Sunday 3rd November, 2024 at 7:00pm
Following a week of international fixtures providing a much-needed break, Partick Thistle returned for an away day to Petershill to face Glasgow City in the Peasy derby.
Leanne Ross’ side entered the tie in full confidence, having picked up 28 points over the course of the last 11 matches with the most recent residing from a 13-0 win over Dundee United before the break. Despite being the firm underdogs, Brain Graham encouraged his side to “play with the shackles off” as they looked to continue their own climb up the league order having picked up all three points in their previous tie to put them into the top 6.
From kick off the hosts were quickly on the pressing foot, dispossessing Thistle before getting the ball into the box, only to be denied by the incoming sliding Jags tackle to force it away from danger in the opening minutes.
City had found particular success in stringing the passes together, making use of the entire playing surface as the ball bobbled from side to side to get them in front of goal before the shot from range curled wide of Currie’s goalpost. It was down to the Thistle number 1 moments later to maintain the deadlock as she read the play and reached low to force the incoming ball from the angle back out in a testing opening period.
Despite having handled the mounting pressure well, the Jags fell behind in the 17 th minute as the passage of play saw the hosts disjoint them through a number of passes that ended towards the perimeter of the pitch, the cut back from the byline found Lovera who lifted the ball high into the roof of the net from close range to award the lead.
Partick Thistle didn’t look discredited following the goal however as they worked cohesively in numbers at the back, limiting the space that the opposition had to play with and in turn swapping the attacking play in their own favour as the long ball was fired away to award them the throw-in in the final third before it was cleared by the crowding orange jerseys.
As the game progressed into the final 10 minutes of the first half, Thistle continued to hold firm, the defensive line created had forced City to work backwards as the Jags intercepted the incoming passes and forced them as far from danger as plausible.
Simultaneously however, City had managed to diffuse any Thistle opportunity as soon as it reached their own half, almost entirely limiting any chance Thistle hosted in front of goal.
The sounding of the whistle ended an opening 45 minutes in which saw the Thistle defences hold well against a persistent and varied attack from the hosts. Despite not having the opportunity to capitalise on any of their own threats, the Jags had countered the majority of what had been put to them, leaving the deficit to only one as the teams headed towards the dressing rooms.
The second half started in much the same way in which the first had ended as immediately from kick off it was Glasgow City who were back on the attacking front foot in the search to double the goal deficit, the effort from the tight angle rippling the side netting to deny them.
Just as seen throughout the first half however, the early second half threats were all handled by the Jags as the ball fizzled out of play for the throw in that allowed Thistle to reset and push a tie that they were still in into their favour as the game pushed towards the hour mark.
Even with their respectable efforts though, Thistle found themselves to fall further behind as in a bid to deny the effort from the cross ball, Gray was deemed to have tripped Gambone within the area, prompting the referee to pint to the spot in which Lovera made no mistake in doubling the lead from 12 yards in the 54 th minute.
The first of the substitutions from the Thistle bench came in the 64 th minute, as Brian Graham opted for Robinson and Ferguson to replace Boyce and McCulloch respectively, soon after joined by Bulloch, McAllister and Slater who took the places of Henderson, Docherty, and Sinclair.
The closing 15 minutes saw Thistle remain for the most part within their own area as city looked to put the match out of sight, but a continued strong defensive performance paired with reactive saves from Currie saw them limit the true opportunities that the hosts created, locking down the space and at points turning the attack into their favour as they broke down the pitch and forced the corner of which was eventually cleared by city.
Thistles fortunes began to falter further deep into the game however as a sliding challenge on Ferguson deemed her unable to continue through injury but having fielded all permissible substitutes the Jags were left no other option than to see the game out a player down.
Glasgow City ultimately took advantage of a depleted Thistle side as they countered the play down the pitch before breaking through the backline, Forsblom confidently slotting the pacing ball into the net in the 96 th minute to award city with three goals and three points in the peasy derby.
Partick Thistle turn their attention to the Sky Sports cup as they face Hibernian at Petershill on Sunday November 10 th , kick off 1pm.
