 |
|
|
|
|
|
Return to Lorsports' Home Page
Partick Thistle 0; ROSS COUNTY 2 |
Ross County had an easy win over struggling Partick Thistle. New signing Danny Lennon made his debut in a re-shuffled County side due to injuries and suspensions.
County had the better of the earlier exchanges and in the 10th minute they opened the scoring. A free kick from Paul Kinnaird was missed by the Thistle goalkeeper and Gary Wood was alert to head the ball back across goal and Ian Maxwell finished the job. A rare goal from the big central defender who went on to have one of his best games in a County shirt.
The rest of the half belonged to County. A poor Partick Thistle side never realyy threatened and many of their forays into the County half floundered in midfield or on the rocks at the heart of the visitors' defence Maxwell and Irvine.
The second half had a similar pattern to it. County dominated play but again could not finish all the opportunities that came their way.
Eventually, their reward came in the 89th minute when Wood smartly finished off a Roy McBain cut-back to earn all three points for County.
Ross County: Walker; Canning, McGlashan, Maxwell Irvine, Gilbert, Shaw, Escalon (McBain, 55), Wood, Lennon and Kinnaird (Ross, 70). Unused Sub: McKay, D.
ROSS COUNTY 2; Partick Thistle 1 |
It took a penalty and a related sending off to lift County into a potentially winning position in a hard fought contest against one of the form sides in the second division. A floodlight failure midway through the second half also added to the drama as County stretched their wuinning streak to three matches.
George Shaw had skimmed the crossbar and carved a couple of openings by the time he was involved in the decisive first half moment.
The ex-Partick player took advantage of a mix up in the Partick defence to dribble the ball past 'keeper Budinaukas. The former Scotland youth cap hauled Shaw to the ground as the empty net beckoned and he received a red car for his troubles and left Shaw with a simple conversion from the spot to open the scoring.
The skills of Namibian striker Jacobs offered Partick some hope and he came close to beating Walker when he beat three defenders before unleashing a shot which was inches wide of the mark.
Early in the second half, Roy McBain brought the game to life. He collected the ball just inside Partick's half and proceedind to make a winding run which ended with a fierce 25-yard drive high beyond stand-in 'keeper Craig's reach.
Shaw had a chance to put the game beyond doubt five minutes later when he was sent clean through but after he squared the ball, Derek Holmes' weak shot was cleared off the line.
The players left the field for a short time whilst the floodlights were repaired. After they returned Jacobs pulled one back for Partick but it was County who prevailed to take the three points and lift themselves into third place in the table.
Ross County: Walker; Duthie, McBain, Maxwell, McKay, D, Gilbert, Shaw, Geraghty, Holmes (Wood, 83), Ferguson and Kinnaird. Unused Subs: Ross and Canning.
Partick Thistle 4; ROSS COUNTY 2 |
Partick Thistle came from behind to record a vital 4-2 win over Ross County in an exciting clash at Firhill.
Yet, it looked all so different for the long-suffering Maryhill faithfull when form Partick player George Shaw gave Neale Cooper's side an early lead.
But Thistle have a new spirit about them these days and, instead of simply capitulating as they would have done earlier in the season, they rolled their sleeves up an battled back.
First, onloan Peter Lindau equalised before veteran Albert Craig put Thistle ahead just before the break.
Ross County received a roasting from Cooper at the interval and came out notably fired up. They got their reward when former Hearts man Derek Holmes headed the equaliser two minutes into the second half.
Thistle soon regained the lead when Namibian international Quinton Jacobs scored direct from a corner kick in the 53rd minute.
Matters got worse when Derek ferguson was sent off in the 72nd minute for his second bookable offence and with his departure went any remaining hope that County had of salvaging at least a point. Lindau scored his second goal late in the game with a precision chip and seal a well-earned victory for Partick.
Ross County: Hamilton; Duthie (Finlayson, 57), Maxwell, Irvine, Cormack, Tully, S Ferguson, D Ferguson, McBain (Kinnaird, 46), Shaw and Holmes. Unused Sub: Gilbert.
ROSS COUNTY 1; Partick Thistle 3 |
Partick Thistle carried out a classic spoiling act at Victoria Park, refusing to succumb to Ross County's promotion aspirations before the biggest home crowd of the season.
With County out to clinch their rise to Division One, the match presented the Maryhill men with a potential double disappointment. Had they lost, their own promotion hopes would have crumbled, just as County's celebrations were beginning in front of their eyes.
That was a clear scenarion John Lambie's side were loathe to contemplate and they used the extra fire in their bellies with purpose and determination.
The outcome was a not entirely surprising anti-climax for County fans who had packed themselves into the ground in the hope of watching a party unfold and one frequently witnessed at all levels in football in similar circumstances.
For County manager Neale Cooper, who had played down talk of winning promotion all week, victory against Partick had always loked far more than a formality - and so it proved.
Despite a dominant first half, his men fell behind against the run of play in the 27th minute, while their disjointed second half efforts hinted at faltering belief against Partick's earthy and solid battlers.
First to press was George Shaw in the fourth minute who struck a long-range left-foot drive just past the post.
Albert Craig then had to stretch to make a timely headed defensive clearance from a Shaw cross with Paul Kinnaird and Derek Holmes prowling at the far post.
County skipper Brian Irvine fired wildly over the bar as the ball broke from a Shaw corner in the 13th minute and then, a minute later, ex-Ranger Derek Ferguson flashed a volley inches over the cross bar as an Irvine header was cleared.
In the 16th minute, Craig Taggart drew a good diving save from Badinaukas, but four minutes later the visitors' 'keeper suffered a leg injury and County lost their rhythm. Albert Craig took over in goal but this temporary replacement lasted only six minutes.
Partick's first scent of goal came in the 27th minute and this resulted in them opening the scoring when Martin hardie netted with a snap shop from nearly thirty yards out.
County fought back before the end of the first half, but could not equalise despite an Irvine effort being cleared off the line and a Paul Kinnaird free kick being touched over the bar.
Partick stunned County after the re-start when Derek McWilliams sprinted clear to net with ease in the 48th minute.
County's hopes of a revival were all but killed off in the 73rd minute when a perfect Albert Craig cross from the right was met by Hardie to make it three nil.
Irvine drove the ball home as it broke from a Taggart cross in the 82nd minute, but it was too little, too late for Neale Cooper's men.
Ross County: Hamilton; McGlashan, Duthie (Fraser, 56), Maxwell, Irvine, S McKay, Shaw, D Ferguson, Holmes (Geraghty, 76), Taggart and Kinnaird (Bone, 56).
Return to Lorsports' Home Page