SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership
Sun 21 May, 2017. Kick Off: - 12:30
Firhill Stadium
Thistle sign off the season with a Firhill clash with Aberdeen on Sunday lunchtime. It’s been a very successful season for the Jags and when assistant manager Scott Paterson spoke to ptfc.co.uk he was keen to finish the campaign on a high.
“It’ll be a very tough match against Aberdeen on Sunday. We’ll be pushing to try and get the three points on Sunday to send the fans into the summer happy. Overall, it’s been a fantastic season for the players and they deserve a lot of credit, particularly when we look at where we were in December.
“We must start well. No matter what Aberdeen side is fielded we know it’ll be a very tough match. Aberdeen have a cup final so they might change things a little but whoever they bring in will be like for like anyway because they have such a good strong squad.”
Thistle will be looking back to bounce back from a poor evening against Celtic on Thursday and Scott is looking for the side to respond with a stronger performance.
“We’re very disappointed about Thursday night’s performance and we want to put it right on Sunday. We don’t want to be all doom and gloom because it’s been a great season for the club.
“We’ve been disappointed since the top six fixtures began. There’s no denying that because we’ve only picked up a point. We played well against Hearts and Rangers but we’ve got to keep going. The season is not finished yet and we need to show a bit more than we did on Thursday.”
Finally, Scott brought us up to date with squad news ahead of the game.
“We have the same group of players to pick from as we did on Thursday. Callum Booth will miss out through suspension. Tomas Cerny and Abdul Osman are 50/50 at the moment and we’ll see how they are on Sunday.”
Remember, tomorrow’s match is a 12:30 kick off!
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Scott has committed, will you join him? 2017/18 season tickets are now on sale.
Article Copyright © 2017. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
In a season which saw Partick Thistle secure their highest league finish since the 80s, the club has ended the campaign in a disappointing manner. Since the split, the Jags have picked up but a single point and scored just once in the final four games of the season. A 6-0 defeat to Aberdeen round up a poor end to a fabulous season.
Archie started by mentioning how although today’s performance was harrowing, it’s important to look at the season as a whole and think about the performances of the season overall rather than just this week when a number of key squad members have been missing.
“The fans have been great all season and I think they do recognise that today, we were depleted and tired after a long season. However, these last two or three games do leave a bad taste. It’s difficult to be too angry at the players because they have been very good over the course of the season and there were reasons that we were poor today. We were missing ten players and it definitely showed. Two players pulled out this morning, after we’d worked on our shape in training. We were forced to change our shape at the last minute and that no doubt affected us.”
Alan also complimented the development squad players who he called on during the game as they were brought on for some rare minutes in a difficult game for inexperienced boys.
“I felt for the young lads. I didn’t want to have to bring them on in a situation like that, when we’re up against it because they didn’t really have an opportunity to show what they can do technically. I felt we did need to bring them on though. We brought young Ross Fleming at left-back. He did well and he played better than some of our older players. I take my hat off to all three of them because they didn’t hide.”
Although his side were able to make the top six this season, the gaffer knows that it will be an even more difficult challenge to retain a top six spot.
“Next year we start a fresh. We can’t be complacent; we know what we have to do. All the other teams in the league will be looking to get better as well and we have to do that too. Hibs are coming up and they have plenty of money to spend so you expect that they’ll be challenging for at least a top six spot. Thinking about finishing in the top half I great but at this club, first and foremost, the focus is firmly on survival and that’s going to be our first target next season.”
Today’s game marked the end of the 2016/17 season for the Jags as the team go for a well-earned break. The fixtures for the new season will be announced on the 23rd of June.
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald is available now to Jagzone subscribers and will be followed by reaction from Mark Ridgers. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available.
A full game replay and extended highlights will be added shortly, both 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.
Alan has committed, will you join him? 2017/18 season tickets are now on sale.
Article Copyright © 2017. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Sun 21 May, 2017
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership 
Firhill Stadium
A prompt full-time whistle brings the game to a welcome end with Thistle ending the season on a real low.
Lamont tries an effort from distance but it goes wide of the Aberdeen goal.
Ross' cross drifts away from Rooney at the back post.
Jack's effort flies straight at the waiting Ridgers.
Aberdeen aren't too far away from a 7th goal with Christie firing across the face of goal and wide of Ridgers' left hand post.
Doolan's well struck effort from 30 yards out is straight at Lewis.
No shortage of support for Alan Archibald from the stands.
McCarthy's through ball for Erskine is just a little too strong and Lewis gathers.
The fans in the North Stand are continuing to offer vocal support despite the events on the pitch.
The corner drifts out of play.
Edwards does well to get the ball behind for a corner.
Azeez is clean through but hits the goalkeeper with his shot. The ball is worked back to him and this time his shot is held by Lewis.
Pawlett collects a yellow card for diving in search of a penalty.
McLean is a whisker away from a 7th Aberdeen goal with a shot that goes just wide of Ridgers left hand post.
Aberdeen come forward and don't score as Rooney flicks a cross from the left over the bar.
Wright completes his hat-trick with a swerving shot that appears to completely deceive Ridgers.
Great work from Erskine gets the ball over from the right but his cross is headed away from goal and out for a Thistle throw.
It's been an absolute nightmare of an opening half for Thistle with Aberdeen racing into a five goal lead.
Strangely some of Thistle play coming forward has been good but defensively it has been an entirely different story.
Minimum of one minute additional time to be played.
Considine crosses from the right and Christie turns before shooting past Ridgers.
Keown and then Fleming get the ball clear as Aberdeen threaten on the counter attack.
Great chance for Azeez but his effort is blocked. The ball spins off the defender into the path of Doolan but up goes the flag for offside.
Barton clears as Aberdeen threaten down the left through Wright. With Edwards already booked he needs to e extra careful.
A lovely through ball just slides away from Doolan.
Some respite for Thistle as McLean curls the free kick well over the Thistle crossbar.
Aberdeen have a free kick at the edge of the Thistle box.
Doolan nods on Erskine's corner but Aberdeen clear.
Ross Fleming has slotted in at left back and Ryan Edwards has dropped in at right back as Thistle have gone to a flat back 4.
Logan has a chance at the back post but his shot is charged down.
Thistle are sliced open down the right again. The ball falls nicely into the path of Hayes 6 yards out and he makes no mistake.
McCarthy is caught in possession which allows Hayes to shoot from the edge of the box but his effort goes wide.
Erskine's corner is just too high for Barton.
Azeez is denied a goal by a finger tip save from Lewis after collecting a pass from Lawless. The ball squirms across the path of Doolan on its way out for the corner. .
Doolan plays a good ball up to the feet of Azeez. Azeez delays his shot and that allows a defender to come across and clear.
Again the flag goes up for offside as Doolan tries to get clear of the Aberdeen defence.
Lawless picks out Doolan inside the Aberdeen box but the flag goes up for offside.
It just gets worse for Thistle. McLean spots Wright's run to his right. Wright outpaces Lawless, who is struggling in his unfamiliar role, and Wright confidently fires into the net.
Lewis, at a stretch, claims Erskine's corner.
Azeez's effort is deflected wide for a Thistle corner.
It's a nightmare start for Thistle. They, just, clear the corner but the pressure, aided by some poor defending, remains on the Thistle goal. Thistle look to have escaped when a header crashes off the underside of the bar but the ball falls to Wright and he fires low into the net.
Thistle are nearly handed an equaliser when Logan's poor clearance is gathered by Erskine but from the edge of the box he doesn't make clean contact with the ball and as a result drags his shot wide.
Aberdeen defend Erskine's free kick. Thistle do get the ball back and Lawless is able to push the ball wide to Lindsay but his cross is quickly blocked.
Thistle's turn to win a free kick. About 35 yards from the Aberdeen goal.
The free kick is aimed deep to the back post. The ball is headed clear but only as far as Christie who shoots low past Ridgers and into the corner of the net.
Aberdeen have a free kick in from the left touchline.
First shot at goal comes from the boot of Aberdeen's McLean but his effort clears Ridgers bar with a bit to spare.
Early stoppage to play for Aberdeen's Christie to receive a spot of treatment.
A successful season 2016-2017 is rounded off this afternoon with a visit from Aberdeen with manager Alan Archibald's final team selection of the season showing a number of changes.
Mark Ridgers replaced an injured Tomas Cerny at half-time on Thursday and Ridgers starts this afternoon with Ryan Scully taking up a slot on the bench.
There are also starts for Ade Azeez, Niall Keown, Ryan Edwards and Andrew McCarthy.
The substitute bench has a youthful feel to it as the aforementioned Scully is joined by Neil McLaughlin, Mark Lamont, Ross Fleming and Callum Wilson.