Tuesday 28th August, 2012 at 8:53pm
Thistle’s interest in the Scottish Communities League Cup ended this evening with an extra-time defeat at the hands of Hamilton Accies.
On a perfect night for football and on an immaculate playing surface both teams made a bright and open start to the game. The first chance was Hamilton’s in the second minute but Longridge’s effort was straight at a well positioned Scott Fox. Hamilton continued with their bright start and a cross from the left found Ziggy Gordon in space at Thistle’s back post but the right back was off balance and sent his effort over the bar.
Thistle’s first serious assault on the Hamilton goal nearly produced the game’s opening goal. Aaron Sinclair’s cross found Chris Erskine and his deflected effort looked destined for the corner of the net only for Kevin Cuthbert to turn the ball round the post for a corner.
Cuthbert was certainly the busier of the keepers in the first half. Twice he produced fine stops to prevent Kris Doolan from adding to his tally of early season goals. His best save of them all though was reserved for a Sean Welsh header. Aaron Sinclair swung over a magnificent cross from the Thistle left that Welsh dived full length to reach with his head. Cuthbert too was a full stretch and he again managed to deflect the ball away from his goal.
The football that Thistle were producing at times was extremely pleasing on the eye and all it lacked in the opening 45 minutes was a goal to show for it all. Thistle’s pace on the counter attack in particular was a real threat and in one such thrust Stephen O’Donnell, after collecting a pass from Stuart Bannigan, burst into the box only to send his shot over the bar.
As much as Thistle were dominating proceedings it wasn’t all one way traffic either, although Scott Fox was never too pressed in his efforts to keep the ball out. On the one occasion that he did look as if he was struggling, Ali Crawford’s well struck shot from 20 yards cleared the crossbar.
If Thistle had dominated the first half then there was a more purposeful look to Hamilton after the interval. Indeed in the 65th minute they missed the best chance of a goal to that point. There was no flag for offside when substitute Keatings burst clear but even when left with just Scott Fox to beat he never looked confident and certainly lacked composure as he lashed his shot over the bar.
It could have proved to be a costly miss as two minutes later Thistle were denied a goal only be the heroics of the home goalkeeper. Christie Elliott, on for Steve Lawless, was able to flick on a Stuart Bannigan corner and it took a magnificent reflex save from Cuthbert to prevent Kris Doolan’s header from finding the net.
That was the closest either side would come to a goal inside the 90 minutes with the game despite the energy and commitment shown by both sides the tie went into extra-time.
We were into the second period of extra-time when the game finally had a goal. Ali Crawford’s long range effort flying past Scott Fox and into the net.
Thistle immediately sent on Mark McGuigan for Sean Welsh and his first involvement in the game was to touch the ball back to Christie Elliott who dragged a shot wide of target.
There was still fight in Thistle and Stephen O’Donnell saw his shot from the edge of the box graze the Hamilton crossbar.
An Aaron Muirhead free kick that evaded the wall but not the Hamilton keeper was Thistle’s last effort in a game that they gave everything in.
