Wednesday 25th February, 2026 at 1:15am
Late drama at KDM Group East End Park saw the points shared as Partick Thistle battled out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship on Tuesday night.
There were two changes to the side that conquered Airdrieonians on Saturday, with Robbie Crawford and Aidan Fitzpatrick being brought into the starting line-up in place of Ts’oanelo Lets’osa and Alex Samuel.
Thistle’s first opportunity came on the two-minute mark when a pass was swung out by Paddy Reading to Fitzpatrick on the left. He drove into the box and squared a cross towards Ben Stanway, whose effort was blocked by Pars defender Nurudeen Abdulai in the six-yard area.
Thistle would go on to open the scoring on 15 minutes, with Fitzpatrick the catalyst for the move. The winger deployed a cross deep towards the back post, with Watt heading it back across goal. Robbie Crawford got himself a touch on the ball, nudging it into position for Logan Chalmers to chip the ball into the net for 1-0.
Four minutes later, Thistle had the ball in the net a second time. Dan O’Reilly’s header looped into the air, inspiring a six-yard box stramash wherein Aston Oxborough was left grasping at air while the ball was forced over the line, however, referee Dan McFarlane spotted a foul and awarded a free kick to the home side.
The Pars responded to that scare well, regrouping and slowing the tempo down, with the next fifteen minutes having little in the way of goalmouth action.
On the 40 minute mark, Matty Todd found former Jag Kieran Ngwenya with a floated free kick which was flicked on to Chris Kane. The experienced striker had to contort his body to get anything on it but couldn’t put it goalward and Thistle cleared.
The Pars continued to push as the half came to a close with a Callumn Morrison cross being headed down in the box by Robbie Fraser. It bounced to Charlie Gilmour who strode onto the ball but mishit his shot and the threat subsided meaning the visitors took a lead into the interval.
Half-time – Dunfermline Athletic 0 Partick Thistle 1
Mark Wilson made one change at the break with Ts’oanelo Lets’osa replacing Ben Stanway who had required treatment during the first half.
Dunfermline came out the traps quickly after the restart and would soon draw themselves level on 50 minutes. A corner wasn’t properly cleared and fell to Freddie Turley 20 yards out. The Irishman took a shot which pinballed around the Thistle box before being poked home by Nurudeen Abdulai.
Buoyed by the leveller, Neil Lennon’s side went in search of a second, but it would be Thistle who had the next significant chance of the game. Lets’osa charged down a clearance, putting himself through one-on-one with the ‘keeper, but the midfielder tried unsuccessfully to go around Aston Oxborough and ultimately didn’t get a shot away.
Cometh the hour, cometh Alex Samuel, who replaced Chalmers, and the Welshman took only five minutes to get himself on the scoresheet. A free kick was launched up the park by Josh Clarke to Tony Watt, who flicked it on with a header. Samuel raced onto the ball and coolly dispatched it into the top right corner to make it 2-1.
Further changes came as the game got more edgy in the final quarter. First, Luke McBeth and Cale Loughrey replaced Ben McPherson and Dan O’Reilly, before Kyle Turner came on for Robbie Crawford with 10 to play.
With eight minutes left on the clock, Dunfermline came within a whisker of equalising. An inviting Fraser cross found Morrison sliding in, but his effort cracked the upright as it stayed 2-1.
Unfortunately for the travelling Jags, Neil Lennon’s side would find their leveller in the second minute of injury time. A Josh Cooper free kick into the Thistle box wasn’t properly dealt with and ricocheted to Kieran Ngwenya who was able to turn home from close range.
There were a couple of half-chances for Thistle to snatch a dramatic winner but a header from Alex Samuel and a volley from Tony Watt both flew wide of the target.
Full-time – Dunfermline Athletic 2 Partick Thistle 2
With St. Johnstone also drawing their midweek game, the gap at the top of the table remains three points in favour of the Perth side.
Next up for the Jags is a home league game against third-placed Arbroath this coming Saturday.
Teams
Dunfermline Athletic: Aston Oxborough; Kieran Ngwenya, Nurudeen Abdulai (Shea Kearney, 87’), Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen; Robbie Fraser, Charlie Gilmour, Freddie Turley (Alfons Amade, 71’), Matty Todd (Josh Cooper, 71’); Andrew Tod, Chris Kane (Olly Thomas, 71’), Callumn Morrison (Keith Bray, 84’).
Unused Substitutes: Deniz Mehmet; Kyle Benedictus, Chris Hamilton, Alasdair Davidson.
Partick Thistle: Josh Clarke; Paddy Reading, Lee Ashcroft (Luke McBeth, 71’), Dan O’Reilly, Ben McPherson (Cale Loughrey, 71’); Robbie Crawford (Kyle Turner, 78’), Oisin Smyth, Ben Stanway (Ts’oanelo Lets’osa, HT); Aidan Fitzpatrick, Tony Watt, Logan Chalmers (Alex Samuel, 59’).
Unused Substitutes: Lewis Budinauckas;, Ricco Diack.
Referee: Dan McFarlane
Attendance: 5,246
By David Forrest
