Partick Thistle 2 Dunfermline 1
Tuesday, 22nd Jan 2008Double from former Cowden man seals exit from Scottish Cup Fourth Round in the Maryhill mud
Dunfermline were without Darren Young, Greg Ross, Jamie Harris and Danny Murphy from the side that lost on Saturday. Jim McIntyre started himself along with Kevin Harper and Calum Woods and Stephen Glass. Thistle were unchanged from the team that thrashed table toppers Hamilton in their last outing.
Had global warming reached Firhill the pitch might have been sown with rice but Jim Hamilton kicked off this Scottish Cup tie on an extremely sticky pudding of a surface that was supposed to be a football pitch. The conditions did not deter Dunfermline putting in a promising start with Harper centering for Burchill but the ball arrived behind him and the Thistle defence were let off.
In sixth minute McIntyre laid the ball off to Scott Morrison and he turned his marker before sending in another useful cross that Tuffey had to move to collect. Next Burchill broke into the box trailed by John Robertson and Tuffey came out to block the shot. Two minutes later in the 16th Burchy had a headed effort that the keeper held.
Thistle`s first shot at goal took just over 19 minutes to come; Scott Chaplain launching the ball well over the crossbar in true Glasgow Warriors style from 30 yards. Play was soon back at the City Centre end with Burchill supplying Hamilton with an opportunity to shoot but he was wide.
McIntyre and Morrison combined well on the left as they tried to drive through the Thistle defence but Morrison`s final ball to Stephen Simmons failed to find the tall midfielder. In 33 minutes a fine pass from McIntyre to Burchill was turned into the path of Glass and it would have been a spectacular goal had his rocket of a shot from 25 yards been on target.
The home support were growing increasingly frustrated and the Fifers offside trap did not help their patience either. It proved very effective and the visitors approach to the game appeared to be very much more practical. Thistle won their first corner of the night with just three minutes to the break but Paul Gallacher was happy to rise and clutch the delivery from the left.
Hammy thumped another McIntyre lay off over the crossbar before Woods and Rowson crashed in a challenge 27 yards out. Referee Scott McDonald had no hesitation in awarding the home side the free kick. After treatment to the full back and a yellow card to make him feel all the better Gary Harkins stepped forward and converted the setpiece over the five man wall and the crossbar.
Dunfermline were by far the better team in the first half but at the break the score remained equal.
Half Time: Partick Thistle 0 Dunfermline 0
Thistle had the first attempt of the second 45 but Liam Buchanan was woefully wide from 25 yards out. When Jim McIntyre was dumped on the left 40 yards out Stephen Glass was handed another chance to pump the ball into the opposition box. He gave the ball a real whack but it dropped perfectly for Scott WILSON to head the ball into the left side of the Jags net. Only disappointment with the 49th minute goal was Mark Burchill picking up a caution for his celebration.
Four minutes later Thomson handled the ball on the edge of the box and Thistle were unlucky when Chaplain touched the ball to Harkins for a real go but the five man wall managed to deflect the ball away and Simmons put it behind for a corner as it narrowly evaded a follow up challenge from a Thistle head.
Back to the other end and a Glass corner picked out Simmons but his header was off target and cleared by the defence. The cup tie atmosphere spurred the Jags to reply and Ian McCall made a double substitution bringing on Stevie Murray and Paul Keegan. Chaplain was unlucky when Mark Roberts chested down the ball to him just eight yards out but the defence reacted quicker and the chance was lost.
Jim Hamilton`s headed attempt to clear a Murray free kick from the right caused problems as it sailed towards his own goal. Gallacher couldn`t get to it but McIntyre cleared it off the line and then there was an almighty scramble in the six yard box that eventually the Pars won.
Two minutes later however in the 68th the Jags stung. Roberts swept the ball wide to Liam BUCHANAN on the right side of the penalty box and the striker drilled the ball low past Gallacher into the far corner of the net.
Things looked a lot worse in 77th minute when Chaplain drove the ball low into the bottom right but the `goal` was chalked off for offside much to the surprise of the celebrating home support. Partick had the ball in the net minutes later at a free kick on the edge of the box but Chaplain`s drive came after the ref had already blown up for the premature advancing of the Pars wall. The second attempt from Chaplain hit the wall.
Thistle piled on the pressure and the blue shirted defence seemed to be continually heading the ball away. McIntyre was able to swing over an inviting ball for Tam McManus but his header dropped wide.
Disaster then struck as the Glasgow team scrambled a scrappy goal three minutes from time. Wilson was yellow carded in giving Thistle a free kick out on the left and then Woods failed to clear properly, Rowson had a shot that was blocked but the ball was deflected right off Morrison and BUCHANAN stuffed the ball towards the net. The spinning ball trickled over the line and Dunfermline were left to lament their missed chances as they were knocked out by Thistle for the first time in nine Scottish Cup meetings.
PARTICK THISTLE: Jonny Tuffey; Michael Robertson, Mark Twaddle, Alan Archibald, Kevin McKinlay (Paul Keegan 60), David Rowson, Simon Storey, Scott Chaplain, Liam Buchanan, Mark Roberts, Gary Harkins (Stevie Murray 60).SUBS NOT USED: Willie Kinninburgh, Ryan McStay, Craig Hinchcliffe (GK)
SCORERS: Buchanan (68, 87)
DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher; Calum Woods, Scott Wilson (c), Scott Thomson, Scott Morrison; Kevin Harper (Tam McManus 65), Stephen Simmons, Stephen Glass; Mark Burchill, Jim Hamilton.
SUBS NOT USED: Stevie Crawford, Nick Phinn, Iain Williamson, Sean Murdoch (GK)
SCORERS: Wilson (49)
YELLOW CARD: Woods (45+2), Burchill (50), Wilson (86)
REFEREE: Scott McDonald
WEATHER: Rain 10°C
ATTENDANCE 2434
NEXT MATCH: SFL (home) v Morton, Saturday 26th January 2008, kick off 3.00pm
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Preview Partick Thistle
Wednesday, 9th Jan 2008A Stephen Simmons double was enough to put Thistle out the last time the teams met in the Scottish Cup - 24th February 2007.
Partick Thistle have played Dunfermline eight times in the Scottish Cup and if they win on Saturday it will be the first time. Despite Thistle being founded in 1876 and Dunfermline nine years later in 1885 it wasn`t until 1955 that the two clubs were paired in the Scottish Cup.
That very first meeting took place at East End Park on 5th February 1955 in the Fifth Round of the competition. Most of the 10,500 fans at the match were disappointed as the Jags went two up before half time against Second Division Pars through goals from George Smith and Willie Sharp. In the second half the home side turned it around with two George Duthie penalties and goals from Felix Reilly and Colin McKinlay to go through 4-2. Not that it did Dunfermline much good because they were to lose 7-0 to Airdrie in the next round.
Eleven years would pass before the clubs were drawn together again it was in Dunfermline but this time both teams were in the top flight. Future Scotland Manager Andy Roxburgh scored for Thistle but Alex Smith, Bert Paton and Jim Fleming did likewise for the Pars in a 3-1 win.
| Thistle v Pars: The Cup Record | ||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | |
| East End Park | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 |
| Firhill | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 6 |
Next season 19,104, the biggest gate ever to watch a Thistle v Pars Scottish Cup tie, witnessed a 1-1 draw at Firhill. Billy Cunningham`s cross unfortunately led to an own goal from Roy Barry but before half time Dunfermline were back on level terms when Alex Ferguson scored. In the replay the Dunfermline attack tore Thistle apart and while their defence concentrated on stopping Fergie, Pat Delaney hit a hat-trick. Goals from Hugh Robertson and Ferguson made the tally five with one reply from Arthur Duncan.
In season 67/68 the teams were drawn against each other again, this time in the last eight and for the third time in three years Dunfermline progressed thanks to a Bert Paton strike. A semi final win over St Johnstone took the Pars to the Final where they famously won 3-1 against Hearts.
In January 1999 the then Second Division Thistle were drawn at home to SPL Dunfermline. Twice in the first half George Shaw was able to elude a challenge from Des McKeown and twice Shaw`s crosses were converted by Andy Smith. Robert Dunn raised the the Thistle hopes when he got one back from the penalty spot but Dunfermline went through to face Celtic.
Co-Managers Gerry Britton and Derek Whyte welcomed Dunfermline to Firhill on 6th March 2004 but again the Pars won through 3-0 and went on to play Celtic in the Final. Richie Byrne put the Pars ahead after just ten minutes. Further goals from, captain for the day, Barry Nicholson and a gem from Craig Brewster sealed the Fifers place in the last four.
A Stephen Simmons double was enough to put Thistle out the last time the teams met in the Cup - 24th February 2007. Again the Pars went on to reach the Cup Final and in that respect Thistle have been lucky omens.
| Recent Form | ||||||
| Partick Thistle Home | Dunfermline Away | |||||
| Clyde | D | 1-1 | Dundee | D | 0-0 | |
| Morton | D | 3-1 | Livingston | W | 2-0 | |
| Dunfermline | D | 1-1 | Morton | W | 1-0 | |
| St Johnstone | L | 0-1 | Partick Thistle | D | 1-1 | |
| Ayr United | W | 2-1 | St Johnstone | D | ||
Thistle`s last home win was in the last round of the Cup against Ayr United. Roberts and Buchanan resurrected Thistle`s Cup hopes with goals after Williams had put Ayr ahead. That was only their second home win since early September but Jim McIntyre and his players will not be fooled into false optimism by that since the memory of their own 1-1 draw at Firhill on 15th December is still fresh enough in the memory.
Dunfermline remain unbeaten since Stephen Kenny`s departure on 4th December.
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher; Calum Woods, Jamie Harris, Scott Thomson (Scott Wilson 66), Danny Murphy; Michael McGlinchey (Iain Williamson 75), Stephen Simmons, Stevie Crawford (c), Scott Morrison; Mark Burchill, Jim Hamilton (Jim McIntyre 75).
SUBS: Sean Murdoch (GK), Nick Phinn.
PARTICK THISTLE: Jonny Tuffey; Michael Robertson, Mark Twaddle, Willie Kinniburgh (Billy Gibson 81), Alan Archibald, Kevin McKinlay, David Rowson, Simon Storey (Gary Harkins 40), Ryan McStay (Liam Buchanan 70), Stevie Murray, Mark Roberts
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Hinchcliffe (GK), Stephen Connor
Referee for this match is Scott McDonald. He was the referee in the Pars 0-0 draw at McDiarmid Park earlier this season..
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