Saturday 30th March, 2019 at 11:30pm
Partick Thistle were back on the road for a trip to Cappielow to take on Greenock Morton. The Jags came into the game off the back of just one win in seven in all competitions while their hosts had won only once in their previous nine.
Gary Caldwell made four changes to the team which lost to Inverness eight days prior starting with Conor Hazard who replaced Jamie Sneddon in goals having returned from international duty in midweek. The Jags lined up with a back three of Steven Saunders, Steven Anderson and Jack McMillan while James Penrice and Christie Elliott provided width from the wing-back positions. In midfield, Stuart Bannigan played alongside the returning Shea Gordon who was making his first appearance since picking up an inury against Celtic way back in August. Blair Spittal was back in the starting line-up at number 10 having started on the bench last week while Kris Doolan and Scott McDonald forged an experienced partnership up front. On the bench for the visitors were Jamie Sneddon, Sean McGinty, Craig Slater, Joe Cardle, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Miles Storey and Lewis Mansell.
The hosts started the stronger of the two teams and could have easily taken the lead after eight minutes had it not been for some good goalkeeping from Conor Hazard. The Morton striker played a sharp one-two with Greg Kiltie which got him in behind Steven Anderson but when faced with a one-on-one against Hazard, he failed to beat the Celtic loanee as the Northern Irishman blocked with his legs.
The Ton would be left rueing that missed opportunity in the 16th minute when Kris Doolan found the back of the net to put Thistle in front. It was Jack McMillan’s forward pass which fed the striker as his left-footed ball fell kindly for Doolan in the box. The Partick Thistle Hall of Fame’s most recent addition then wasted no time, poking the ball past Robby McCrorie with one touch before wheeling off to celebrate his first goal since the 5th of January in front of some of the Jags’ travelling supporters.
The Jags then doubled their lead after 36 minutes as Steven Anderson returned to the scoresheet. Blair Spittal bent the corner in towards the back post where Anderson was primed to attack. He nodded the ball towards goal only for it to be blocked by Scott McDonald. The striker used his thigh to cushion the ball down before allowing Anderson to run onto it for a second attempt as he this time made sure it found the net, volleying home from five yards out.
The scoring wasn’t over for the first half though and it was the Jags who grabbed the game’s third goal rounding off a thoroughly satisfying 45 minutes for the Glaswegians. Like the first goal it was Kris Doolan who scored and like the second it came from a corner. This time Shea Gordon took the set piece as he looked to pick out the run of Scott McDonald who found some space just inside the box. The ball reached McDonald and the number 10 touched the ball around the corner towards the near post where Kris Doolan was waiting and the 120 goal man became the 121 goal man as he touched the ball home from two yards.
The travelling Jags had chances in the second half to make the score even more convincing through Blair Spittal, Scott McDonald and Steven Anderson but there were no more goals to be had and the game ended 3-0 to the visitors.
The win took Thistle above Falkirk and into eighth, maintain their three point lead over bottom club Alloa who also won that day.
PARTICK THISTLE TEAM: Hazard, Penrice, Saunders, Anderson, McMillan, Elliott, Bannigan (Slater, 82′), Gordon, Spittal (Fitzpatrick, 87′), McDonald, Doolan (Mansell, 90′).
UNUSED SUBS (PTH): Sneddon, McGinty, Cardle, Storey.
GREENOCK MORTON TEAM: McCrorie, Iredale, McAlister, Waddell (O’Connell, HT), Buchanan, Tumilty, Telfer (Dykes, 83′), Lyon (Dallas, 72′), Millar, Kiltie, Thomson.
UNUSED SUBS (GMN): Gaston, Hynes, Watt, Oliver.
