Tue 6 May, 2025
William Hill Premiership Play-offs 
Wyre Stadium at Firhill, GlasgowWilliam Hill Premiership Play-offs
Tue 6 May, 2025. Kick Off: - 19.45
Wyre Stadium at Firhill, Glasgow
Ticketing Information:
Adults – £22
Concessions* – £16
Under 16s – £6
*(Over 65s, students, supporters with disabilities including carer, 16-18 year olds)
CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET ONLINE THROUGH FANBASE
The on-line sale will continue until Tuesday with in-person and telephone sales of home tickets available at the club’s Executive Offices at 80, Firhill Road from 10.00am to 4.00pm on Monday, May 5.
In-person and telephone sales of home tickets will also be available at the Executive Offices from 10.00am to 4.00pm on Tuesday with The Ticket Office at the rear of the Jackie Husband Stand opening at 5.30pm until kick-off for in-person sales.
Ayr United supporters will be located in the Colin Weir Stand for this game.
Provision will be made at the Jackie Husband ticket office for home supporters without bank cards or online access to use cash to purchase tickets for this game starting from 1:30pm on matchday.
Matchday in the Aitken Suite
The Aitken Suite, located within the Colin Weir Stand, will be open as a supporters’ bar for Tuesday night’s game against Ayr United at The Wyre Stadium at Firhill.
Open to home and away supporters, the family-friendly supporters’ bar will have food on offer with Boss Catering providing the pre-match grub from opening at 5.00pm until 7.15pm.
The Aitken Suite is a family-friendly supporters’ bar so children and family groups are very welcome.
Entry to the Aitken Suite is accessed through the door a few yards further up Firhill Road from the main entrance of the Colin Weir Stand.
What’s on in the Aitken Suite:
17:00 – The Aitken Suite opens for supporters.
19:15 – Food service ends in the suite.
19:30 – Last orders. It’s almost time to take your seats for the big match.
Thistle Taxi
The Thistle Taxi will be at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill in the build-up to Tuesday’s game against Ayr United for use by any older or less able supporters, free of charge.
The distinctive red and yellow taxi will be taking supporters from the bottom of McParland Way to the Jackie Husband Stand Reception, starting at 6:15pm.
The Thistle Taxi, kindly provided by club sponsor Glasgow Taxis, can seat up to six people and will be making multiple trips ahead of kick off.
PlayerZone
As this is an evening fixture, there will be no PlayerZone after the match.
Match Programme
Due to the Bank Holiday yesterday we were unable to have the matchday programme printed and delivered on time for our William Hill Premiership Play-Off quarter-final first leg against Ayr United however we are pleased to offer a virtual copy.
The matchday programme contains the usual 48 pages and delivers to the same high standard as our matchday programmes this season.
Available via club shop for £2 – HERE
Streaming
We’ll be livestreaming this match for our stream subscribers outside of the UK and Ireland.
This game is now available for all of our stream subscribers to add to their account – click HERE to add the game or for more info on how to add games to your account click HERE!
If you aren’t already a stream subscriber, you can purchase a monthly or annual streaming subscription by clicking HERE.
The livestream of this fixture is not available to supporters living within the U.K. and Ireland due to SPFL restrictions.
Partick Thistle’s promotion play-off aspirations hit a stumbling block on Tuesday, as they were defeated 1-0 by Ayr United at The Wyre Stadium at Firhill in the first leg of their Premiership Play-off quarter-final.
Brian Graham and Mark Wilson’s men came into the tie off the back of victories against the Championship’s top two, Falkirk and Livingston, while Ayr had won three of their last ten matches.
Stuart Bannigan returned to the squad after serving his suspension, with Stevie Lawless also joining him in the starting XI, with Ben Stanway moving to the bench and the injured Sean Kelly making way as the Jags reverted to a back four.
It was a fiery atmosphere at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill with the crowd in the John Lambie Stand bedecked in red and yellow with a special banner marking the club’s famous colours created for the occasion.
It was a stunted start to proceedings, with Nick McAllister and Dan O’Reilly clashing heads minutes into the encounter, prompting a lengthy delay. McAllister opted to continue before signalling to come off, unable to continue. Dylan Watret replaced him as Ayr were forced into their first substitution with a mere nine minutes on the clock.
The opening twenty-five minutes were cagey, with very little attacking prowess on show and a lot of the referee’s whistle, as the game struggled to spark into life. There was only one chance in that time, a Marco Rus effort for Ayr which David Mitchell was able to deal with easily.
On 29 minutes, the Jags made their first real attack on goal, forcing Ayr keeper Josh Clarke into a good save from Brian Graham, after the captain got his head to a cross from Aidan Fitzpatrick.
Not long after, there are big shouts from the home fans for a penalty after Robbie Crawford went down under serious pressure from Lenny Agbaire. The referee had other ideas though, waving play on.
Thistle looked the brighter of the two going into half time. Graham had a good opportunity, heading wide from a free kick, before being unfortunate as he went into the book for a high boot. It was Thistle’s fifth yellow card in a half where the referee dictated the flow of play throughout.
Half Time – Partick Thistle 0 Ayr United 0
After the break, the Jags were still to find their groove. A piece of play saw the ball make its way towards Bannigan, but he was unable to get himself onto it, as the chance passed.
Ayr, however, were waiting to pounce on the counter, with Rus launching a cross into the box, which failed to find anyone.
On 54 minutes, though, Ayr opened the scoring in the tie. Connor McLennan laid a fine cross into the Thistle box, with veteran forward Jamie Murphy darting to the near post to head the ball it in at the far post.
It was nearly 2-0 on 68 minutes when McLennan once again threatened. His shot, however, was sliced wide as Thistle were given a reprieve.
Thistle’s plight grew greater when Aidan Fitzpatrick felt the force of Lenny Agbaire going through the back of him, requiring treatment. Fitzpatrick would be subbed minutes later, unable to continue.
The Jags hadn’t given up hope though, and with the Red and Yellow Army still giving them a loud vocal support, they started to knock at the door.
Some exquisite play from Terry Ablade saw him feed the ball to Lawless on the right. Lawless jinked himself out of the Ayr defence’s grasp, but his cut back is cleared from danger.
Despite some energetic play from Thistle, and Ablade in particular, Thistle’s efforts to draw level were cut short by the whistle of referee Dickinson, who was oblivious to a challenge at the edge of box where Ablade looked to be clipped twice, and then barged.
These offences all went unpunished before the final whistle blew.
Full Time – Partick Thistle 0 Ayr United 1
The tie is not over yet though, with the Jags travelling to Somerset Park on Friday for the second leg. With a slender one goal deficit, Thistle’s destiny is still in their hands.
Partick Thistle: David Mitchell; Daniel O’Reilly, Luke McBeth, Lee Ashcroft, Kanayo Megwa; Stuart Bannigan, Robbie Crawford (Terry Ablade 61’), Kyle Turner, Aidan Fitzpatrick (Ben Stanway 84’), Stevie Lawless; Brian Graham
Unused Substitutes: Lewis Budinauckas (GK), Luis Cameron (GK), Zander MacKenzie, Matthew Falconer, Nick Lockhart
Ayr United: Josh Clarke; Nick McAllister (Dylan Watret 10’), Lenny Agbaire, Scott McMann; Mark McKenzie, Ben Dempsey, Marco Rus (Ethan Walker 71’), Patrick Reading, Connor McLennan, Jamie Murphy (Jay Henderson 76’); George Oakley (Curtis Main 77’)
Unused Substitutes: Robbie Mutch (GK), Jake Hastie
Referee: David Dickinson
Attendance: 5,250
By David Forrest
50/ 50 Draw winners
First Prize – £595 – Ticket No. 248624
Second Prize – Chance to take part in Crossbar Challenge – Ticket No. 248069
Not the result we wanted but this tie is far from over.
We'll see you down at Somerset Park on Friday.
The 6 minutes have come and gone.
Stanway looks for a penalty after a coming together inside the box.
A Graham header from an O'Reilly cross goes wide.
A Stanway shot is blocked.
Minimum of six minutes additional time to be played.
The fourth official is getting ready with his board.
Some excellent play from Ablade gets the ball out to Lawless to his right. Lawless twists and turns but his cut back is cleared.
Agbaire challenge on Fitzpatrick earns him a yellow card and leaves Fitzpatrick in some pain.
Ayr win a free kick midway inside the Thistle half on the left hand side.
Another break in play this time for Rus to be treated for a touch of cramp.
Crowd: 5,250.
Ayr are a whisker away from a second goal as McLennan slices an effort wide of goal.
Break in play for Agbaire to receive some treatment.
Clarke makes a great save from a McBeth header but the flag is up for offside in any case.
Quite how Dempsey escapes a yellow card for that challenge on Crawford is a mystery.
Ayr draw first blood in the tie. It's a cracking cross from McLennan from the right and an equally as good a header from Murphy.
Turner's free kick is cleared.
Megwa wins Thistle a free kick in from the right touchline.
Thistle have started the second half in a positive fashion. Ayr try and catch Thistle on the break though only for Rus to overhit a cross from the right.
It's been a scrappy, untidy first half. Best chance came the way of Thistle with Clarke doing exceptionally well to push away a Graham header.
Worryingly four Thistle players have been booked in that opening half.
Shot comes in from Oakley but it is an easy save for Mitchell.
That's the softest yellow card yet. An Ayr player stoops to head clear and Graham catches him. It's a foul but absolutely nothing more.
Chance for Oakley but after the ball is slid through to him he can't hit target with his shot from an angle near the edge of the 6 yard box.
Murphy's free kick goes to the back post but there is no real threat to the Thistle goal.
Ayr free kick wide on the left.
Minimum of five minutes additional time.
Turner lifts the free kick deep into the Ayr box where Graham gets his head to the ball. His header though is wide of target.
Megwa is fouled and Thistle will have a chance to get some bodies into the Ayr box.
Howls for a Thistle penalty as Crawford goes down under Agbaire's challenge,.
Clarke does really well to get across and push away a Graham header from a Fitzpatrick cross.
Better from Thistle but Megwa's cross drifts out for a goal kick.
We're seeing a lot of cards for this first quarter of the game. That's three players now walking a tightrope.
It's tense nervy stuff. Especially, it has to be said, from Thistle who haven't settled at all yet.
Dempsey is a little fortunate to escape a booking for a foul on Turner.
First chance of the game comes the way of Ayr but Rus' effort is a little too straight and Mitchell makes a fairly comfortable stop.
Turner looks to be caught late by McMann but there is no free kick,
McAllister clearly not recovered from that early head knock. Fancy this will be a concussion sub so both teams may be permitted six substitutions.
Murphy's tame free kick hits the Thistle wall.
Ayr have a free kick on the very edge of the Thistle box.
Lengthy break as McAllister is down receiving treatment after a clash of heads with O'Reilly in the opening seconds.
Strap yourself in for whatever the latest play-off journey is about to give us.
The atmosphere inside the Wyre Stadium at Firhill is growing by the minute as we get set for another play-off adventure.
The Thistle side for tonight's quarter-final first leg shows two changes from the side that beat Livingston on Friday.
Back comes in Stuart Bannigan free again from suspension while there is a start for Steven Lawless, his first in over a year at Firhill.
Sean Kelly misses out with injury while Ben Stanway can count himself unlucky to be starting on the bench.