Partick Thistle 2 Dunfermline 4
Saturday, 10th Jul 2021Premier Sports Cup: Brian Graham (16) 1-0: Nikolay Todorov (30) 1-1: Aaron Comrie (35) 1-2: Kyle Macdonald (43) 1-3: Nikolay Todorov (53) 1-4: Zak Rudden (65) 2-4:
Dunfermline opened their Premier Sports Cup campaign at Firhill hoping to have another successful season in this competition. Last season they went out at the quarter final stage, losing 5-4 on penalties to eventual winners St Johnstone. The Pars had won 11 of their last 12 group stage matches in this competition and were hoping to kick off by winning three points in the first competitive match of the Peter Grant managerial era.
Six players who started the play off match at Stark’s Park in May started this match. Into the side came Deniz Mehmet, Ross Graham, Kyle Macdonald, Nikolay Todorov and Paul Allan. That meant keeper Owain Fôn Williams was on the bench alongside Vytas Gašpuitis, Miller Fenton, Matty Todd and new signing Dan Pybus.
It was Dom Thomas who led the Fifers out from the old entrance at the centre of the South Stand. He was welcomed on to the park by fans! It was for the first time fans, albeit all home fans, had attended a competitive match since March 2020 when these two teams last met in the Championship.
First showing came from the home side in third minute when Richard Foster evaded Josh Edwards attentions to cross. Thistle captain Ross Docherty blasted the chance over the crossbar from eight yards. The Dunfermline response was a good break by Kevin O’Hara but his ball into the box from the left met with no takers.
Mehmet was called upon to make a double save in sixth minute when Thistle threatened again. The home side continued to push and in 13th minute a poor pass by the Pars keeper allowed Tiffoney to win possession on the edge of the box and when he fed Brian Graham the Pars stopper pulled off a great save to make up for his mistake.
Three minutes later a Kyle Turner pass set up GRAHAM on the right side and he cooly found the far side of net to put the Jags ahead. 1-0
Murray provided another good opportunity his cross ball headed wide left and then in 22 minutes when Dunfermline could not clear properly from a Murray cross, Turner was able to crash a shot on to the crossbar from 20 yards out.
In 24 minutes Macdonald retrieved an Edwards cross that Todorov had failed to connect with but his shot at an angle was deflected out for a Pars corner on the left. When Allan delivered O’Hara may have been taken by surprise as the ball travelled to him at the far post and he could not direct the ball towards the net.
Five minutes later another shot was rocketed wide of the Pars goal by Tam O’Ware but on the half hour Nikolay Todorov latched on to an O’Hara pass to slot the ball home at the left goalpost and it was all level. A good finish made it 1-1.
A 33rd minute Allan free kick from the left was held by Jamie Sneddon and his clearance sent Tiffoney away and he forced a corner that Mehmet held. Two minutes later the Fifers shocked the 665 Thistle fans into silence as Aaron COMRIE met a Thomas free kick from the right, to head his side into the lead. 1-2
Before half time Foster made Mehmet pull off a fine save and in the follow up Docherty headed the returned ball over the crossbar. Then there was still time for another Dunfermline goal. Fantastic turn of pace from Edwards outstripped Foster, the chance looked gone as Todorov didn’t get a touch on the cross but Kyle MACDONALD was on hand to thrash home his first ever Dunfermline goal. It was cleared but Referee Bobby Madden was in no doubt and the goal was given with little protest. 1-3
Half time: Partick Thistle 1 Dunfermline 3
After two minutes of the second half there were half hearted cries for hand ball in the penalty box when Graham’s shot might have hit Comrie’s arm but no whistle. Thistle did start the better after the break and a couple of balls went narrowly wide of the left goalpost.
Dunfermline then struck again when a ball over the top TODOROV was sent through one on one against Sneddon. A controlled finish chipping the keeper from 18 yards out made it 1-4.
Zak Rudden came on for Thistle replacing Scott Tiffoney in 53 minutes and the sub immediately provided fodder for Brian Graham with a cross from the right but Mehmet was down to hold at his near post.
RUDDEN was to make his impact felt however as he headed home a Murray cross in 65 minutes. The ball from the left being squeezed in at the near post. 2-4
Dan Pybus was introduced in place of Nikolay Todorov with just under 20 minutes left to play. Comrie kept out an effort by sub Ross MacIver as he attacked a Murray cross from the right. In 81 minutes Pybus and O’Hara worked the ball in from the left for Craig Wighton and his effort from the edge of the six yard box was blocked.
Paul Watson was subbed by Vytas Gašpuitis for the final five minutes and Matty Todd for Craig Wighton in 89 minutes. Dunfermline saw the match out and it was to be the Pars first League Cup tie win at Firhill since 1966.
It’s 50 years since Partick Thistle famously lifted the League Cup but despite their warm up tops all branded 71 on their backs, the Jags fans were not yet singing anything about it “Coming Home”.
PARTICK THISTLE: Jamie Sneddon: Richard Foster (Ciaran McKenna 82), Tam O’Ware, Steven Bell, Kevin Holt: Scott Tiffoney (Zak Rudden 57), Kyle Turner, Stuart Bannigan (Ross MacIver 74), Brian Graham, Connor Murray, Ross Docherty (c).SUBS NOT USED: Harry Stone, Gospel Ocholi
SCORERS: Graham (16), Rudden (65)
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson (Vytas Gašpuitis 85), Ross Graham: Kyle Macdonald, Paul Allan, Dom Thomas (c), Josh Edwards: Kevin O’Hara, Craig Wighton (Matty Todd 89), Nikolay Todorov (Dan Pybus 71).
SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Owain Fôn Williams (GK)
SCORERS: Todorov (30, 53), Comrie (35), Macdonald (43)
REFEREE: Bobby Madden
WEATHER: Overcast 21°C
ATTENDANCE 665
NEXT MATCH: Premier Sports Cup; (away) v St Mirren, Tuesday 13th July 2021, kick off 7.45pm at SMiSA Stadium.
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Partick Thistle 2-4 Dunfermline
Sat, 10th Jul 2021
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Preview Partick Thistle
Saturday, 10th Jul 2021Premier Sports Cup: Firhill Stadium kick off 3.00pm, Saturday 10th July 2021
Admission to Saturday`s match against Partick Thistle will be for home supporters only. A stream will be available for Dunfermline fans costing £12.
The Euros will not have been completed but competitive football returns to Scotland as the Premier Sports Cup kicks off on Friday and Saturday. Dunfermline were drawn in Group H and their first two games are away from home. First up on Saturday is a trip to the Firhill Stadium to face Ian McCall’s Partick Thistle, proud winners of the trophy in 1971.
Partick won the League One title last season and regained their Scottish Championship status so this will be the first of a minimum of five games against them this season.
Milestones Partick (away)
Last Victory | 21/09/19 | 3-0 | Championship
Last Defeat | 08/12/18 | 0-2 | Championship
Best Victory | 20/04/66 | 6-2 | Div One*
Worst Defeat | 10/11/34 | 1-7 | Div One*
Last Goalless Draw | 01/04/89 | 0-0 | Div One
First Meeting | 23/10/26 | 1-5 | Div One*
*Pre league reconstruction
In the previous 109 meetings between the clubs Dunfermline have won 50, Partick 30 and 29 have been drawn but at Firhill the home side has the edge with 20 wins to 19.
In the League Cup this will be the first meeting since September 2004 when the Pars won 3-1 at home but this will be the first tie in Maryhill since August 1967 when the home side won 3-2.
League Cup Record v Partick Thistle
Total Won Drawn Lost Scored Conceded
Home 5 4 1 0 15 6
Away 3 1 1 1 5 3
Total. 8 5 2 1 20 9
Last Time at Firhill
Partick Thistle 1 Dunfermline 1
Tuesday 10th March 2020, Scottish Championship
This was the last match both teams played before the Covid lockdown. Thistle were battling to avoid relegation and were jubilant when referee Steven Kirkland awarded a 19th minute penalty. Jon Afolabi defended a Thistle corner but in his efforts to clear brought down James Penrice. Captain Stuart Bannigan approached the spot kick from an angle on right, sent the shot right and Owain Fôn Williams stretched to his left to save.
It had been one sided for the first 45 minutes and the Fifers were fortunate to go in all square at half time considering the amount of pressure from Thistle and the penalty saved by Fôn Williams.
As the match entered its final quarter, Afolabi was sent up the left by Turner but he just could find anyone with a cross except Penrice whose header just cleared the bar. Thomas’s 72nd minute corner from the left was a daisycutter and MURRAY met it brilliantly to melt the ball home. 0-1
To go ahead and then hold out would have been a bit smash and grab but would we have complained?
In the fourth minute of added time Brian GRAHAM rose to head in the late late equaliser with Fôn Williams complaining bitterly that he had been fouled and that the goalscorer had been offside when the cross came in that led to the equaliser. 1-1.
Thistle put in a huge performance and probably deserved something from it but definitely not in the manner they did.
PARTICK THISTLE: Scott Fox: Lewis Mayo, Tom O’Ware, Darren Brownlie, James Penrice (Dario Zanatta 73): Reece Cole, Stuart Bannigan, Tommy Robson, Shea Gordon, Zak Rudden, Brian Graham.
SUBS NOT USED: Jamie Barjonas, Lewis Mansell, Darian MacKinnon, Steven Saunders, Lee O’Connor, Jamie Sneddon (GK)
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Lewis Martin, Danny Devine, Euan Murray: Dom Thomas, Paul Paton (c), Kyle Turner (Joe Thomson 72), Ethan Ross (Josh Edwards HT): Gabby McGill (Tom Beadling HT), Jonathan Afolabi
SUBS NOT USED: Matthew Todd, Lewis McCann, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)
Last Six Matches
Thistle scored thirteen goals in their last four home matches without conceding a single goal. They lost only one match at home last season (0-1 v Peterhead).
Dunfermline’s two wins in April that secured their play off place came after a run of seven matches without a win. The new manager Peter Grant will want to see his team get off to a good start and with several players likely to make their competitive debuts for the club, they too be wanting to impress.
DUNFERMLINE
Raith Rovers (A) 0-2
Raith Rovers (H) D 0-0
Alloa Athletic (A) L 0-1
Arbroath (H) W 4-3
Queen of the South (H) W 3-1
Dundee ( H) D 0-0
PARTICK THISTLE
Montrose (A) L 2-3
Falkirk (H) W 5-0
Cove Rangers (A) D 2-2
Airdrieonians (H) W 1-0
Dumbarton (A) W 2-0
Montrose (H) W 5-0
Last Season
DUNFERMLINE
Scottish Championship
League Position: 4th
League Points: 39
Goal Difference: +4
Away League Record: P13 W1 D6 L6 GF14 GA21
Last Six Match Form: DWWLDL
PARTICK THISTLE
League One
League Position: 1st
League Points: 40
Goal Difference: +22
Home League Record: P13 W6 D4 L1 GF18 GA11
Last Six Match Form: WWWDWL
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Raith Rovers): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c)(Fraser Murray 85), Josh Edwards: Dom Thomas, Steven Whittaker, Lewis Mayo (Scott Banks 70), Ewan Henderson: Kevin O’Hara, Craig Wighton (Declan McManus 70).
SUBS NOT USED: Kerr McInroy, Kyle Macdonald, Vytas Gašpuitis, Cammy Gill (GK)
PARTICK THISTLE (v Montrose): Kieran Wright: Richard Foster, Ryan Williamson, Ciaran McKenna, Mouhamed Niamh, Charlie Reilly (Zak Rudden 65), James Penrice, Ross Maciver (Billy Owens 77), Shea Gordon (Scott Tiffoney 77), Joe Cardle (Connor Murray 77), Blair Lyons (James Lyon 45)
SUBS NOT USED: Andy Rodden, Mason McCready, Gospel Ocholi, Jamie Sneddon (GK).
Ryan Williamson has since left Thistle and gone to Falkirk while Joe Cardle signs for Kelty Hearts but there are still two former Pars at Thistle who could play against their old club in the shape of Steven Bell and Kyle Turner.
Referee for this opening group match of the Premier Sports Cup will be Bobby Madden.
Other Group H match
Dumbarton v St Mirren
10/03/20: Partick 1 Dunfermline 1
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