Wednesday 2nd July, 2025 at 3:49pm
The Jags support came out in good number to back the team at Petershill Park in the final open door friendly before competitive action returns and they watched their side come out 3-2 winners against Inverness after a remarkable second half turnaround which came thanks to three minutes of madness shortly after the restart.
Inverness opened the scoring early on when a trialist was slipped through by David Wotherspoon and he dispatched the chance past Lewis Budinauckas after the Jags had given the ball away on the half-way line.
Another Jags mistake would be pounced on as David Wotherspoon dispossessed the home side and played the same trialist in, allowing him to take it around the goalie and slot home for a quick second with just over 10 minutes gone.
Budinauckas, with an arm fully stretched, was able to get a touch and claw the ball back into his grasp from a low shot across him, drawing impressed applause from the Peasy crowd as he prevented a third goal for the visitors.
Trialist number nine for Inverness almost had a 25-minute hat trick as he latched on to a further mistake at the back and barrelled towards the goal. He attempted to chip the ‘keeper from close range but it was caught.
The first Thistle chance came from their trialist frontman as his strong hit forced a parry from Ross Munro. The resulting corner saw the ball bounce and bobble before being struck from the edge of the box by Luke McBeth towards the bottom corner but the ‘keeper fell on it routinely.
HALF TIME: Partick Thistle 0 – 2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Thistle came back out of the changing rooms with a steely determination on their faces. Two changes were made as a pair of trialists swapped places at right-back and Dan O’Reilly replaced Che Campbell allowing Luke McBeth to move into midfield.
A positive start was made after the game recommenced as Logan Chalmers knocked the ball into the box for Ben Stanway, however, the midfielder’s poked shot was blocked by Ross Munro.
Stanway wasn’t to be denied though as moments later he gave the hosts a lifeline. Robbie Crawford was taken down in the box invoking shouts for a penalty but his fellow midfielder latched on to the loose ball and drove it home along the ground to the goalie’s left. He picked the ball up and ran straight back to the centre spot.
Barely a minute passed before it was all square as the trialist introduced at half-time teed up Logan Chalmers to curl a right-footed effort into the top corner of the net from 15 yards.
Mark Wilson’s side weren’t content with drawing level either as they hit the front just eight minutes into the second period. A high ball into the box was knocked down to Robbie Crawford and the number 14 passed it on to Ben Stanway who took a touch before confidently picking out the top corner and putting his team ahead for the first time.
Stanway then made way alongside Aidan Fitzpatrick and Logan Chalmers as Steven Lawless, Dan MacKay, and Matthew Falconer came on. A little later, trialist number nine was replaced by Ricco Diack.
The game died down considerably after the three quick goals and it became all change outfield from the first 45. Horn, Lockhart, Low, and Dolan came on in place of Ashcroft, Reading, Crawford, and McBeth.
Unfortunately, Ricco Diack was forced off with an injury towards the end of the game though Thistle were still able to see out the victory with 10 men on the pitch.
FULL TIME: Partick Thistle 3 – 2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
The Jags’ competitive campaign begins a week on Friday as they head to Meadowbank Sports Complex to take on Edinburgh City in the Premier Sports Cup with a 7:45pm kick-off.
Thistle line-up: Lewis Budinauckas, Paddy Reading (Low 71′), Lee Ashcroft (Dolan 71′), Luke McBeth (Horn 71′), Trialist (Trialist, 46′), Robbie Crawford (Lockhart 71′), Ben Stanway (Falconer 56′), Che Campbell (O’Reilly, 46′), Aidan Fitzpatrick (Lawless 56′), Logan Chalmers (MacKay 56′), Trialist (Diack 64′).
Unused substitutes: Luis Cameron.
Inverness line-up: Ross Munro (Ross 71′), Ross Millen (Thompson 63′), Matthew Strachan, Robbie Thompson (Gardiner 71′), Remi Savage, Danny Devine, Paul Allan (Harkness 78′), Joe Chalmers, Trialist (Kerr 71′), David Wotherspoon (Keogh 71′), Trialist.
Unused substitutes: N/A
Attendance: 755 (93 away)
Referee: Graham Grainger
By Connor Steel
