Mon 7 October, 2013
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership 
Firhill Stadium, Glasgow
Liam Craig (69)
SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership
Mon 7 October, 2013. Kick Off: - 19:45
Firhill Stadium, Glasgow
It’s been an exciting day for the future of Partick Thistle Football Club with the announcement regarding the establishment of Thistle Weir Youth Academy.
Tonight’s visit to Firhill of Hibernian though is all about the present and the search for three important league points.
[link:HOME] spoke with manager Alan Archibald earlier this morning and he is looking forward to another night under the Firhill floodlights.
“It should be a good night, there is something a bit special about a game at night; the two previous evening league matches were excellent occasions even though we didn’t manage to record a win in either of them. Even though it is a Monday night we expect that there will be a big Hibs support at the game tonight.”
Alan continued;
“We are desperate to record that first league win at home as the longer we go without doing so the more people make of it. It’s another tough game though as they all are. The Premiership is very much like the First Division last season with everyone capable of beating each other. You only need to look at the results of the weekend to see that with a few coupon busters. Hibs lost there last match against Inverness but had won, I think, four on the bounce before then and they are sure to be smarting from that defeat to Inverness and be keen to get back to winning ways tonight.”
And what of the team news?
“Nearly everyone is fit. Jordan McMillan won’t make it as he is still struggling with a thigh strain. Mark Kerr too is a doubt with a back injury and he didn’t train yesterday. Scott Fox though is fit and I think that his form before his injury means that he is still our first choice keeper and I think Paul Gallacher will understand that.”
Partick Thistle Stats
Current Form – Last Five Games
W D L F A
1 2 2 5 10
Scorers Season 2013-2014
Steven Lawless 3
Aaron Muirhead 3
Kris Doolan 2
Christie Elliott 2
Conrad Balatoni 1
Ross Forbes 1
Kallum Higginbotham 1
Stephen O’Donnell 1
Last Game
Scottish Premiership
Saturday September 28th 2013
St Johnstone 1, Partick Thistle 1
Hibernian Stats
Current Form – Last Five Games
W D L F A
3 1 1 9 7
Scorers Season 2013-2014
Liam Craig 5
James Collins 2
Paul Heffernan 2
Scott Robertson 1
Abdellah Zoubir 1
Own Goal 1
Last Game
Scottish Premiership
Saturday September 28th 2013
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3, Hibs 0
Last Meeting
SPL
Wednesday May 5th 2004
Hibs 1, Partick Thistle 2
Teams
Hibs: Andersson, Caldwell, Edge (Whittaker), Reid, Murdock, Nicol, Brown, Brebner, Thomson (Orman), McManus, Dobbie (Fletcher).
Thistle: Arthur, Anis (Strachan), Madaschi, Murray, A Gibson, B Gibson, Mitchell, Howie (A Ross (Howie), Fleming, Rowson, Grady.
Scorers
Hibs: Murdock (33)
Thistle: Grady (38), Mitchell (60)
Crowd: 5,447
Match Details
Scottish Premeirship
Monday October 7th 2013
Partick Thistle v Hibernian
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Admission Prices
Programme £3
Match Officials
Referee: Kevin Clancy
Assistant Referees: Andy Tait and John McCrossan
Fourth Official: Stephen Finnie
No match report
Alan Archibald was a disappointed man after watching his side lose at home again despite controlling most of the match and creating a number of good chances.
“It’s a sore one to take, we played some excellent stuff. It was the usual story, we created umpteen chances and we never took them and then Hibs go up and score with a harder chance than any of ours.
“There seems to be a pattern now, I think I would rather win ugly, sneak an offside goal or a ricochet or something. I just said to the lads, it would be easier if we had played really poorly like the Aberdeen game, I could go in and have a go at them but I can’t fault them for their effort.”
Thistle have failed to win at home yet this season and have still to score from open play at Firhill in the league. We asked Alan if it’s starting to play on the player’s minds
“It will be on the players minds simply because people keep talking about it, I’ve just spoken to the TV and radio and they have asked the same but it’s something we have to deal with and until we do that then we have to put up with what comes our way and goes with it.”
Thistle had a great chance just after the break when Kris Doolan was through on goal but his shot was straight at the goalkeeper and Archibald knows the striker should have done better
He admitted: “I fancied Kris after his goal last week to go through and score. He had a wee look over his shoulder, I’m not sure of he thought he was offside and that may have put him off but he should have scored and I think Kris will say that himself.
“That’s the difference between the first division and the premier league, when you get your chances you have to take them.”
Ben Williams became the latest goalkeeper to pull of some excellent saves to deny Thistle this season.
“The goalkeeper had two great saves from Christie Elliott and Ross Forbes near the end. Keepers seem to be doing that at Firhill this season.”
Sean Welsh looked in pain towards the end of the match and The manager updated on the captain
“He hurt his hand in a challenge near the end and it’s swollen up. He’s had ice on it but we will see how it is later in the week”
