Wednesday 8th February, 2023 at 11:00pm
Partick Thistle ended their three-game losing streak with a well-earned 1-0 over Hamilton Academical at Petershill.
The win also sees the Jags leapfrog both Motherwell and Spartans back into the final top-six spot, by virtue of the latter’s 3-0 home defeat to Celtic.
There was little to separate the sides until the 20th minute when Rachel Donaldson’s cross had to be cleared out of the box by Chloe Nicolson in the Accies goal. At the other end, captain Hannah Coakley’s overhead kick attempt from a corner was well wide. Thistle did take the lead just after the half-hour mark as the returning Cara Henderson rose highest in the box to head home Abbie Ferguson’s cross for her sixth goal of the season.
Thistle grew in confidence following the goal, which continued into the second half, where they were unlucky not to double their lead just after the break as Henderson headed a cross from the left just over the bar, before a move down the left nearly prised open the Hamilton defence. Accies would then came close as Megan Cunningham was forced to turn behind a Kirstie McIntosh free kick after Clare Docherty fouled Josi Giard on the edge of the penalty area, before Nicolson made a save at the other end from Rebecca McGowan.
The defence had to be called into action 20 minutes into the half as captain Demi Falconer had to clear Giard’s pass deep in the penalty box. Henderson would get another chance minutes later which Accies defender Eilidh Martin had to block. And with less than five minutes to go, Ferguson, who had been causing the Accies defence problems all half, almost bagged herself a goal as her long-range effort was spilled by Nicolson and almost bounced over the line before the keeper recovered.
Thistle will look to build on the result this weekend in their Scottish Cup fifth round clash against Hearts at Petershill. That one is a 6pm kick off this Sunday 12th February.
