William Hill Championship
Sat 2 August, 2025. Kick Off: - 15:00
McDiarmid Park, Perth
Tickets:
Tickets for this game can be purchased online HERE!
Jags fans can choose between the Geoff Brown Stand and the North Stand (behind the goal) when buying a ticket.
Tickets are only available to purchase online. If you require any assistance with buying your ticket, contact St. Johnstone via or by calling 01738 459 090 during office hours.
Prices are as follows:
Geoff Brown Stand (Main Stand)
Adult – £24
Concession (Over 65, 13-18yo) – £15
Family Adult* (One adult, two under 13s) – £20
Under 13 (Admission only w/ adult) – £0
Ambulant Disabled Adult** – £22
Ambulant Disabled Concession** (Over 65, 13-18yo) – £13
Personal assistant (w/ Ambulant Disabled Supporter) – £0
North Stand (Behind the goal)
Adult – £22
Concession (Over 65, 13-18yo) – £13
Under 13 (Admission only w/ adult) – £0
Wheelchair and associated personal assistant tickets can be purchased directly from the St. Johnstone ticket office on 01738 459 090 (option 1). Wheelchair tickets are priced at £22/£13 for adults and concessions respectively. A personal assistant ticket is included where required.
*Family Adult ticket holders must enter via turnstile 5 which will be monitored by stewards.
**Must be in receipt of Scottish DP.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Station Bar – 11:30
For seats call Duncan 07979 496154 or e-mail .
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick-up:
Jordanhill Railway Station – 12:20
Thornwood Bar – 12:25
Prices:
Adults – £23
Concessions – £16
Booking is essential. To make a booking contact Iain on 07779 668 357 or e-mail .
North-West Branch:
To book seats please email .
When booking seats, it is essential that you state your pick-up point and category of fare (Full or Concession).
Pick ups:
Milngavie Railway Station – 12:00
Esquire House, Anniesland – 12:20
Maryhill Community Central Halls – 12:35
Fare for non-members:
Full fare – £23
Concessions* – £16
One primary school age child may travel free of charge when accompanied by a fare paying adult.
*Eligibility for concession fares:
Partick Thistle tasted defeat for the first time this season with a chastening 5-1 loss to St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in the William Hill Scottish Championship.
Mark Wilson named an unchanged side from the 3-1 victory over Ross County up at Dingwall last Saturday as Thistle returned to the Fair City for the first time in seven years off the back of a 100% record in the Premier Sports Cup group stages.
The Saints had the advantage in the early going, launching attacks on the Jags goal, with Adama Sidibeh coming perilously close on four minutes.
Lewis Budinauckas made a number of vital saves early on to keep the game goalless, as St. Johnstone heaped on the pressure.
After a Jamie Gullan effort saw both Dan O’Reilly and Lewis Budinauckus (twice) get called into action to stop the ball from going over the line, the Jags raced forward on the counter to open the scoring.
A clever backheel from Logan Chalmers to Cammy Logan allowed him to launch the ball over to PADDY READING, who slotted home for his first goal in red and yellow from six yards.
The lead would be short lived though as Jamie Gillian raced into space two minutes after, firing past Budinauckas to equalise for the Saints.
St. Johnstone then took the lead ten minutes later. Josh McPake curled a shot in from the left-hand side to nudge the home team in front.
The Jags were looking to get a route back to equality with Tony Watt and Dan O’Reilly going close with headers.
St Johnstone, however, tried their best to kill the game off in the first half with Reece McAlear and Reghan Tumilty both coming dangerously near.
The third goal did eventually come before half time though, as McPake grabbed his second. A stramash in the box saw McPake squeeze home the ball to give Saints a two-goal lead.
Despite some good counter attacking play from the visitors it was the Saints that found themselves deservedly in front going down the tunnel.
Half Time – St. Johnstone 3 Partick Thistle 1
With Thistle looking for a route back into the game, Wilson made a change at half time, with Aidan Fitzpatrick coming off. Ben Stanway took his place, as Thistle reverted to a 3-5-2 formation.
That route was further away, as McPake once again found himself with space on the left wing. With the Jags backline backing off, McPake was able to complete his hat trick with a facsimile of his first goal two minutes after the interval.
With the game looking well and truly done, the tempo slowed as Thistle failed to get any traction going forward. Saints played the last half hour, dominant in possession.
Salt was rubbed into the Thistle wound on 81 minutes though when Stevie Malian curled a stupendous free kick into the top corner past a powerless Budinauckas for St. Johnstone’s fifth.
Full Time – St. Johnstone 5 Partick Thistle 1
It was a painful full stop on a poor Jags performance, as the Harry Wraggs were brought back down to reality after a superb Premier Sports Cup campaign.
Mark Wilson’s side will hope to bounce back next Saturday, when they welcome Greenock Morton to the Wyre Stadium at Firhill for our opening home game of the campaign.
Partick Thistle: Lewis Budinauckas; Cammy Logan, Lee Ashcroft, Dan O’Reilly, Paddy Reading; Luke McBeth, Ts’oanelo Lets’osa (Steven Lawless 61’), Robbie Crawford; Tony Watt (Thomas Horn 74’), Aidan Fitzpatrick (Ben Stanway 45’), Logan Chalmers
Unused Substitutes: Josh Clarke (GK); Zander Mackenzie, Mathew Falconer, Liam Dolan
St. Johnstone: Toby Steward; Matty Foulds, Jack Baird, Cheikh Diabate, Reghan Tumilty; Jason Holt, Reece McAlear (Sven Sprangler 45’), Josh McPake (Makenzie Kirk 61’), Jamie Gullan (Jonathan Svedberg 69’), Stevie Mallan (Fran Franczak 83’), Adama Sidibeh (Uche Ikpeazu 82’)
Unused Substitutes: Ross Sinclair (GK); Scott Bright, Sam Stanton, Taylor Steven
Referee: Ross Hardie
Attendance: 4,991
By David Forrest
Sat 2 August, 2025
William Hill Championship 
McDiarmid Park, Perth
A nightmare start to the league season as they lose heavily to an impressive St Johnstone side.
Into added time at the end of the 90 minutes.
Ikpeazu uses his strength to hold off a Thistle challenge and is unfortunate to see his low shot go wide of the post.
It's a magnificent save from Budinauckas to deny Kirk and keep the score at 'just' five.
It's a fantastic effort from Mallan that has Budinauckas grasping for air.
St Johnstone have a free kick outside the Thistle box, right of centre.
Baird glances a header from the corner over the bar.
Even with the change in shape at the break Thistle are being cut open with far too much ease and McAlear sends a shot over from distance as the home side look hungry for more goals.
McPake pushes a pass through to Holt who can't hit target with his shot.
Well that removes any doubt over the destination of the points. McPake completes his hat-trick with an effort from the edge of the box.
A deserved lead at the break for the home side who could easily have scored more than three.
Thistle did take the lead through Paddy Reading but they were almost immediately pegged back.
Will be interesting to see what changes Mark Wilson might make at the break.
Into added time at the end of the first half.
The free kick is cleared and Watt is fouled before Thistle can try and mount a counter attack.
St Johnstone free kick in a threatening position. Another goal here and surely it will be game over.
And they nearly find a response. Chalmers lifts the free kick into the box and McBeth heads just wide.
Thistle win a free kick within range of the St Johnstone box. A chance to load the box and find some kind of response.
It's a third for a rampant home side as McPake squeezes home from almost right on the Thistle goal line.
A Chalmers cross is scrambled clear as Thistle come forward.
The home side are pressing to add to their lead and Tujmilty isn't too far away with an effort from the right hand side of the box.
McAlear comes close to squeezing home a header from what looked an impossible angle.
McPake catches that one perfectly though as he curls a shot beyond the reach of Budinauckas from the left hand side of the Thistle box.
MacAlear has a little too much space to advance towards the Thistle goal but he doesn't catch his shot cleanly and Budinauckas gets down to save at his right hand post.
It's a really good corner from Chalmers that finds the head of Ashcroft at the back post but his header drops just wide of the post.
Crawford's shot takes a deflection.
Fitzpatrick fizzes over a cross from the left.
It's a short lived lead. Gullan is left with just Budinauckas to beat and he makes no mistake from about 8 yards out.
It's Thistle though that take the lead. Thistle advance down the right. It's excellent work from Logan that creates the opening for Reading to tuck home at the back post.
Another escape for Thistle. Good work from Gullan allows him to advance into the box and his driven cross is pushed away by Budinauckas. The ball is ;picked up by McPake who sees his shot saved by the Thistle keeper
The home side are on the front foot and a header from Gullan following a cross from the right is saved by Budinauckas.
Good pressing from Crawford gives him the chance to advance only to be fouled by Holt who picks up the game's first booking.
Thistle again struggle to clear the corner and Baird sends a shot wide of goal.
Budinauckas makes a great save with his feet to deny Sidibeh.
Thistle get the game underway. Defending the goal at the away end in the first half.
The start of the 2025-26 league campaign is now just a little under 15 minutes away.
With a trip to one of the favourites to win the league, St Johnstone, Thistle could hardly have been given a harder fixture to start the league season with.
An excellent Premier Sports Cup group stage campaign though, including a win at Ross County last Saturday, means Thistle approach this game on a beautiful Perth afternoon with confidence and belief.
That is reflected in head Coach Mark Wilson's team selection that is unchanged from Dingwall seven days ago.