Irn Bru Challlenge Cup
Tue 14 August, 2018. Kick Off: - 19:45
Stair Park, Stranraer
Fixture Information:
Admission Details:
This fixture is a PAY AT THE GATE fixture
Prices:
Adults – £12
Concessions – £6
Under 12s – FREE
A concession is qualified as a person between 12 and 16 or over 65.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 15:20
Station Bar – 15:30
Non members welcome.
Please call 07979496154 or email to book.
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 16:30
Thornwood Bar – 16:35
Prices:
£18 for adults
£10 for concessions
All Jags fans are welcome but booking is essential.
For seats please contact Alistair on 07817612563 or email
For general enquires please contact Iain on 07779668357 or email
North-West Branch:
Pick ups:
Milngavie Station – 16:15
Esquire House – 16:35
Maryhill Community Halls – 16:50
Non-Members fares:
£18 for adults.
£11 for concessions.
To reserve seats, please e-mail or call 0141 632 3604 before 9:00 pm.
Partick Thistle secured their first league win of the season at the weekend as they overcame the challenge of Falkirk at the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill but now look towards cup action as their Irn-Bru Cup campaign kicks off away to Stranraer. The Jags travel to Stair Park aiming to build on Saturday’s victory by progressing to the next stage of the season’s second cup competition. Stranraer should provide tough opposition with the Blues performing admirably in the Betfred Cup group stages, beating Motherwell on penalties on one occasion. Thistle manager, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of the clash.
Archie began by telling us that his side won’t take Stranraer lightly and they know that beating the Blues won’t be easy.
“We’re expecting a very tough match like last season when we played them at home. It was a tight game on that day and we needed a late goal which goes to show how difficult it can be in these games. Stranraer did well in this season’s Betfred Cup and they caught Motherwell out so we know we have to be careful when approaching this match.”
The gaffer thinks his side might not be able to play the football they want to on the Stair Park pitch and knows that tonight’s game is just about progression in the Irn-Bru Cup.
“Ultimately, we have to win by any means. It probably won’t be pretty but as long as we get through I’ll be happy. We can’t use that as an excuse because it’s a match we should win and it’s up to our boys to perform when they get out on the park.”
Alan thinks Saturday’s victory against Falkirk has boosted the squad’s confidence and hopes to sustain that confidence with victory this evening.
“We started well in the first three games but then those two defeats to Ayr suddenly give things a different look. It hurt the guys because they’re all hungry lads who want to win every game and the manner of defeat meant they were feeling disappointed in themselves. However, that win on Saturday changes the mood again. We were the much better team and the guys enjoyed the game. Now they’re raring to go again.”
We then asked the manager about new recruit Andréa Mbuyi-Mutombo, who penned a one-year deal on Sunday and will come into contention for tonight’s fixture.
“Andréa is a unique player who I hope can contribute plenty over the season. He can play a number of positions, whether that be on either wing, at centre forward or just in behind the striker. He’s a very creative player who loves to take his man on. He’d been on trial with us for a while and you see it in training; he can just glide past defenders. He’s shown a real desire in training and he’s desperate to get playing so hopefully he can channel that into some quality performances.”
We then discussed the captaincy with Archie as he explained his decision to appoint both a Club captain, in Kris Doolan and a team captain, in Christie Elliott.
“During the summer, I decided that I wanted to have a Club captain and I thought Dools was the perfect man for that role. The Club captain will act as the club’s figurehead; the man who represents the Club within the dressing room and to the media. However, I wanted a team captain as well. A player on the park who can lead by example and I prefer the team captain to be a defender or sitting midfielder so Christie stood out as the best candidate. He’s matured during his time at the Club, played all manner of positions and has a great respect for the fans. Over the past couple of years he’s really broken away from the squad player tag and become a starter and becoming team captain is a symbol of that journey.”
More exclusive preview interviews with Andréa Mbuyi-Mutombo, Blair Spittal and Jags gaffer, Alan Archibald, are available to Jagzone subscribers – log in now to see them.
Jagzone members will also be able to watch extended highlights of the game.
Can’t make to Stair Park? Jagzone members can listen to live audio commentary of the match. JagZoneLIVE begins at 7:30pm on Tuesday night.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
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 kicked off their 2018/19 Irn Bru Cup campaign with a trip to Stranraer this evening. The Jags travelled to Stair Park to take on the Blues for the first time since May 2006 with cup progression the sole aim.
Alan Archibald made five changes to the side which beat Falkirk at the weekend with the squad being rotated for the clash. In goals, Jamie Sneddon started his first Thistle game with Cammy Bell dropping to the bench. Christie Elliott, Tam O’Ware and Sean McGinty all retained their places in defence while Max Melbourne came in at left-back with James Penrice moving into the middle of the park. Alongside Penrice, Craig Slater and Jack Storer completed the midfield. Across the front was Aidan Fitzpatrick, Kris Doolan and new siging Andréa Mbuyi-Mutombo.
Thistle started on top but it was the hosts who came close first. In the ninth minute, Sean McGinty missed a tackle and that allowed Stranraer to attack the Jags goal in a three-on-one situation. David Smith decided to take on the shot and the number 17’s right-footed attempt seemed destined for the bottom corner but Jamie Sneddon reached out a right hand to turn the ball round the post.
It didn’t take the Jags long to take the lead, thereafter, capitalising on their early dominance. Craig Slater won a corner for the away side and proceeded to take it. He swung the delivery into the danger area and Thistle defender, Tam O’Ware stooped to meet it. His header went towards the far post and snuck in past the Stranraer goalkeeper as the ex-Morton man bagged his first goal as a Jag.
The Maryhill men went on to double their lead in the 34th minute as young winger, Aidan Fitzpatrick grabbed a goal on his first start as a senior player. The number 21 used some delightful trickery to evade his marker before firing a low shot past Max Currie. The goal moved Aidan onto two goals from five appearances as the youngster confidently found the bottom corner.
Just one minute after the lead doubling goal, the visitors had a third. The play began with Jack Storer carrying the ball forward into the Stranraer half and passing the ball to Andréa Mbuyi-Mutombo. The Belgian-born winger then laid the ball to Craig Slater who fed it to Aidan Fitzpatrick. Aidan then shifted the ball and drove a low ball across goal finding Mutombo who simply tapped home from a couple of yards. The goal is a debut one for Andréa and gets him off the mark in Jags colours.
At half-time, one change was made as Blair Spittal replaces Craig Slater who was ill. Overall, the Jags could be extremely happy with a fairly simple first half. Three goals and a solid defensive display meant the game was surely all but over by the break.
On the hour mark, Kris Doolan should have made it four for the Jags. Blair Spittal did excellently to break away from Mark Lamont and cross the ball into the six yard box. Thistle’s number nine, Doolan met the ball but failed to hit the target from five yards.
The Jags then made two quick fire substitutions as Callum Wilson and Chris Erskine replaced Jack Storer and Andréa Mutombo respectively.
With the game coming to an end, there was still plenty of action to come at Stair Park. In the 82nd minute a short backpass put Max Currie in serious danger and the goalkeeper wiped out Kris Doolan who had beaten him to the ball, just outside the box. The referee brandished the red card and Stranraer used their final change to bring on their spare ‘keeper, Kyle Avci.
With the hosts now down to ten men, the Jags were merciless as they added to their lead. First of all, Christie Elliott whipped a cross in from the right which was looking for Kris Doolan. The delivery didn’t find Kris but would fall to Max Melbourne who, after setting himself, slammed into an unguarded net. Max was playing his second Thistle game and capped it off with his first goal in senior football.
There was yet more misery for Stranraer to come as Thistle made it 5-0 in the 90th minute. Chris Erskine was the creator as the number ten slid a ball through to Aidan Fitzpatrick who took one touch before slotting home a second of the night at the near post. The goal put him top of the Partick Thistle scoring charts for the 2018/19 season and put a bold exclamation mark at the end of a satisfying performance.
The referee ended the game at 5-0 and with cup advancement secured, it was very much job done for the Thistle side. The draw for the next round of the Irn Bru Cup takes place on Thursday at 13:00 with trips to England, Ireland and Wales all possible for the Jags.
For now, Alan Archibald’s side turn their attentions to Saturday’s Betfred Cup tie against treble-winning Celtic with a quarter-final place up for grabs. Kick-off is at 12:30 from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.
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.
After the first win of the league season against Falkirk on Saturday, Partick Thistle moved into Irn Bru Cup action as they defeated Stranraer at Stair Park this evening. The Jags hit three first half goals with debutant, Andréa Mbuyi-Mutombo bagging the third of those while two late, second half strikes put the gloss on a terrific travelling display. Jags boss, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk following the end of the match.
The gaffer started by summarising his pleasure at what was a very satisfactory 90 mins for his side.
“It was excellent all round. We came expecting a very physical game but we dealt with that well and stuck to our style of play which was great to see. Also, getting more minutes for our young guys was a huge positive.”
He then told us how happy he was to see three players get off the mark as Thistle players with Tam O’Ware, Andréa Mbuyi-Mutombo and Max Melbourne all getting their first in the red and yellow.
“It was great to see different lads on the scoresheet. Of course, I don’t care where the goals come from so long as they’re there but to get three guys their first was nice, especially for Andréa on his debut as that will boost his confidence. Also, Aidan getting another two goals continues his great start to the season so I can’t complain.”
Archie paid tribute to Jamie Sneddon’s performance with the young ‘keeper stepping in an performing well in his first Thistle start.
“Jamie’s a talented boy which he showed against Stenny but we wanted to get him a start tonight. He made a very important save at 0-0 which keeps things level and throughout the game I thought he was calm and used the ball well.”
The manager was delighted that his side netted three in the first half, really killing the game off before the break.
“Obviously, you want to get a goal as quickly as possible to calm the nerves because the longer you go without a goal against lower league teams, the more tense it gets. We got that first one from the set piece and that lifted us which allowed us to get the second and third. The third goal was the epitome of that as we got a fair few players involved in what was a good passing move.”
Alan finished by looking ahead to Saturday’s cup tie as Thistle now face the prospect of Premiership champions, Celtic in the Betfred Cup.
“We know it won’t be a game like tonight’s. Celtic are going to be the team dominating the ball and we’ll have to be resolute defensively. It’ll be a good challenge for some of the boys who haven’t played Celtic before but we have to go into the game looking to win.”
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald is available now to Jagzone subscribers and will be followed by reaction from Tam O’Ware. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available.
Highlights will be added shortly and will be free for Jagzone subscribers.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Alan will be here for the next big moment – will you? 2018/19 season tickets are on sale now – buy yours here.
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 14 August, 2018
Irn Bru Challlenge Cup 
Stair Park, Stranraer
Erskine lays the ball perfectly into the path of Fitzpatrick who takes a touch to steady himself before drilling beyond the goalkeeper.
A cross comes over from the right, the goalkeeper flies at it but completely misses the ball. Melbourne gets the ball inside the box, turns and slams it into the empty net.
The #JagZoneLIVE, sponsored by Pursuit Marketing, Jag of the Match is Aidan Fitzpatrick.
Spittal fires the ball into the wall from the free kick - with a thud so loud you just know it hurt. The ball rolls back to Wilson who fires high and wide from 30 yards.
A poor backpass gives Doolan the chance to close down the goalkeeper. Doolan disposses the goalkeeper and is dragged down on the edge of the box as he goes to shoot.
As the rain pours down in Stranraer, Doolan and Erskine link up but the pass isn't quite accurate enough for the Jags number ten.
The ball breaks to Stranraer around 25 yards from goal but is fired wide of target.
Fitzpatrick rides a couple of late challenges to advance down the left. The Stranraer players earn a couple of yellow cards when play breaks down later.
Stranraer are having a lot more say in this half as they look for the goal which, they hope, would bring the tie to life once again. Thistle are defending well against the home threat as we reach almost the half way stage of the second half.
Fitpatrick cuts in from the right hand side but drags a shot wide of target.
Spittal sends over a low cross which is met by Doolan but he can't direct his effort on target.
The corner breaks to the edge of the box where Turner fires it towards goal. It smashes the bar and loops over the bar and out.
Penrice takes it but the goalkeeper is equal to it.
Fitzpatrick links up with Elliott to allow the team captain to fire over a cross. It is cleared but Fitzpartick wins a free kick on the edge of the box.
Penrice with the first attempt on goal of the second half but it is high and wide from 35 yards.
Slater cuts in and out before blazing over
Slater picks out Fitzpatrick wide on the right hand side of the box. His low cross is fizzed across and Mutombo is there to sweep the ball home.
Fitzpatrick cuts inside from the right, gliding past the defender before rifling a low shot beyond the goalkeeper into the far corner.
Mutombo jinks past a couple of challenges before whipping over a cross which seems to skim the bar as it is cleared.
Mutombo cuts inside from the flank but fires wide from 20 yards.
Mutombo forces a smart save from Currie but the flag is up for offside.
The game has descended into a midfield battle but Thistle are on top with possession with Stranraer defending well.
Fitzpatrick advances down the right with skill and trickery. A bobble takes the ball away from him and he can't quite pick out Doolan with his cross.
Hamill's free kick is punted forward. Lamont gets time to turn in the box but it is deflected behind.
Fitzpatrick plays it inside to Storer. His shot from distance drags wide of target,
A deep corner from Slater is met by O'Ware and his header creeps in at the back post.
The corner is cleared and Thistle go up the other end of the pitch. Slater beats a number of challenges to win a Jags corner.
The home side break as Thistle try to advance. The ball is worked out to Smith who pushes forward. He drills a low shot across goal which is tipped around the post excellently by Jamie Sneddon.
Neat one touch football gets Thistle forward. Slater tries an effort from 30 yards which drags wide.
Melbourne and Mutombo give a 1-2 with the full back beating his man for pace. McDonald heads behind for a corner.
It's a 4-2-3-1 formation for the Jags tonight with James Penrice taking up a position in the heart of the midfield as Max Melbourne plays at left back