Sat 28 January, 2017
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership 
Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership
Sat 28 January, 2017. Kick Off: - 15:00
Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, Inverness
Supporter Information:
This game is PAY AT THE GATE.
Admission prices are as follows:
Adults: £22
Seniors & 16-25 years: £17
Juniors: £10
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 09.20
Station Bar – 09.30
Non members welcome.
Please call 07979496154 to book.
Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 09:00
Thornwood Bar – 09:05
Prices:
£25 for adults
£15 for concessions
£30 for parent and child
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 – 09:15
Maryhill Community Halls – 09:30
Prices:
£25 for adults
£15 for concessions.
A concession qualifies as school aged children, unwaged adults, senior citizens & matriculated students
For seats please call 01416323604 before 21:00 or e-mail
It has been a tough week of training ahead of the much awaited return to Ladbrokes Premiership action for the Jags, but there certainly hasn’t been any rest for manager, Alan Archibald. With Niall Keown signing for the club on loan from Reading Archie was glad to be able to welcome the young defender ahead of the trip north to play Inverness on Saturday.
“It’s great to get everything sorted with Niall but it doesn’t really feel like a new signing to be honest. Reading were great to deal with and they let us take him away to Spain with us, then he trained here last week so he has had a bit of time to settle in to the club already.
“It was the perfect situation really because it let us get a proper look at him and allowed him to learn a bit more about us so both parties knew exactly what they were getting in to. He settled in really well though so hopefully there won’t be any issues when it comes to matches. He’ll be in the squad for Saturday and with a couple of suspensions – Devine and Osman – he could well be in contention but, as I say, we have no worries about playing him.”
As one defender arrived at the club another departed with Ziggy Gordon leaving to join Jagiellonia Bialystok.
“Ziggy was a great professional for us but found it a bit frustrating when he wasn’t playing as much as he would have liked before the winter break. He’s a great pro and wanted to go play games which is why the move happened.”
With almost a month having passed since Thistle were last in league action it’s fair to say everyone at the club is ready to get back to it.
“We’re certainly on a good run and I think the break came at the right time for us. We were able to get a few of the injured boys a rest and hopefully they’ll be back stronger having had a bit of time away from games.
“We’re confident coming in to the game on Saturday and we’ll certainly be looking to continue the good run of form that we’re on. We’ve got three tough games coming up but we’ve done it before and we know we need the same kind of resolute performances again this time round to get a similar number of points out of these matches.
“If we take points out of these three games then we have a great chance of pushing for top six which is obviously a massive incentive for everyone involved with the club. It’s still very tight though and everyone still has to play everyone so we certainly won’t be taking any chances.”
There was a welcome return for Mustapha Dumbuya in the game against Formartine and Archibald is happy to have an almost fully fit squad to choose from.
“As I say we have the couple of suspensions but other than that it’s really just the three long term ones – Stuart Bannigan, Ryan Scully and Gary Fraser. Mustapha got 45 minutes last week but we’ll be sure not to rush him or put too much pressure on him as he is back quicker than we thought. Liam Lindsay has recovered from the operation he had on his nose.”
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald will shortly be available to Jagzone subscribers. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available. Jagzone members will also be able to watch highlights of the game from midnight on Saturday night.
Can’t make Inverness? Jagzone members can listen to live audio commentary of the match.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
It was a frustrating afternoon all round for Alan Archibald and his players as the Jags failed to break down a resilient Inverness side. A tight game finished 0-0 but, when he spoke to ptfc.co.uk after the match, the Thistle gaffer certainly seemed disappointed that his team hadn’t managed to take all three points.
Archibald said: “It was a good clean sheet and, even though we’re a bit disappointed we never managed to get all three points, it was a decent performance and a decent result – this is a very hard place to come.
“We had a great spell around 15 minutes into the first half and their keeper pulled off an incredible save from Ade Azeez – tipping the ball onto the bar. It was probably our best spell in the match as we started to shift it a bit quicker. You’ve got to make the most of it when you’re on top and we didn’t manage to get the all-important goal when we needed it. Overall it was a bit of a disappointing afternoon because I do think we had the better of the game.”
Niall Keown made his Thistle debut at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium and certainly impressed with a very composed performance.
“”It was a really young back four.” Archibald explained, “obviously Liam had nose surgery so the two of them haven’t had a huge amount of game time together – only this week really. It makes that clean sheet all the more impressive and I was really pleased with both our centre halves today.
“I think we edged the possession stats today and I was delighted at how much of the game we spent on the front foot. We knew Inverness would come at us today and they showed that by playing two strikers but our defence handled that really well.
“We just struggled with the final ball today if the truth be told, we just couldn’t quite get that killer pass through to open them up. It’s a tough place to come, regardless of where they are in the league. Hopefully we can build on today with a win against St Johnstone on Wednesday. If we’re able to do that then we can look back on a point up here as a very good one.”
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald will shortly be available to Jagzone subscribers. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available. Jagzone members will also be able to watch highlights of the game from midnight and a full game replay from 10pm.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Thistle take a point home to Glasgow with them at the end of a game that won't life long in the memory.
Thistle had the better of the game but couldn't find way through the inverness defence. Azeez with a first half effort that came off the bar coming the closes to finding a goal on a bitterly cold afternoon.
Minimum of 2 minutes of additional time to be played.
Inverness can't get the ball out their own box and there are some appeals for handball when a shot smacks off a defender before Booth sends his effort over the bar.
it's the home side that are looking the more likely to score as the game nears an end.
Thistle are nearly caught out. Polworth has space on the right and his crossfield pass finds Doran who can't find the net when he tries to curl the ball home from the edge of the box.
Erskine lays the ball back to Doolan who shoots but straight at Fon Williams.
Thistle are pressing and pressing as Inverness get forced deeper.
Erskine gets the ball to Edwards inside the box but the angle is too tight for a shot and Edwards has to plat the ball backwards away from goal.
Crowd: 2,823
Lawless's shot from 30 yards is well hit but straight at the keeper who although he can't hold the shot is able to push it away.
Fon Williams comes out his box to clear a Lawless through ball before Azeez can get on the end of it.
Lawless lifts a cross into the box. Azeez is able to get above the defence but can't direct his header on target.
Under a bit of pressure Welsh heads the corner clear.
Welsh goes for goal with the free kick and it is a decent effort that dips on its way over the crossbar.
Lawless is fouled and Thistle have a free kick at least 30 yards out but in a central position.
Tremarco's effort from the edge of the box clears the thistle bar.
Keown comes across to clear as Inverness threaten the Thistle goal.
it's not been a memorable first 45 minutes by any means.
Thistle have been the better side for most of it and indeed controlled a large portion of it but couldn't find a goal during their period of dominance.
Ade Azeez was the closest to a goal when his close range effort came off the bar and Chris Erskine forced Fon Williams into a good save low to his right.
Inverness finished the half stronger, perhaps the result of a substitution they made during the first half, and that sub Vigurs fired wide almost right on half-time after a short corner had been worked across to him.
A short corner nearly works for Inverness but Vigurs shoots wide from 15 yards out.
The free kick is aimed near post but headed clear.
Inverness have a free kick on the left.
Lawless is on his feet but limping quite heavily.
Play is halted as Lawless receives a spot of treatment.
Draper slips a pass through to Polworth but Cerny is off his line quickly and is able to save with his feet.
Tansey gets the free kick over the wall and well over the Thistle crossbar.
Inverness have a free kick in a central position about 30 yards from the Thistle goal.
Cerny gets his fists to the ball and punches the corner clear.
Elliott heads a teasing cross behind for a corner.
A shot from Raven is well wide of Cerny's left hand post.
Thistle are in almost total control of this game and are forcing Inverness deeper and deeper. There's no way through yet though and Welsh slices a shot high and wide after a good spell of Thistle possession.
Azeez is able to get a headed flick to an Elliott cross but his header drops wide of Fon William's right hand post.
Fon Williams at full stretch is able to push Erskine's shot from 20 yards away from his goal.
Nearly a goal for Thistle. Welsh's free kick is cleared but Thistle retain possession and when the ball is played back into the box Azeez is able to turn and his close range effort comes off the bar possibly via a touch from Fon Williams.
Elliott is fouled and Thistle have a free kick in from the right touchline.
Tansey's free kick into the box is headed on by Warren but the referee spots a foul. Uncertain defending from Thistle again all the same.
Thistle have a great chance to catch Inverness on the break but Azeez's, with Erskine clear to his right, touch is poor and the opportunity, much to Erskine's dismay, is lost.
Best chance of the game comes the way of the home side. A deep cross towards the back post is somehow allowed to reach Tremarco and his header creeps wide of the opposite post.
Azeez from the right is able to get a cross over but it is too deep and Lawless is unable to gather the ball.
Lawless lays the ball up to Edwards a few yards outside the Inverness box. Edwards' shot is well struck but although Fon Williams has to dive to save it it is a fairly comfortable save for him.
It's been a pretty tame opening first 5 minutes. Inverness marginally the more positive of the two sides with both Keown and Lindsay heading balls out of the box.
Welsh's near post corner is a poor one and Inverness clear.
It's back to league action for the first time since the winter break as Thistle take the road and miles north to Inverness.
There are a few changes to Thistle side that defeated Formartine in the Scottish Cup 7 days ago.
Suspension rules out Danny Devine and Abdul Osman for this fixture while David Amoo and Kris Doolan, who started against Formartine, drop to the bench for this game.
There is a debut for new loan signing Niall Keown while Liam Lindsay makes his return from injury. Also handed a start for a game that the home team matchday announcer has declared a "must win" for the home side are Ade Azeez and Ryan Edwards.
On his return from his loan period from Ayr United there is a place on the bench for Kevin Nisbet.