Wednesday 17th December, 2025 at 12:50am
Partick Thistle came from behind to see off Cove Rangers 2-1 at the Balmoral Stadium to book their place in the Round of 16 in the KDM Evolution Trophy on January 6 against an Inverness Caledonian Thistle side who knocked nine past Dumbarton.
The Jags had a refreshed look about them with Lewis Budinauckas, Cammy Logan, Scott Martin, Kyle Turner, Steven Lawless and Logan Chalmers all in from the start with youngsters Matthew Falconer and Liam Dolan on the bench.
Cove wearing a red strip more associated with their city neighbours kicked the game off in tranquil, albeit cold conditions, with the hosts winning an early free kick when David Equaibor was held.
There was no home joy from the set-piece however with three minutes played Cove took the lead when Adam Emslie was released on the right by a forty yard pass from Blair Yule and he took the ball to the edge of the Thistle box before sending a low shot into the corner of the net with the aid of a deflection.
The hosts had their tails up and they could have grabbed a second five minutes later when Emslie wriggled clear again however his low cross fizzed across the face of Budinauckas’ goal without a decisive touch being applied.
Thistle looked to assert themselves in the game and Alex Samuel worked himself clear on the right flank and his ball looked to be finding Lawless, who was playing on the left, only for a defensive foot to get in the way.
Thistle created another chance on 12 minutes when a delicate passing move picked out Chalmers who turned and fired for goal only to see his effort blocked.
A minute later Chalmers created danger with a run to the goal kick line and then sending over cross that found Ben Stanway with Balint Demus just scrambling the ball off the midfielder’s toes.
Another opening came for the visitors on 17 minutes when Chalmers fed Samuel who skipped to his left and tried to find the net with a low effort that Demus dived to smother.
The equaliser that had been threatened came on 24 minutes with another bout of possession allowed TURNER to be teed up on the left-hand side of the 18-yard line by Lawless and the number six took a touch to the left before curling a shot high past Demus.
Three minutes later it was 2-1 to Mark Wilson’s side as The Wyre Stadium at Firhill’s favourite Welshman SAMUEL spun away from his marker and shot low into the corner of the net for his third goal in four appearances.
The pace from the visitors dropped slightly for a period however eight minutes from the break Chalmers cut in from the right wing in trademark fashion and let fly with a left footed shot however Demus dropped down to save.
Shortly afterwards Paddy Reading carved out a chance with a right footed cross that found the head of Samuel, but his flicked effort flashed over.
Budinauckas showed he was still alert after a period of inactivity on 43 minutes when he saved from David Equaibor before play switched rapidly to the other end with Reading sending a shot high over.
Half-Time – Cove Rangers 1 Partick Thistle 2
Turner restarted the game with Thistle attacking the goal that goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon scored in three years ago.
Emslie, like he had done in the first half, threatened early as he danced past a couple of players before hitting in a drive from right to left again however this time there was no deflection and the ball travelled wide.
Chalmers had Thistle’s first attempt of the second half with a low left footed effort after build up play from Lawless and Stanway with Demus equal to it.
Just after the hour mark, and after a flurry of substitutions, Turner whipped in a free-kick from wide on the left that was met by Luke McBeth however the defender’s header clipped off a Cove man and went past for a corner.
Martin and home substitute Chris Maguire after a spat in midfield with the game restarting with a free kick to the hosts.
Falconer, who was due to start last Tuesday before the tie was called off late on, was brought on with 20 minutes to go for Reading, with his introduction prompting a switch around with Logan going to left back and Turner right.
Thistle were given a reminder that there was still life in Cove when Liam Parker met a free-kick at the back post with his knee with Budinauckas forced into a high save after the ball bounced into the turf and rose up.
Substitutes Tony Watt and Oisin Smyth combined on 77 minutes to create a shooting chance for the Northern Irishman from 20 yards and his shot was powerful for Demus however no-one was following in to net the ball after it was pushed back out.
Four minutes later Budinauckas showed safe hands again as he rose to clutch a stinging 20 yarder from Mackenzie Strachan who had accepted a rolled pass back the way from Maguire.
Ts’oanelo Lets’osa exchanged passes with Lawless as Thistle searched for a clincher however the replacement’s cross that was aiming for Watt was cut out by Demus.
A darting move involving Lets’osa, Falconer and Lawless released Watt on the left however a corner was the only reward with Lawless just off target from the dead ball with a header.
Full-Time – Cove Rangers 1 Partick Thistle 2
Teams
Partick Thistle – Lewis Budinauckas, Cammy Logan, Luke McBeth, Dan O’Reilly, Paddy Reading (Matthew Falconer 70), Scott Martin (Oisin Smyth 74), Kyle Turner, Steven Lawless, Ben Stanway (Ts’oanelo Lets’osa 74), Logan Chalmers (Aidan Fitzpatrick 60), Alex Samuel (Tony Watt 60).
Unused substitutes – Josh Clarke (G/k), Lee Ashcroft, Ben McPherson, Liam Dolan.
Cove Rangers – Balint Demus, Layton Bisland, Michael Doyle, Justin Eguaibor, Ryan Harrington, Blair Yule (Mitch Megginson 60), Rueben McAllister (Jackson Mylchreest 67), Adam Emslie, David Eguaibor (Chris Maguire 60), Lewis O’Donnell (Mackenzie Strachan 60), Liam Parker.
Unused substitutes – Robbie Mutch, Mickey Milnes.
Referee – Gavin Duncan
