partickthedog

Alternative ending to a previous match report St Johnstone v Partick Thistle 29/10/2016 "After an even second half in which both teams looked equally likely to score or concede, with the game already deep into added time, Chris Erskine played the ball forward to David Amoo at the left corner of the St Johnstone penalty box. Mindful that St Johnstone were an established top 6 team who had already defeated Thistle 2-0 earlier in the season, Amoo intelligently ran the ball to the corner flag and to the resounding cheers of the Thistle fans in the adjacent stand held possession and fought off the attentions of two St Johnstone players until the referee blew for full time and a valuable point for Thistle. The away fans setting off on the journey home, and those anxiously watching and waiting by their keyboards, were unanimous in their praise of manager Alan Archibald and his team's common sense and game management." And the Thistle office staff were looking for a good action photograph to fill a space in the Jackie Husband Stand. 2 points in the bag. The dice rolled twice. St Johnstone-1 point converted into 3 Rangers-1 point converted into 0 Overall score Ambition 3 Fear 2 Inspiring New Photo on JHS Wall 1 I'll take that.

Excellent, thank you.

Not quite understanding the criticism of Gordon's late throw in. It was 1-1 in an even game. Why should we not try to win? Keeping the ball at the corner flag seems like the lack of ambition that the same critics are alleging!

Christie playing well and should never have been booked. Much depends on whether we can keep the energy levels going and.how much Azeez, Edwards and Lawless add when they come on.

Archie read half my post!

Any word of a calendar signing evening? That was a really good and well-organised event last year. The players even sat in month order!

I have come up with the following team for the game tomorrow and will be interested in others' thoughts. The general theme is that this is a game to be played with pace and on the front foot Goalkeeper CERNY if fit. If not then STUCKMANN. Three at the back GORDON-Maybe a surprise, but I think that by now he will have learned his lesson that he is not better than his colleagues and cannot walk into the team. My choice at right wingback (see below) needs a solid and intelligent defender behind him. Gordon with Hamilton has good experience of scrapping against Celtic and other strong teams. Devine to the bench this time. BARTON-Cool head, carry the ball forward and ping some passes. LINDSAY-Goal machine and maturing all the time! Wingbacks AMOO-Another surprise perhaps. Elliot has done well and was especially effective against Dundee. However, this is not so much a game where a powerful and determined individual has to match up against similar types from other teams. Speed and skill will be at a premium here and Amoo's ability to eliminate players (as shown v St Johnstone) with wing trickery may unlock the Rangers defence. Once he gets past the likes of Wallace or Tavernier they may not be able to catch him. While not a crunching tackler he does cover back well. He also knows the route to goal and I fancy him to nick one tomorrow. BOOTH-Getting back to his best and must have the courage to drive on and shoot. Midfield OSMAN-Hold and cover everything and generally keep their midfield under lock and key. EDWARDS-Poor game last week, but I am sure he will bounce back. May be a little more defensive than his favoured role, but I do not want him solely as a second holding midfielder. We need his energy all over the pitch, just being combative and in their faces, getting on the ball as much as possible and driving forward in Banniganesque fashion. Welsh has done well recently and is unlucky to lose his place, but I see him as a good option from the bench this particular week. I would be worried that Rangers have some nimble midfield and forward players who could steal the ball off him, if he were to delay even for a split second. ERSKINE (behind the front 2)-Did not get into the game at Motherwell, but he is our most accomplished performer and we need him to be on the pitch. Back to the goal did not suit him and we want to see him running forwards with the ball, creating fear in defenders as neither he nor they know which way he is going to go. Time for a special solo goal, preferably with a dinked finish. Give his all and then let Lawless on to finish the job. Stevie looked revitalised last week and could cause some late excitement. Forwards AZEEZ Will put himself about and win and hold up ball. Hopefully the management team have found the secret of coaching composure at the vital moment. Would love to see him score at Firhill tomorrow. DOOLAN Maybe should be doing a little more to impose himself on a game, but in the end he is there to score goals and we know that given the chance he will do so, PREDICTION-PARTICK THISTLE 3 (Azeez, Amoo, Erskine) SEVCO 0, but would settle for 1-0, 2-1 or any other winning combination.

Not quite sure what a Notherwell player has to do to be booked. Dreadful refereeing performance by the chosen official although Scott MacDonald is certainly running the game and making al the decisions as auxiliary referee and has changed the rules to exempt himself from punishment.

The transport nightmare was a dog that did not bark. Arrived and parked already!

Has any thought been given to a supporters' helicopter?

I would do a Christie Elliott and avoid the congested Raith (Rovers) midfield by taking a long run down the right wing over the Kingston Bridge/M8 to the M77 past Newton Mearns, then left on the A725 to East Kilbride through Stewartfield, on to the road towards Blantyre, turning right as though going to Hamilton's ground but carrying on round the ring road to come out at the other end of the Town Centre and ducking under the M74 to join the familiar road to Motherwell at the south end of Strathclyde Park. No doubt will be the odd queue at traffic lights etc, but would not have thought that it would block up totally.

Totally agree that SOD and Forbes goals more likely to win a goal of the season contest divorced from the competitive context of the goal in question. But for me in the North Stand directly in line with Conrad's header that had to be the best goal in terms of the most vital and most celebrated at the time. We had made a lightning start and looked really up for it. Then as you rightly mention, we lost that horribly soft and messy own goal. That could so easily have sucked all the wind from the sails. So when Conrad met the ball from the corner with the meat of his forehead and powered it into the roof of the net, it was a dominating statement of intent with transformative psychological effect (please forgive the hyperbole!). Dunfermline never recovered form that blow. The Thistle team and support were encouraged and spurred on and (apart from some temporary trouble with away games and Morton!) never looked back. So Conrad's goal is still my favourite memory of the game, although I can understand why others would think differently. We are somewhat spoiled for choice as regards that particular game.

One of my daughters played hockey against a team from Northern Ireland. The match was held in Banbridge which was where Jonny Tuffey's parents lived at that time.

Ross County was pre bottom 6 Killie first game of bottom 6, therefore later.

To be fair on him, John Hughes always gave appropriate credit to the opposing team. Tommy Wright is the total opposite.

Read and signed.

Maybe we need to sign another Barton? Just not that one.

As there has been a fair amount of humble pie eating, let me scoff a large slice as regards Sean Welsh. I was happy to see him relegated to the bench a few weeks ago and expected him to remain there. He had a great game on Wednesday (second only to Christie Elliott in my reckoning), but today he was the absolute standout, so much more positive, covering large areas of the pitch, putting in tackles and initiating moves. Look back at our winning goal and you will see that everything starts from Sean's brilliant flicked header. Will now be delighted to see his name on the team sheet. Quite a recovery from his injury blighted seasons.

I think we saw from today that Erskine and Amoo can form an effective front two and pose the defence some slightly different problems from Azeez and Doolan.

Look behind the players and you see the well placed word "UNITY" !!

Christie was my man of the match too last night. One advantage he has over many "traditional defenders" is that he has the confidence to use his pace and strength to muscle past an opponent and therefore that player is eliminated from the game as Christie bursts forward.

As the long corners by Welsh were not working, why did we not try a different corner taker or vary things with a short corner? Last week we scored from the second ball after a corner. OK it was not a short corner, but the break in the play enabled Liam to lose his marker in a manner that would have been more difficult to achieve when the defence was set up for the first ball.

I previously though that under 20 related to the age of the players in the team but now I realise that it refers to the number of seconds within which they score the first goal.

Thanks TJR. Much appreciated. If playing 3 Es brings you a 2-0 win over Rangers, surely it is worth considering. All we have to do is replace one of our fullbacks with Elliot and at one stroke we have our three Es and a majority of surnames commencing with a vowel. It has to work!