge as Hamilton grabs hold of it. And that will be that.
Morton win a throw down near their own corner flag.
The 90 minutes have come and gone. There is a delay to play at the moment for McEntee to receive treatment. There should be a few minutes at least of time still to be played.
McEntee makes a great block just as it looked as if Thistle were going to get a gilt edged chance to level things.
It's a really poor effort from Docherty. He lifts the ball over the wall but also well over the crossbar.
Docherty is fouled and Thistle have a free kick on the very edge of the Morton box left of centre.
Thistle can't deal with another long throw into the box and it falls to Muirhead and he tucks the ball home.
Alegria sends a ball across the face of the Morton goal as Thistle press to regain their lead.
Graham turns on the ball inside the box but his shot hits a defender.
We're into the last 10 minutes. Can Thistle for the third game in a row find a winner with time running out?
Thistle are nearly back in front. Hendrie does really well down the left and Alegria knocks the chance wide of goal.
Sneddon makes a fine stop to deny the initial chance but the loose ball finds it way to Reilly and he lifts the ball high into the net.
Hamilton makes a great save to deny Mayo from Turner's corner. Graham tries to net the rebound but the flag is up for offside.
Strapp goes down in the box and there are some shouts for a Morton penalty but it's an optimistic shout.
Reilly misses an absolute sitter for Morton. Thistle don't deal with the corner and Sneddon doesn't make a clean punch. The ball is knocked back forward to Reilly no more than 6 yards out and he some how spurns the glorious chance that he is given.
Graham catches Turner's corner on the volley and it hits the side netting.
Yet another long throw causes problems but Ugwu knocks the ball wide.
That's a chance for Morton from Strapp's corner but Ugwu doesn't get enough on the ball and his header slips wide of goal.
Turner's corner goes to the back post where Holt, unsuccessfully, tries to get on the end of it.
Graham nudges the ball back to Jakubiak who sees his shot saved by Hamilton.
Wilson crosses from the left and Reilly heads towards goal but it is an easy save for Sneddon.
Lyon takes this corner and it is Graham back defending that heads the ball clear.
Docherty heads the corner clear at the front post.
McKenna does well to get down the right hand side but his cross is too deep.
Hamilton takes Turner's corner at his back post.
Wilson, who has already been booked, leaves his foot a little high in that challenge in the middle of the pitch.
Morton get the game back underway.
Kyle Turner's goal after just five minutes gives Thistle a narrow advantage at the break.
Morton have looked dangerous at set plays but Jamie Sneddon hasn't had a save of note to make so far in what has been a fairly even game of football.
Lyon drags a shot wide of the Thistle goal.
Into additional time at the end of the first half.
Wilson fouls Turner.
Break in play for Brian Graham to receive some treatment. This might just give Thistle a chance to take the sting out of the game.
Strapp is again the man to take the set play and it again goes towards the back post but it is well defended by Thistle who are under a bit of pressure as we start to near the half-time whistle.
Strapp's free kick goes to the back post and the ball is directed back towards the Thistle goal but it is cleared.
A Foster foul earns Morton a free kick wide on the right hand side.
Turner's corner is well defended though Thistle do win a throw on the far side.
Brandon cuts in from the right but his left foot effort doesn't have enough curl on it to trouble Sneddon and it goes out for a goal kick.
McKenna cuts in from the right and his low driven cross is cleared.
Morton have looked dangerous at set plays but this time Sneddon takes charge to claim a Strapp free kick.
Another long throw into the Thistle box causes problems but Ugwu is adjudged to have fouled Sneddon and Thistle have a free kick.
Jakubiak twists his way past two Morton players but can't get past a third deep inside the Morton box.
Thistle are being pinned back at the moment.
Lyon drives forward and finds room for a shot just outside the box but Sneddon saves with comfort near his right hand post.
A Turner free kick looks to be far too close to Hamilton but Graham manages to get his head to the ball and he looks in vain for a corner when his header goes wide.
Morton are using the long throw to good affect and another from Strapp has the Thistle defence under pressure but Lithgow nods over at the back post.
It's a good corner and Docherty has to head clear from close to the Thistle goal line.
Hamilton saves at the feet of Jakubiak.
Some loose play from Thistle provides Morton with their first glimpse at goal but Sneddon makes a comfortable save from Reilly's low shot.
Thistle's bright start is rewarded with an early goal. Jakubiak squares the ball to Turner at the back post and from close range he nudges the ball home.
Turner's corner is cleared.
Early chance for Thistle and Jakubiak whose crisp drive is just a shade too high. Encouraging start for The Jags.
Thistle kick the game off and will be shooting towards the Wee Dublin End and the travelling Thistle support in the first half.
After successive 1-0 home wins, Thistle are on the road again this afternoon to face Morton who enjoyed their own narrow 1-0 Firhill win recently.
Kilmarnock's win at Ayr last night took them to the top of the table for the duration of this afternoon at least but Thistle will be looking to put pressure on them and Arbroath with three points in what is sure to be a very difficult fixture.
Ian McCall's starting eleven this afternoon shows three changes from the side the started against Queen of the South on Tuesday night.
Into the starting eleven come Kyle Turner, Brain Graham and Cammy Smith.
The trio dropping to the bench to make way for them are Connor Murray, Robbie Crawford and Juan Alegria.