Saturday 13th December, 2025 at 8:32pm
Three points were blown away from Partick Thistle as they went down 2-1 at windy Arbroath with Head Coach Mark Wilson’s side unable to bring anything home from Gayfield despite a strong fightback.
The Jags starting line-up showed several changes with Dan O’Reilly returning after a ban to link up with Lee Ashcroft and Luke McBeth in defence and Tony Watt starting alongside Alex Samuel in attack.
The wide attacking pair of Logan Chalmers and Aidan Fitzpatrick were also on the bench as Thistle looked to change tactics at the wind-swept Angus ground.
Ts’anelo Lets’osa kicked the game off with the wind at the visitors’ back as they defended the Pleasureland End goal and within the first 30 seconds there were loud appeals for a penalty surprisingly ignored after a challenge on Ben Stanway that swept him off his feet.
A promising opening for Wilson’s side on five minutes ended up coming to nothing as Samuel’s flick on header looked to have opened a door for Watt only for ball to gather pace with the wind and sailed into Aidan McAdams’ gloves.
Four minutes later McBeth mopped up a visiting attack by rolling a pass back to Josh Clarke and his kicked clearance soared deep into the Arbroath half and bounced over McAdams but well wide of the shot-stoppers’ goal.
That took the goal kick count up to six, all for the hosts, however on 14 minutes Arbroath reached the other end of the pitch and won a corner however no danger threatened.
On 20 minutes Watt had an opening when a pass from Stanway reached him on the left with the striker sending a first-time half volley from 16 yards flashing wide.
Shortly afterwards Samuel thumped home from an acute angle however an offside flag cut short the celebrations.
The visiting side came close with a much more direct effort on 26 minutes when McBeth let fly from 20 yards with his effort deflected just wide.
The resultant corner was recycled back into the box where O’Reilly was picked out and he chested the ball down before sending a fierce volley past the far post.
As Thistle kept up the pressure it looked like the opener had been found when Ben McPherson’s low 25-yard drive was blocked and fell into the path of Samuel who picked his spot with a side-footed effort however McAdams produced an outstanding diving stop
Watt was next to threaten with an effort from distance however it nicked off an Arbroath defender and travelled wide of goal.
Referee Lee annoyed the home support eight minutes from the break when he blew up for a foul by Findlay Marshall on Oisin Smyth on the half-way line that stopped a three versus two break by Arbroath.
The Red Lichties carved out another opening on 43 minutes when Marshall drilled low left to right however Clarke, who had had little to do, watched the ball carefully as it travelled past his left-hand post.
A first half of no goals but 17 goal kicks, only one for Thistle, was brought to an end after three minutes of injury time.
Half-Time – Arbroath 0 Partick Thistle 0
Scott Martin was introduced at the break for Lets’osa with Arbroath’s Harry Cochrane hitting for goal straight from the resumption with his effort clearing Clarke’s bar.
0n 49 minutes Arbroath took the lead when Aberdeen loanee Marshall was in the perfect place to curl home from just inside the box when his header forward was blocked by Ashcroft and rolled back into his path.
With the goal and the wind behind them Arbroath looked to add a second and Taylor Steven was only inches away with an effort that whistled just past.
Just as Head Coach Wilson was looking to bring on the wing power of Fitzpatrick and Chalmers Arbroath grabbed a second goal on 64 minutes when Gavin Reilly nodded in from close range after Jacob McIntyre had headed a deep cross into his path.
Samuel did his best to drag Thistle forward 40 yards only to be cynically fouled by Brooklyn Kabongolo who was shown a yellow card.
The ever-increasing strength of the wind was evidenced when Jack Wilkie shot directly from a foul on the halfway line with Clarke watching it carefully as it flew wide.
With 16 minutes to go the game, despite the wind, changed direction as the hosts were reduced to ten men when Craig Watson was shown a straight red card for a lunging tackle on Martin 30 yards from the home goal.
Hopes of a Thistle fightback increased 77 minutes when SAMUEL stabbed home from close range after he had been picked out by Chalmers who crossed in from the left.
The Jags were now well on top and eight minutes later Thistle were awarded a free-kick at the edge of the Arbroath box that Kyle Turner swung in and after a scramble O’Reilly had a thunderous goal bound effort blocked by the chest of a home defender.
A corner was the only reward however it looked like Smyth had driven in an 18 yarder to level when the dead ball was swung into his path however McAdams produced a fine diving save.
Despite nearly five minutes of added-on time a leveller could not be found.
Full-Time – Arbroath 2 Partick Thistle 1
Teams
Partick Thistle – Josh Clarke, Lee Ashcroft, Luke McBeth, Dan O’Reilly, Ben McPherson (Logan Chalmers 65), Paddy Reading (Aidan Fitzpatrick 65), Oisin Smyth, Ts’oanelo Lets’osa (Scott Martin 46), Ben Stanway (Kyle Turner 75), Alex Samuel, Tony Watt
Unused substitutes – Lewis Budinauckas (G/k), Cammy Logan, Steven Lawless, Sean McArdle
Arbroath – Aidan McAdams, Craig Watdon, Brooklyn Kabongolo, Thomas O’Brien, Jack Wilkie, Harry Cochrane, Ryan Flynn, Taylor Steven, Ryan Dow (Jacob McIntyre 60), Findlay Marshall, (Dapo Mebude 91), Gavin Reilly (Aaron Muirhead 76)
Unused substitutes – Jordan Pettigrew (G/k), Colin Hamilton, , David Gold, Arran Pettifer, Nikolay Todorov, Victor Enem,
Referee – Ryan Lee
