I wasn't there. We've won two away games this season, and thanks to the way the fixtures work I've missed them both. Had the Raith game been two weeks later I'd have gone as I'd have been back at Uni. Had the Partick game not come in the middle of a group of away games I'd have been there no bother as well. As it was I ended up at another Thistle game. Bathgate Thistle.
Things didn't look good. Whilst Bathgate ran out easy winners, thus meaning no penalties and I could be back in Edinburgh for full time (cheers lads!) ex Thistle player Barry Elliot scored a hat trick. Was this an omen? Would a Partick player score a hat trick against Saints? Would they rack up five as Bathgate had done? Fortunately I needn't have worried.
By this point you may be wondering how I've managed to do a match report (or an attempt at one) without being at the game. Got to love Scotsport First haven't you? It may have duff cameras, half the action may be cut, but it can't come round quick enough when you're team has won. Partivk v Saints was game of the day. Even better!
From the highlights it looked like we dominated the game. Thistle had two chances, hitting the post in the first half and Armand One heading over when it looked easier to score. Apart from that, it was all Saints, although it remained goal less at half time.
Gus MacPherson had finally made some changes to the starting lineup, though not the ones I'd have made before the game. Ricky Gillies was correctly dropped, but so was John O'Neill. Mark Crilly and Allan Russell both came in for their first league starts of the season.
So, 0-0 at half time, but things got more interesting in the second half. I must admit I was surprised to see Kirk Broadfoot playing after the week he's had, but from the team's point of view it was the right thing to do. A typical surging run forward saw Jamie Mitchell (who scored a hat trick for me in Football Manager yesterday) bring him down in the box. Penalty. No question.
Thank christ I wasn't there, or listening to the game live. Nearly three years ago, Steven McGarry missed a penalty at Firhill which finished any slight chance of winning the league, as Partick grabbed a late winner. The penalty was at the same end, and I'm sure I wouldn't have been the only one thinking of that. However, in Ruud van Nistelrooy style, Brian McGinty (who was suspended from that game thre eyears ago) put the penalty away to delight the massive Saints travelling support. Note to any directors: that stand of partick's doesnt look too bad, can we get one like that at our new ground please?
1-0 Saints, and as I don't have the goal times in front of me, and I wasn't there, it was only a few minutes (on Scotsport) before it was 2-0. Allan Russell had already missed a free header, but he was on the right place as Andy Millen's free kick was knocked down by Broadfoot into the part time model's path. From six yards not even Graham Fenton could have missed (though he did with us) and Russell hammered it into the top corner. 2-0 Saints, and Russell could have made it three minutes later when he rounded the keeper before firing just wide. In fairness he'd given himself a tight angle, and the Partick defenders made it tighter.
It couldn't get any better, could it? It did. In the last minute Mark Reilly found himself in nosebleed terriotry, almost inside the Partick penalty box. Realising he probably shouldn't have been there, he passed to sub John O'Neill, on for Russell, and he cooly rolled it into the bottom corner of the goal. First time. From the edge of the box. Clearly no one has told John it's not nice to kick a team when they're down, as that finish was just taking the mick. Not complaining though!