Spartans v Partick Thistle - 21/8/24

After defeats in their first two matches of the season, albeit against tough opposition, Thistle made is third time lucky collecting their first three-point haul of the season with a narrow 2-1 win over Spartans at a wind-swept Ainslie Park.

Brian Graham made a number of changes to his time for the trip through to the Capital with Rosie Slater, Jenna Ferguson, Hannah Robinson, Georgia Gray, Tiree Burchill and Lucy Sinclair all coming into the starting eleven.

That team selection looked to be well and truly vindicated as Thistle raced to a two-goal lead.

There were just 64 seconds on the clock when Thistle hit the front. Caley Gibb picked up the ball on the right-hand side of the Spartans box, cut inside towards goal before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner of the net for her first Thistle goal.

She was joined in scoring her first Partick Thistle goal just 7 minutes later by Tiree Burchill.

Burchill collected a pass from Hannah Robinson before looping an excellent shot high into the Spartans net.

At this point a big Thistle win looked on the cards and it may have followed had a wonderful sweeping move ended with Robinson finding the back of the net rather than striking the base of the post.

In truth though the home side will feel, with some justification, that they were unfortunate not to emerge from the game with something.

They were unfortunate not to force home a corner kick and Jordan shot wide of goal after having been played through on goal as Thistle failed to build on the excellent start that they had made to the game.

They did, however, manage to make into the dressing room at half-time with their two-goal lead still intact.

That lead though was halved just after the hour mark. Thistle were far too casual at the back and Jordan, who had missed that first half opportunity for Spartans, made no mistake this time.

Suddenly what had shaped up as being a comfortable evening for Thistle was anything but.

With the wind and driving rain making things increasingly difficult the home side were doing the bulk of the pressing with Brian Graham turning to his substitute bench in an attempt to protect what was now looking like a precarious lead.

A third Thistle goal would have eased any tensions and Cara Henderson was close to that third goal. Her shot was partially saved by Thomson in the Spartans goal with the ball cleared off the line just when it looked as if it might crawl over.

At the other end more casual Thistle play presented Spartans with another clear sight of goal but Jennifer Currie reacted quickly and recovered the situation.

There was further anxiety for Thistle when, with the game touching the 90-minute mark, Claire Adams was sent off for a late tackle near the halfway line.

Spartans though were unable to take advantage of that numerical advantage. Jenna Ferguson had to be alert to clear off the line with the game in injury time and when Spartans made a mess of the resultant corner Thistle had clung on for a welcome three points.