Saturday 27th September, 2025 at 8:52pm
Partick Thistle got off to a blistering start against Dunfermline Athletic at the KDM Group East End Park with goals from Tony Watt and Logan Chalmers that laid the foundations for a 2-0 win against the Fifers.
The Jags’ were missing Ben Stanway from the starting line-up after the midfielder failed to fully shake off a knee injury with Oisin Smyth stepping in from kick-off for the first time since joining on loan from St Mirren.
On-loan Celtic players, goalkeeper Josh Clarke and defender Ben McPherson were also in from the first whistle after missing last weekend’s Premier Sports Cup tie against Brendan Rodgers’ side with Lewis Budinauckas and Cammy Logan making way.
Steven Lawless was absent with a toe problem picked up late in the week and with Zander MacKenzie and Matthew Falconer heading to Queen of the South and Linlithgow Rose on temporary deals this week the substitutes’ bench totalled only seven.
The hosts kicked off attacking the end that housed ‘Red and Yellow’ fans with the visitors awarded a foul on 30 seconds when Robbie Crawford was fouled close to the half-way line.
It was to prove a pivotal decision as Thistle took the lead 20 seconds later when the dead ball was knocked down into the path of TONY WATT who crisply despatched a first time shot home.
Dunfermline were stung by the visitors’ fast start and Clarke had to carefully watch a lobbed cross land on the roof of his net before rushing from his line and denying Chris Kane.
Ben McPherson cleared a dangerous cross before Thistle struck again on nine minutes with a wonderful effort from LOGAN CHALMERS who cut in from the right and sent one of his trademark left footed efforts high into the home net from 19 yards.
As Mark Wilson’s men attacked again Aidan Fitzpatrick wriggled free on the left only to see his dangerous cross deflected behind with the resultant corner reaching Lee Ashcroft who was unable to grab a third with just 15 minutes gone.
Dunfermline were not settling for being two behind and the Partick Thistle goal had an escape three minutes later when a Jefferson Caceres 8 yard effort bounced into the turf and looped over Clarke only for the shot-stopper to finger-tip the ball onto the bar with Kane inches out with his headed effort on the rebound.
Midway through the opening half Dunfermline had a glimpse of goal again as Rory Macleod popped up unmarked on the left-hand side of Thistle’s box however, he sent his shot wide.
Goalscorers Watt and Chalmers combined on the right with half an hour played to release McPherson who picked out Fitzpatrick with a deep cross to the left with the wide-man’s header back into the danger zone just failing to reach Watt.
The game continued to be played in an open fashion with Robbie Crawford the furthest forward Thistle player eight minutes from the break and as he looked to get on the end of a Chalmers cross however the ball was just too high.
On 40 minutes Macleod took aim from 20 yards with his shot nicking off a defender to win a corner that was worked to Caceres on the right and his low cross incredibly flew through four sets of Pars legs with Clarke’s goal remaining intact.
That was to be Caceres’ last positive involvement as 90 seconds from the half-time whistle he sent Dan O’Reilly to the turf 30 yards from Clarke’s goal and was immediately red-carded.
Half-time – Dunfermline Athletic 0 Partick Thistle 2
Robbie Crawford restarted proceedings with the first excitement in the second period coming on 50 minutes when Paddy Reading darted through the Black and White shirted defence only to have his progress halted by a sliding tackle with claims for a penalty waved away.
Shortly afterwards a fine hooked pass from Crawford found Fitzpatrick and via Watt the play was switched back to the right with the Dunfermline rear-guard relieved when McPherson’s low cross was blocked.
Thistle looked to make their extra man count with Ts’oanelo Lets’osa and Crawford both denied in quick succession and when Chalmers turned the ball on 59 minutes he was flagged for offside.
Four minutes after the hour mark Kyle Turner and Alex Samuel were brought on and Welshman Samuel quickly bore down on the home goal with referee Nicolson not interested for a second time in appeals for a penalty as he crashed to the ground.
With 68 minutes played Smyth found Fitzpatrick with a precise pass and the left sided attacker was only denied a symmetrical goal to the one scored by Chalmers when Billy Terrell stretched high to his right to push away the number 21’s fiercely hit shot.
The two wide men combined with 18 minutes to go when Chalmers picked out Fitzpatrick however this time he could not get a shot on target and fired wide.
On 75 minutes the hosts gave Thistle a reminder they were still in the game with a well-struck 18 yard shot from Shea Kearney that Clarke watched carefully as it fizzed away from his goal.
Another attack led by Fitzpatrick produced a chance as he cleverly picked out Crawford how side-stepped his marker and looked to find a corner only for Terrell to save well again.
Crawford was denied again with ten minutes left as he poked the ball past Terrell after Chalmers had a shot blocked only for John Tod to pop up and head clear.
As the game entered the final two minutes Terrell looked to be fortunate to receive only a yellow card after racing out of his box and taking the legs from under Turner who was all set to nip around him and find himself with an open goal.
Full-time – Dunfermline Athletic 0 Partick Thistle 2
Teams
Partick Thistle – Josh Clarke; Ben McPherson (Cammy Logan 75), Lee Ashcroft, Dan O’Reilly, Paddy Reading; Ts’oanelo Lets’osa (Kyle Turner 64), Oisin Smyth; Logan Chalmers, Robbie Crawford (Luke McBeth 86), Aidan Fitzpatrick; Tony Watt (Alex Samuel 64)
Unused substitutes – Lewis Budinauckas (GK), Thomas Horn, Liam Dolan.
Dunfermline Athletic – Billy Terrell, Kyle Benedictus, Charlie Gilmour (Keith Bray 64), Shea Kearney, Jefferson Cáceres, Alfons Amade (Matty Todd 73), Rory Macleod (Tashan Oakley-Boothe 64), Chris Kane (Barney Stewart 46), Andrew Tod (Kane Ritchie-Hosler 73), John Tod, Robbie Fraser.
Unused substitutes – Mason Munn (GK), Chris Hamilton, Ewan Otoo, Nurudeen Abdulai.
Referee – Duncan Nicolson
