Saturday 21st February, 2026 at 8:30pm
Partick Thistle celebrated their 150th birthday with a 1-0 win over Airdrieonians at The Wyre Stadium at Firhill this afternoon as they moved to within three points of the William Hill Championship summit.
A solitary goal from Ben Stanway sealed the victory as the Jags marked a century and a half since their first ever game, also a 1-0 triumph, against local side Valencia at Overnewton Park on the 19th of February 1876.
The players were greeted during their walk out by a spectacular tifo banner commemorating the milestone, made by Ultras Thistle and displayed in the John Lambie Stand.
There were three changes to the side that lined up against Elgin in the Scottish Cup a fortnight ago. Cup-tied Oisin Smyth returned to the fold in place of Kyle Turner, while Ts’oanelo Lets’osa and Logan Chalmers also started in favour of Robbie Crawford and Aidan Fitzpatrick.
Despite the rousing atmosphere at Firhill, it was Airdrie who started off the brighter with Lewis McGrattan’s curling effort coming close to opening the scoring for the away side on eight minutes.
On the 10 minute mark, the Jags found their first real opening of the game. Tony Watt lifted a ball into the box and onto the head of Alex Samuel but his header bounced off the post.
It rebounded back into an open space with Samuel primed to get to it first, however, former Jags and current Airdrie ‘keeper Harry Stone was on hand to smother the attempt to force the ball home.
The game ebbed and flowed from there, with little in the way of goalmouth action until the 22nd minute when another Thistle alumni, Jamie Barjonas, pulled down Tony Watt on the edge of the area.
The resultant free kick was taken by Ben Stanway on the occasion of his 100th Partick Thistle appearance and the Academy graduate whammed a sparkling shot into the top corner to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Watt was getting a lot of traction on the left wing after that, with one of his passes teeing up Ts’oanelo Lets’osa on 36 minutes. The midfielder tried to beat Harry Stone at the near post but the Diamonds ‘stopper made an intelligent save to turn the ball around the upright.
Four minutes from the break, Airdrieonians found themselves with a gilt-edged chance to level the scoring. Good link-up play from McGrattan and Barjonas got the ball to Dylan MacDonald in space in the Thistle box only for the defender to fire wide as the Jags breathed a sigh of relief.
Tony Watt yet again found his way through the Airdrie back line as the first half ticked down and yet again he was pulled back by a visiting defender. This time the referee played an advantage and Watt fired a shot past the near post.
Half-time – Partick Thistle 1 – 0 Airdrieonians
During the break, the heavens started to open as the pitch became heavy and play became more cagey, with neither side taking charge immediately after the restart.
Thistle soon turned up the pressure with Smyth curling a chipped effort inches wide of the goal a few minutes in before Chalmers was played through one-on-one moments later, though he was unable to get the ball under his spell and failed to make anything of his opportunity.
Smyth then had another go, hitting a beautiful first-time strike from 25 yards out. The attempt was heading for the top corner but Stone stretched impressively to tip it over the crossbar.
Watt, again, was causing trouble for Airdrie down the left wing, first skewing an effort wide from inside the box, before being unable to make anything of a tasty ball at the back post from substitute Fitzpatrick on the hour.
Ben Stanway was subbed off on 65 minutes, with the hundred game man receiving a standing ovation for his efforts as he was replaced by Robbie Crawford. The substitute would have a couple of efforts shortly after being introduced, however, neither quite came off.
First, he attempted an angled low shot that curved away from Stone’s left-hand post and then, soon after that, the ball fell to him in prime position in the area but he hesitated a few seconds too long and allowed a scrabbling Airdrie defender to block it.
Dan O’Reilly was next up to the plate as Thistle kept pressing the advantage in hope of a second goal to calm the nerves, but the Irishman couldn’t control a close range effort as he latched onto a sensational Fitzpatrick delivery.
Despite being unable to double their advantage, the Jags held out for an important three points and closed the gap on leaders St. Johnstone.
Full-time – Partick Thistle 1 – 0 Airdrieonians
Thistle now head to KDM Group East End Park on Tuesday night for a rearranged league game against Dunfermline Athletic before returning home to face Arbroath next weekend.
Partick Thistle: Josh Clarke; Paddy Reading, Lee Ashcroft, Dan O’Reilly, Ben McPherson; Ts’oanelo Lets’osa (Kyle Turner, 82’), Oisin Smyth, Ben Stanway (Robbie Crawford, 66’), Logan Chalmers (Aidan Fitzpatrick, 56’): Alex Samuel, Tony Watt.
Unused Substitutes: Lewis Budinauckas; Ricco Diack, Luke McBeth, Cale Loughrey, Matthew Falconer, Daniel Gray.
Airdrieonians: Harry Stone; Lewis Strapp, Charlie McArthur, Craig Ross, Dylan MacDonald; Dean McMaster (Charlie Telfer, 79’), Lewis McGrattan, Jamie Barjonas (Cole McKinnon, 58’): Dom Thomas (Gavin Gallagher, 58′), Euan Henderson, Chris Mochrie (Robert Mahon, 79’).
Unused Substitutes: Cade Meirose; Sean McGinty, Adam Devine, Scott Constable, Jake Hastie.
Attendance: 3,984
Referee: Euan Anderson
50/50 draw results
First prize – Cash prize – Ticket No. 289203
Second prize – Chance to take part in crossbar challenge – Ticket No. 288875
By David Forrest
