SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership
Tue 23 January, 2018. Kick Off: - 19:45
The Energy Check Stadium at Firhill
Fixture Information:
Home support
Tickets are still available to purchase for the Thistle end. The ticket office will be open on Tuesday between 10am and 4pm. There will be NO ticket sales after 4pm.
Prices are as follows:
Adults – £25
Concession – £17
Under 16s – £5
Concessions are classed as adults who are 65+, students in full time education and disabled supporters.
Season Ticket Holders
Thistle fans with a season ticket can use their season cards in either the Colin Weir or North Stands where there will be handheld card scanners. This means that, if you are a season ticket holder, you don’t need to do anything else – simply turn up as usual and use your season card at the Colin Weir or North Stand turnstiles.
Collections
If you have a match ticket or season ticket to collect, you can do so from the Colin Weir Stand reception from 6:15pm on Friday. We anticipate it being busy so would recommend early collection to ensure admittance for kick off.
Away support
Away support will be located in the Jackie Husband Stand. The away end is completely sold out. Please do not travel to the ground if you don’t have a ticket.
A queue management system will be in place to ensure your safety and to facilitate easier access to your allocated Stand (Jackie Husband). Ticket checks will be in place so please have yours ready for inspection.
Supporters with tickets that state entry via TURNSTILES 40-44 please enter via NORTH DRIVE / FIRHILL COURT.
Supporters with tickets that state entry via TURNSTILES 45-49 please enter via SOUTH DRIVE.
Hospitality
Hospitality for home support is located in the Aitken Suite in the Main Stand and is accessible through the main entrance to the stand on Firhill road. Guests can gain access to the suite from 5:30pm.
Away hospitality is located in the Jackie Husband Stand and is accessible through the main entrance half way up the stand. Guests can gain access to the suite from 5:30pm.
Aitken Suite
As a result of the Aitken Suite being used for hospitality the supporters bar will not be open pre or post-match except for hospitality guests.
It’s a return to Ladbrokes Premiership action for Alan Archibald’s side as the Jags gear up to face Celtic on Tonight in front of the BT Sport cameras. A solid Scottish Cup win against Queen of the South on Saturday saw a number of Thistle’s long term injury concerns make a return to competitive action. With a much healthier looking squad Archie was, for the first time in months, able to deliver some positive news on the injury front.
“We’re in a good position when it comes down to injuries with the majority of guys being back fit and available. Martin Woods, Stuart Bannigan and Gary Fraser will all miss out and Danny Devine is suspended as well – other than that we are good to go.
“It’s always important to come back from the break and get a victory, no matter who the opponents are or what way it happens. The important thing is that we’re into the next round and can hopefully keep the momentum going into the Celtic game which is always going to be a tough one.”
Once again it was on loan striker, Conor Sammon, who would prove the hero in Dumfries at the weekend, and Archibald knows that the in-form striker is a massive asset for his side.
“In Conor we have a striker who is hitting a good run of form. He’s confident and he’s scoring goals so if anything the break came at the worst possible time for him to be honest. Even during the break though he was looking sharp in training and he did well in the friendly so there certainly doesn’t seem to be a dip of any kind – long may that continue.”
One thing Archibald hasn’t had this season is options but, as his players gradually return to full fitness, that will hopefully change for the second half of the campaign.
“We’ve got different options all over the pitch which is something we haven’t really had this season. We’ve now got five full backs instead of two which is good because that was an area in which we were really struggling.
“Callum Booth came through Saturday OK and you wouldn’t know he’d been away to be honest – the yards he put up and down that line were fantastic. Most importantly though was the fact that we got that balance back in terms of the left side of the pitch. It’s something we badly missed and it helps us move the ball side to side which we know we can use to hurt teams. The added security of having our captain, Abdul Osman, back in the middle of the park is a real bonus too.”
Although recent games between Thistle and Celtic have – for the most part – been relatively tight affairs, Archibald is only too aware of just how important the initial breakthrough can be for either team.
“The first goal in any game in this league is always crucial but even more so against Celtic. It’s vital that we are at the top of our game and then you’re hoping that Celtic maybe have an off night. The last time they played here it was a reasonably close 1-0 and while they had a lot of the ball we defended stoutly enough and we just need to make sure we take our chances when they come along.”
Having beaten Queen of the South at the weekend Jags fans everywhere anxiously awaited the result of the William Hill Scottish Cup Fifth Round draw but could have been forgiven for feeling a little disappointed with being handed a trip to Celtic Park as reward for their efforts in Dumfries.
“We don’t get much joy in the cup draws but if you’re going to win it then you’re going to need to beat them at some point I suppose. All of our focus is on tomorrow night’s game though and doing our best to get the result there is the priority just now.
“We’re glad to be in the pack but obviously it’s never nice sitting second bottom in the table. The injuries we had in the first half of the season clearly caused us issues but we’ve now got 16 games left to start moving up the league and that is our focus from now until the final game. We’ve got massive games coming up but we all know what our targets are and we’re all pulling in the same direction.”
More exclusive preview interviews with Niall Keown and Jags gaffer, Alan Archibald, are now available to Jagzone subscribers – log in to see them. Jagzone members will also be able to watch highlights of the game.
Can’t make The Energy Check Stadium at Firhill? Jagzone World members (outside the UK and Ireland) can watch the game live – the stream is also available on a PPV basis.
Jagzone members can also listen to live audio commentary of the match.
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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.
Partick Thistle returned to Ladbrokes Premiership action after their winter break with a match against Scottish champions, Celtic at the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill. The Jags ended 2017 in good home form, winning five of their last six home matches of the year and would be looking to continue that positive record as the Hoops came to Maryhill.
Thistle lined up with a starting XI containing five changes from their Scottish Cup win against Queen of the South three days before. Tomas Cerny remained in goals but only one defender survived. Mustapha Dumbuya made his return to the pitch, having last played in April, replacing Paul McGinn. Baily Cargill, who signed for Partick Thistle earlier on the day of the match, came in for Adam Barton at left centre-half while Niall Keown retained his place as the second central defender in the back four. Thistle Weir Youth Academy graduate, James Penrice made his first league appearance of the season as he replaced Callum Booth at left back. In the midfield, Abdul Osman captained the team alongside Ryan Edwards and Andrew McCarthy, who replaced Chris Erskine. Blair Spittal started on one wing with Miles Storey on the other, coming in for the injured Steven Lawless who missed out on a place in the squad completely. On form, Conor Sammon was the lone striker.
As one might expect, Celtic started the match in control with Olivier Ntcham, Dedryck Boyata and Odsonne Edouard all having sights of goal within the first 20 minutes. However, the Jags were able to carve out an opportunity on 22 minutes. Thistle turned possession over in the Celtic half and Blair Spittal carried the ball forward before feeding it to Miles Storey. The number 39 then quickly shifted into his right foot and curled an effort on goal which Craig Gordon had to turn over his bar.
From that point, Thistle improved. They were limiting Celtic to long-range efforts while also looking dangerous on the attack themselves and the Jags were rewarded for their effort on 33 minutes. Blair Spittal’s looped ball caused Mikael Lustig massive problems and the Swede defender saw the ball deflect off his leg into Miles Storey’s path in the box. Lustig then grabbed at Storey and John Beaton pointed to the spot awarding a rare Thistle penalty. With the only two men to have scored a penalty for us this season, Steven Lawless and Stuart Bannigan, not in the squad it was Conor Sammon who stepped up to take the spot kick. He is a man full of confidence at the moment and that shone through in his penalty as he calmly stroked it into the net sending Gordon the wrong way and giving Thistle the lead against Celtic for the first time in the Premiership era.
Celtic pushed for an equaliser before the break but couldn’t find one as the game went into half time at 1-0. Although, Celtic had seen much more of the ball than Thistle, their chance creation hasn’t been any better than their hosts. As such, the visitors made a half time switch as Leigh Griffiths came on for Mikael Lustig, signifying a more attacking approach to the second half for the Celts.
The away side’s intent was clear early on in the first half as Tomas Cerny was forced into two good saves within ten minutes of the restart. However, his efforts only kept Celtic at bay temporarily as they drew level in the 54th minute. Scott Sinclair cut inside from the Hoops’ left and drew the challenge of Mustapha Dumbuya who committed the foul and gave away a penalty. Possibly feeling a bit of ring rust, the Sierra Leone international gave the Bhoys a route back into the game that they wouldn’t waste. The man who won the spot kick took it and Scott Sinclair sent Tomas Cerny the wrong way from 12 yards, putting the game back on level terms.
Alan Archibald then made his first change of the evening as Blair Spittal came in for Adam Barton, who went straight into the middle of a back three. It seemed that the change was intended for before the penalty but couldn’t be made in time.
Despite having their back firmly against the wall, Thistle almost retook the lead a minute past the hour mark. James Penrice did some excellent work on the Jags’ left and got past two players before firing a low cross into the box. It found Ryan Edwards but because it was slightly behind the Australian, he wasn’t able to direct it home from close range.
With Celtic firmly in control at this point, it didn’t take too long for them to take the lead. With James Penrice caught out of position, the Hoops took advantage as a low cross found Leigh Griffiths. The substitute got slightly lucky with the bounce of the ball as he wriggled last Adam Barton but then finished expertly beyond Tomas Cerny.
The hosts made two changes in the ten minutes after the goal to try to re-energise the Thistle attack as Chris Erskine and Kris Doolan came on for Miles Storey and Conor Sammon but it was to no avail as the travelling Hoops saw out the game with Thistle losing out by the single goal.
Once again in Maryhill, Celtic edged out Thistle by the single goal but the result doesn’t change the Jags’ league standing with Ross County still three points behind the Maryhill men.
The squad now build towards Saturday’s meeting with St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. The Perthshire outfit still haven’t played competitively since 2017 and the Jags could make up some serious ground on the Saints with the victory. Kick-off is 15:00 from Perth.
PARTICK THISTLE TEAM: Cerny, Dumbuya, Keown, Cargill, Penrice, Osman, McCarthy, Edwards, Spittal (Barton, 55’), Storey (Erskine, 76’), Sammon (Doolan,69’).
UNUSED SUBS (PTH): Scully, Booth, McGinn, Nitriansky.
CELTIC TEAM: Gordon, Lustig (Griffiths, HT), Boyata, Ajer, Tierney, Brown, Ntcham, McGregor, Sinclair (Simunovic, 76’), Forrest, Edouard (Bitton, 83’).
UNUSED SUBS (CEL): de Vries, Dembele, Johnston, Kouassi.
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.
Partick Thistle returned to Ladbrokes Premiership action with an eventful game against Celtic from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill. The Jags played their first league match since the end of last year as the champions came to town. Unfortunately for Thistle it wasn’t a successful return to the Premiership as Celtic ran out 2-1 winners. A first half Jags penalty was converted by Conor Sammon before the visitors scored a spot kick of their own through Scott Sinclair in the second half. Hoops substitute, Leigh Griffiths then netted the winner on 70 minutes guiding the league leaders to victory. Thistle boss, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk after the final whistle.
To begin, Archie told us that he was disappointed to come away from the game with nothing considering how much his side put into the clash.
“It’s a tough one to take. We put so much into the game; especially the first half. In the second half, you could see we were tiring and the quality on their bench is immense so I can’t fault the lads but it would have been terrific to get even a point from the match.”
The gaffer then complimented the performances of James Penrice and Andrew McCarthy. The academy graduates both made their first starts of the new year and fit right in against the best team in Scotland.
“They were both very good. It’s all a learning experience for them at their age but there’s no better way to learn than to test yourselves against the best and that’s what they did this evening. They both showed plenty of drive and enthusiasm which is what I wanted and I was very impressed with them both. We’ve seen Andy do it before but I was happy to see James step up as well.”
Alan spoke about the selection headaches he’s having all of a sudden with a number of players making returns to the squad; something he hasn’t often experienced this season.
“It’s great to be able to get these guys back into the squad. It gives me more options off the bench which can be crucial in tight games. The competition for places is much fiercer now and although we’ve only signed one player this window, it feels like we have three or four new faces in.”
The one signing that Archie refers to is Baily Cargill. Signed this afternoon, he made his debut tonight and the gaffer was impressed by his new loan recruit.
“He adapted well to a tough situation. He got about half an hour of training yesterday on a half pitch at Toryglen so things haven’t been perfect but we’ve got through it and he’ll have a chance to get to know the boys between now and Saturday. We knew after Jordan leaving that we needed more cover at centre-half and I think we’ve found a great player in Baily.”
Alan and his squad now look towards a McDiarmid Park meeting with St. Johnstone on Saturday in the Ladbrokes Premiership. Kick-off is 15:00 in Perthshire.
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald is available now to Jagzone subscribers and will be followed by reaction from Mustapha Dumbuya and James Penrice. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available.
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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.
Tue 23 January, 2018
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership 
The Energy Check Stadium at Firhill
Cargill meets the Penrice corner but nods wide of the far post.
There will be three added minutes.
Forrest gets away from Penrice then flashes a shot a few yards wide of the Thistle goal.
Griffiths shoots wide of the near post from 20 yards.
McGregor's half-volley spins well wide of the target.
Cargill tackles the ball behind.
Celtic break after Thistle give the ball away on the half way line. Griffiths gets the break of the ball in the box and finishes well.
Kieran Tierney comes infield and hits a low shot at the near post. Cerny turns it behind.
Penrice gets past two men on the left flank and drills a low ball across goal. Edwards meets it and tries the backheel flick. Unfortunately for Thistle the effort goes wide of the back post.
Griffiths is slotted into the box by Ntcham. The ex-Wolves man then fires across goal but Cerny saves and holds.
Ntcham fires yet another dhot off target. This time it goes ten yards above the goal.
James Forrest forces Cerny into a save and then a resulting stramash ends with a foul to the Jags.
Storey and Sammon play a one-two and then Storey crosses into the box. Sammon meets it but his header spins past the back stick.
Ntcham's right footed shot skips past the far post.
The Englishman sends Cerny the wrong way and pulls the Hoops level.
Dumbuya brings down Sinclair in the box and it's another penalty.
Griffiths bursts throgh on goal but Cerny is out quickly to save at the edge of the box.
Edouard's low shot at the near post is saved by Cerny and then cleared by Dumbuya.
Conor Sammon holds the ball up well and finds the arriving Spittal in the box. He squeezes a shot away on the stretch but Gordon holds easily as it's straight at him.
Edouard fires a left footed shot high, over the bar from an acute angle.
Cerny turns Scott Sinclair's shot behind at the near post.
Tierney's cross is deflected behind by Dumbuya.
Sammon sends Gordon the wrong way to bag his fourth in three games.
Miles Storey is tugged back by Lustig in the box and Beaton points to the spot. It came from a Lustig error after a high ball.
Tierney lashes an effort over the bar from five yard outside the box.
Ntcham knocks a corner down to Edouard who controls in the Jags' six-yard box. He then back heels towards goal but Cerny is there to save and hold.
Ryan Edwards slices a half-volley well wide of the target from 25 yards out after Conor Sammon's knockdown.
Ntcham loops a ranged effort well over the bar from 25 yards.
Good break from Thistle which ends with Conor Sammon seeing a shot blocked behind. However, the flag was up against the striker so the ball is back with Celtic.
Thistle win possession in the Celtic half and Spittal feeds it to Storey on the wing. The number 39 moves inside and curls a shot on goal which Gordon tips over.
Ntcham sees a low shot from 30 yards flash wide of Tomas Cerny's goal.
Ntcham fires a 25 yard free-kick straight into the Thistle wall.
After some slack defensive play, Edouard sees a low shot saved by Cerny.
The ball comes to Boyata at the back post but he fires well over on the half-volley.