SPFL Ladbrokes Championship
Sat 15 September, 2018. Kick Off: - 15:00
Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
Fixture Information:
Admission Details:
This fixture is a PAY AT THE GATE fixture.
Prices:
Adults – £20
Concessions – £15
Under 16s – £6
A concession is qualified as a person under 25 or over 65
Disabled supporters pay their age rate with a free carer included in their ticket price. Disabled supporter tickets must be purchased at the club shop.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 09:20
Station Bar – 09:30
Non members welcome.
Please call 07979496154 or email to book.
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 10:00
Thornwood Bar – 10:05
Prices:
£22 for adults
£12 for concessions
All Jags fans are welcome but booking is essential.
For seats please contact Alistair on 07817612563 or email
For general enquires please contact Iain on 07779668357 or email
North-West Branch:
Pick ups:
Milngavie Station – 09:00
Esquire House – 09:20
Maryhill Community Halls – 09:35
Non-Members fares:
£24 for adults.
£14.50 for concessions.
To reserve seats, please e-mail or call 0141 632 3604 before 9:00 pm.
Partick Thistle’s 2018/19 league campaign continues this Saturday after a cup break as the Jags travel to the Highlands to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle. For a second matchday in a row, Thistle take on the Championship’s second-placed team as the undefeated Caley Jags hosts the Maryhill men. The travelling Jags are just three points off the top of the Ladbrokes Championship table and will be looking to add to their tally at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium tomorrow. Thistle boss, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of the trip North.
We began by discussing just how tough a trip to Inverness can be, especially now, with Caley the only remaining undefeated side in the league.
“In this league, there are no easy games and this match fits right in with that. Every game is going to be competitive and you have to be on top of your game every week if you’re going to win regularly. We have a decent record up there in recent years but it’s a completely different team to the ones we’ve faced recently. They ended last season very well and you can see that their form has carried on into the new league season so we’ll have to be prepared.”
Archie then highlighted the importance of his players being able to put the disappointment of East Fife behind them.
“We tried to get over that result as early as we could this week. Everyone knows it wasn’t good enough but letting it get to us wouldn’t help anything and, ultimately, we’re now aiming to bounce back at Inverness. At Bayview we got a few players game time which will benefit us in the long run but we know we need to go out there and perform against Inverness tomorrow.”
Caley Thistle have been a formidable defensive unit since the turn of the year and have started the Championship season with three clean sheets in four games so the gaffer knows that breaking them down will prove to be very tough.
“I’ve watched a few of their matches and they’re an organised side. Last time out, in the league, they produced a great result against Dunfermline where they scored three and kept a clean sheet. For us, we want to find that balance too. We’ve had periods where we’ve defended well and periods where we’ve attacked well but we need to put that together and then do that consistently.”
He then told us how keen he is to get his side’s first away win of the new league campaign as the Jags look to make their form on the road as strong as their home performances in the Championship so far this term.
“We started well away from home in the Betfred Cup but the league is a whole different kettle of fish. In both away games so far, we’ve been off the pace and failed to really impose our style of play whereas, at home, we’ve played plenty of very decent football. We need to start producing that football away from home as well and we’ll be looking to start that this weekend.”
Alan finished by giving us an update on the status of his squad going into tomorrow’s game.
“Miles Storey will come back into the squad for the game. He had a bit of swelling on his knee so we wouldn’t even have risked him for a league game last Saturday but he’s trained all week and comes back in for tomorrow. Stuart Bannigan will come back in on the grass which will be a boost and Jai Quitongo has a chance of making the squad. That should mean we have a much stronger bench than we did last week which can only be good thing for myself.”
More exclusive preview interviews with Aidan Fitzpatrick, Miles Storey and Jags gaffer, Alan Archibald, are available to Jagzone subscribers – log in now to see them.
Jagzone members will also be able to watch extended highlights of the game.
Can’t make it to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium? Jagzone members can listen to live audio commentary of the match. JagZoneLIVE begins at 2:45pm on Saturday.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Article Copyright © 2018. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
After exiting the Irn-Bru Cup last weekend at the hands of East Fife, Partick Thistle redirected their focus back onto the Ladbrokes Championship as their league campaign continued with their first trip to the Highlands this season to take on Inverness. The Jags were looking for their first league win on the road this term as they took on the undefeated Caley Jags. John Robertson’s side came into the game two points clear of Thistle in second place and represented the division’s last remaining unbeaten team.
There were five changes to the side that lost out at Bayview seven days ago as Alan Archibald made alterations in every sector of the pitch. Cammy Bell regained his starting berth from Jamie Sneddon who dropped to the bench while Sean McGinty returned to the line-up in place of Tam Scobbie. James Penrice, Niall Keown and team captain, Christie Elliott completed the backline. Brice Ntambwe and Craig Slater retained their places at the base of midfield while Chris Erskine and Blair Spittal replaced Jack Storer and Aidan Fitzpatrick in behind the striker. Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo was once again out on the wing with Miles Storey straight back into things as the centre forward. The bench was made up of Jamie Sneddon, Max Melbourne, Daniel Jefferies, Stuart Bannigan, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Kris Doolan and Jai Quitongo who was making his first appearance in a Thistle squad having signed for the Club on deadline day.
The Jags started the better of the two sides with some good play to open the game but they only mustered one half chance from the early dominance. Blair Spittal received the ball following a cleared corner and the number seven took a pop at goal after evading his man. His attempt took a sizeable deflection and looped towards goal with Mark Ridgers being required to tip it behind for a corner.
However, Thistle were punished for not making more of their possession early on as the home side took the lead with their first attack of note. Liam Polworth found himself a bit of space on the edge of the box and the midfielder opted to shoot from 20 yards. The unsighted Cammy Bell did well to tip the ball onto the post but when the ball broke back into the danger area, it was Jordan White who was on hand to head home the rebound.
Furthermore, the Highlanders would go on to make it two as Shaun Rooney doubled their lead in the 22nd minute. A corner was delivered deep into the box and the ball was knocked back in towards the six-yard area by Coll Donaldson. Cammy Bell got a hand to it but could only push it as far as Shaun Rooney who converted from ten yards with a well-controlled, right-footed volley.
It didn’t get any better for the travelling Jags quickly as the clinical hosts grabbed a third after 32 minutes. On this occasion, Brice Ntambwe was caught on the ball, allowing Liam Polworth to burst forward, in on goal. Eventually, as the Polworth and Ntambwe entered the box, the Belgian brought his man down with the referee pointing straight to the spot. It was former Jags midfielder, Sean Welsh, who stepped up to take the spot kick and as he did on a number of occasions in the red and yellow, Welsh coolly slotted the penalty home.
After a poor first 36 minutes of the game, Alan Archibald decided to make a change in the midfield as he replaced Brice Ntambwe with Stuart Bannigan as he looked to inject a bit of life into his side. Stuart came on to make just his second appearance of the season having returned to the side two weeks prior against Morton.
Following that change, the away side were presented with an immediate route back into the game as they were awarded a penalty of their own in the 40th minute. The ball was fed into Miles Storey at the very edge of the box and the number 19 went down under a bit of pressure from behind. The referee did not hesitate to point to the spot and Storey stepped up to take the penalty that he had won. However, the former Inverness attacker was unable to beat Mark Ridgers from 12 yards as the ‘stopper guessed the right way before Miles fired the rebound wide of the target. Two minutes after the penalty, the home side were forced into a change as goalscorer, Shaun Rooney came off with an injury to be replaced by Jamie McCart.
The teams entered the break with the score at 3-0 and the Jags had really gifted their hosts that lead after a lively start away from home. Inverness’ chances had been limited to mostly efforts from range but whenever a chance fell in the 18-yard box, they were taking it and that’s what had earned them their advantage. Thistle had produced some solid patterns of play at times but had failed to penetrate a stubborn Caley Jags backline regularly enough.
The second half started more positively for the Maryhill men with plenty of the ball and a small selection of half chances but once again they were failing to trouble Mark Ridgers. In an attempt to inspire some attacking creativity, Kris Doolan was brought on in the 55th minute to replace Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo.
In the 59th minute, Thistle tried to haul themselves back into things by grabbing one deficit-reducing goal. A Craig Slater delivery into the box caused havoc for the home side as Niall Keown and Kris Doolan both looked to divert the ball towards goal. In the end, it broke for Chris Erskine, however, the number ten’s efforts were blocked before the ball was scrambled clear.
With 20 minutes to go, Thistle made their final change as Jai Quitongo replaced Miles Storey. Quitongo’s appearance represented not only his Jags debut but also his return to senior football for the first time since January when he played and scored for Morton in the Scottish Cup against Dunfermline at East End Park.
The men in red and yellow would pull one back in the 82nd minute as Blair Spittal netted his first of the new competitive season. Craig Slater delivered a teasing right-footed ball in from the Jags’ left flank and Jamie McCart made a hash of the clearance. Spittal was the beneficiary as the midfielder took a touch to open it up before finding the bottom corner with the help of a slight deflection.
The visitors could easily have had another back in the 84th minute as Christie Elliott popped up at a corner. Initially, it was Jai Quitongo’s deflected shot which won the set play and when it was whipped in, team captain Elliott met the delivery with a late run. Unfortunately for the Englishman, his contact wasn’t as strong as was necessary and his glanced effort skipped out for a by-kick.
In the 88th minute Inverness were dealt a blow as, having already made three changes, they saw George Oakley go down holding his hamstring. The attacker had replaced Jordan White earlier in the match but he was forced off and as such, the Caley Jags were left with ten men for the closing stages.
As the game entered added time, Thistle had another chance to make it 3-2, this time through Chris Erskine. Stuart Bannigan picked the number ten out with a terrific through ball which got Erskine in on goal. The Jags’ joint top scorer tried to lift the ball across goal, over Mark Ridgers but the ex-Hearts ‘keeper did well to stand up and block the shot.
The Maryhill men would get their second as Kris Doolan found the back of the net deep into the allotted injury time. The ball broke to Blair Spittal in the box and Blair decided to drill a shot-come-cross into the six-yard box. To his credit that’s where Kris Doolan was waiting and the Thistle legend reacted quickly to divert the ball high past Mark Ridgers with no hint of it being disallowed this time round.
However, that was to be the final attack of the game with the game ending 3-2 to the Highlanders. Thistle’s first half performance left much to be desired and was what ultimately cost them as they were unable to recoup anything from the contest in the second half.
For Alan Archibald’s side, they now look towards next week’s clash with Queen of the South as they return to the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill. Kick-off is 15:00 in Maryhill.
PARTICK THISTLE TEAM: Bell, Elliott, Keown, McGinty, Penrice, Ntambwe (Bannigan, 36’), Slater, Spittal, Erskine, Mbuyi-Mutombo (Doolan, 55’), Storey (Quitongo, 70’).
UNUSED SUBS (PTH): Sneddon, Melbourne, Jefferies, Fitzpatrick.
INVERNESS CT TEAM: Ridgers, Rooney (McCart, 42’), Donaldson, McKay, Tremarco, Welsh, Chalmers, Doran (Calder, 76’), Polworth, Walsh, White (Oakley, 67’).
UNUSED SUBS (ICT): Hoban, MacKay, Trafford, Austin.
Article Copyright © 2018. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
After a break for cup action last weekend, Partick Thistle returned to league action as they travelled north to take on Inverness at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. The Jags were looking for their first away win of the new Championship season as they took on the division’s only remaining undefeated side, Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The Highlanders had kept three clean sheets in their opening four games and sat second in the second tier table. Unfortunately for the visitors, it wasn’t to be as their hosts raced to a three-goal lead thanks to Jordan White, Shaun Rooney and Sean Welsh. Miles Storey missed a penalty to round off a dreadful opening 45 minutes for the Maryhill men but Thistle looked the better side throughout the second period, grabbing two late goals through Blair Spittal and Kris Doolan, both of whom were finding the net for the first time this season. The comeback couldn’t be completed however, with the away side leaving Inverness empty handed. Jags manager, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk following the final whistle.
Archie began by giving us his summation of what was an action-packed 90 minutes up at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.
“It was a strange game, overall. We started on the front foot as the better team which was exactly what we’d asked for from the players but then they go up and score with their first attack. It’s bad defending on our part and then they just grew from there. In this league, you can’t afford to give anyone any sort of headstart, never mind a three-goal one and that’s what has cost us in the end.”
We then asked the gaffer if he feels the team is still in a gelling faze after a summer of massive change at the club but he said that his side can’t excuse a first half like today’s, no matter how many new names are involved.
“We are still a new side and it’ll take time for us to get everyone on the same wavelength on the park but collectively and individually, we need to make sure we do things a lot better. If we can start doing the simple things right, especially away from home, then that gives us something to build on but we’re making it too easy for teams to break us down as a unit.”
He then praised his players for their second half performance as they came out for the second 45 with a more positive attitude which lead to them dominating proceedings.
“Our main message for the boys at the break was that they should be going out there with a bit of personal pride to try and win the second half at the very least. To their credit, they really took a hold of the game from the interval onward and created some good chances. Granted, Inverness were 3-0 up but at the same time there was definite improvement.”
The gaffer ended by talking about Stuart Bannigan, who came on in the first half and played a stellar 54 minutes in his second appearance of the season.
“Stuart was sort of flung into the game but I thought he did very well in the middle of the park. You can see we’re a different side with Stuart on the pitch but it shouldn’t take the presence of someone who’s recovering from a long-term injury to give us drive as a team, that should come from the 11 as a whole. Nevertheless, it was good to get Banzo some more minutes.”
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald is available now to Jagzone subscribers and will be followed by reaction from Kris Doolan and Blair Spittal. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available.
Highlights will be added shortly and will be free for Jagzone subscribers.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Article Copyright © 2018. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Sat 15 September, 2018
SPFL Ladbrokes Championship 
Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
Doolan nets a Jags second
Slater's cross picks out Doolan at the back post. As he controls Mckay is across to clear the danger.
Quitongo shoots from the corner of the box. It takes a deflection and Thistle win a corner.
It's a low finish from Spittal beyond the reach of Ridgers
Great play from Penrice as he advances down the left hand side. He interchanges with Erskine before getting his shot slightly wrong and doesn't trouble the goalkeeper.
Elliott cuts inside from the right hand side floating a left footed shot towards goal which is always drifting away
White heads over from inside the six yard box
A Slater free kick is headed clear and Inverness scramble clear as Erskine tries to poke home.
Ridgers unconvincingly punches clear a free kick before Erskine shoots into the turf. The ball bounces over the players in the way and over the crossbar
Mckay takes the ball off the toes of Erskine and knocks it behind for a corner.
Ridgers guesses correctly and saves Storey's spot kick.
Penrice advances down the left before firing a rising effort over the bar.
Ntambwe is caught on the ball by Polworth. The Jags number 39 is booked for fouling the Inverness played just inside the box. Welsh rolls the resulting spot into the net.
Spittal with a low shot from the edge of the box but Ridgers gets his body behind it to save.
Polworth tries an ambitious effort from 40 yards which clears Bell's crossbar by a few feet.
Walsh stretches the Jags defence before cutting in. Bell gathers his low shot at the second attempt.
A corner bounces around the box before Rooney is able to squeeze it home to double the lead for Inverness.
A Chalmers free kick is met by Mckay but his header is straight at Bell.
Slater cuts inside about 20 yards out and sends a shot to the far post which Ridgers is equal to.
A cross from the right is headed away by Keown while the Jags defender is being fouled winning a free kick
Walsh is played in for Inverness but excellent defending takes away the shooting chance. Thistle clear the ball away through Elliott.
After a bright start for Thistle, the home side take the lead against the run of play. Polworth shoots from distance, Bell does well to tip it onto the post before White heads home the rebound beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.
Slater runs the ball across the box and is lacking support. He does well to win a corner for the Jags
Thistle break with pace. Erskine tries to play a 1-2 with Spittal but doesn't get it back and the move fizzles out.
It's partially cleared before Spittal shoots from 20 yards. It takes a deflection and Ridger has to back pedal to tip the ball over for a corner.
Good play from Mutombo sprays it wide to Elliott. He plays Storey down the line winning a corner.