Partick Thistle WFC v Spartans WFC – 29th September 2024

After a busy month on the road, Partick Thistle returned home as attention turned to cup duty, with Spartans making the trip to Petershill Park in the Sky Sports Cup. The Jags are no stranger to the tournament, having kicked off their historic run in the competition last year that saw them reach their first ever national final with this exact tie, an omen Brain Graham’s side would be looking to benefit from in the search to repeat the feat of last season.

The afternoon’s opposition had experienced heightened spirits recently, with wins over Montrose and Aberdeen rewarding them with the 6 points that see them sit 8th in the standings. Coicidentally, it was this exact tie a year ago that saw thistle run out 2-0 victors to progress to the next round.

Thistle started well, their early press being rewarded in the eighth minute as Henderson intercepted play, the resulting long-range pass found Burchill, who, alongside Boyce, found themselves go 2-on-2 with the Spartans defence. A series of passes saw Boyce into space, allowing her looped effort from distance to bolt past the opposition keeper and into the net to give the Jags the lead early into proceedings.

But the game wasn’t falling all in the home sides favour. Spartans still posed a threat after Thistle took the lead as they attempted their own effort from considerable distance in the 18th minute that rattled the fence behind Currie’s goalposts. With the game progressing towards the half hour mark, both sides were posing questions of each other, suggesting that the next goal would be pivotal in deciding how the remainder of this tie would play out.

The long rage pass towards Henderson promoted a thistle throw-in in the final third, which looped over the Spartans jerseys and into the direction of Gibb in the box who was brought to ground, leaving the referee no alternative than to point to the spot in the 28th minute. Making no mistake, Henderson slotted the effort into the bottom corner to give thistle a two-goal cushion as they headed into the final 15 minutes of the first half.

5 minutes after going two behind, Spartans had found themselves back into the match, as the corner was swung high into the box before it bounced across numerous headers, with the last floating high into the top corner beyond the reach of Currie in the 33rd minute to shorten the deficit to one.

On the stroke of half time, thistle reintroduced their two goal lead as the corner kick from Bulloch was drilled low towards Sinclair who had pulled into space in the box, her shot towards goal bolted into the back of the net in what would be the final piece of action in the opening 45 minutes.

The start of the second half saw Spartans focus more on the attack as they searched to reinstate themselves into the game, but it wasn’t all falling in their favour as only the side netting prevented Boyce from claiming her second of the afternoon and Burchill fell unlucky with her attempted chip over the keeper to put the Jags out of sight.

A controlled second half performance from thistle saw them limit the attack of the opposition, however it was Spartans who found the back of the net to put the match back into contention in the final minutes. The corner kick was pushed back out to the half way line before the long distance pass sent it over the entirety of the midfield and back in front of goal as it found Spartans’ McCafferty whose first touch lifted the ball into the back of the net beyond the reach of the back tracking Jags jerseys to reduce the deficit back to one for the second time.

Perhaps a nervier than anticipated minutes followed for the thistle fans who returned to Petershill for the first time this season, but the sounding of the whistle marked an overall positive performance from Brain Graham’s side with their name in the hat for the next round of the Sky Sports Cup.

The next match for Partick Thistle sees their attention return to SWPL duty as they take on Hearts back at Kirkintilloch Community Sports Complex on Sunday, kick off 4:10pm.