Friday 5th April, 2019 at 9:00am
Scottish First Division
10th November 2012
Partick Thistle 5 Dunfermline Athletic 1
This was a sparkling performance from Thistle and we should take nothing away from that, but we have always been a team who can be a bit Jekyll and Hyde, soaring to great heights one week before then plummeting back down to earth in no time at all. The same opposition returned to Firhill three weeks later, again scored one goal. The only difference was that Thistle forgot to score five and went tumbling out of the Scottish Cup. There is an argument that Thistle inherent tendency to inconsistency is what keeps us coming back every week. I am not totally convinced of that!
One of the reasons I chose this match was to re-live a truly magnificent goal by Stephen O’Donnell. It arrived in the 39th minute with Thistle already in the driving seat, leading 2-1. Well out in the middle of the park, ‘SOD’ (what an unfortunate nickname!) played a couple of one-twos which left the Dunfermline players rather flat-footed. Stephen found himself in the clear, still some distance from goal, so he pressed forward and delicately lobbed the advancing ‘keeper, someone very familiar to us, Paul Gallacher. What a delightful goal!
Stevie Lawless, known better as a provider rather than an out-and-out goalscorer, had opened Thistle’s account after just five minutes and in fact also scored our last goal 15 minutes from the end. The opener was nullified after 24 minutes when the unfortunate Aaron Muirhead conceded an own goal. However, Conrad Balatoni made it 2-1 after 34 minute. So 3-1 was a commanding half-time lead. Things got even better after 56 minutes thanks to the lethal left foot of Ross Forbes.
The full team which provided a feast of entertainment for the home fans was as follows:- Scott Fox, Stephen O’Donnell, Aaron Sinclair, Paul Paton, Aaron Muirhead, Alan Archibald, Stevie Lawless, Conrad Balatoni, Kris Doolan, Ross Forbes, Chris Erskine.
Over the years we have had some pretty depressing results against Dunfermline, so this was definitely one to savour.
Robert R.
