Match Report
The Thistle support made the trip up to McDiarmid Park for this eagerly anticipated fixture in large numbers. A banner at the front of the away end unfurled with the simple message "We Believe" providing an indication of the level of confidence that Thistle support had travelled to Perth with.
With the reward for a Thistle victory a position level on points with league leaders St Johnstone manager Ian McCall had almost a full squad to select from. The only injury absentee being Liam Buchanan. There was, therefore, a more than familiar look to the Thistle side.
If there were any nerves in the Thistle camp at the start of the game they weren't apparent. Indeed if was the home side that looked a little nervy with Gary Irvine conceding a needless corner in the game's opening minutes.
There was promise too in the 4th minute when Gary Harkins was hauled to the ground at the edge of the box. Harkins though was wasteful when he took the free kick that followed himself.
Thistle had settled the better of the two teams but St Johnstone came close to taking a 13th minute lead. A Liam Craig free kick on the St Johnstone left went all the way to Stuart McCaffrey whose shot only just flew wide of Tuffey's right hand post.
As St Johnstone began to enjoy some profitable looking possession Alan Archibald picked up the game's first booking for handball some 20 yards from goal with Martin Hardie's swerving shot from the subsequent free kick causing Jonny Tuffey a brief anxious moment before he clutched hold of the ball.
Perseverance from Lucas Akins in the 21st minute very need created an opening for Thistle as the frantic pace of the game continued.
Thistle threatened again moments later with St Johnstone happy to clear a dangerous looking Stephen McKeown cross away from their own six yard box.
The pace of Collin Samuel posed Thistle problems as St Johnstone broke quickly in the 25th minute with a promising move finishing with Martin Hardie lashing a shot wide of goal.
St Johnstone were well on top at this stage but some good play from Kris Doolan who knocked the ball through to Lucas Akins wide on the right provided Thistle with some respite from defending but Akins failed to notice David Rowson in a good position at the edge of the box.
When that Thistle move broke down St Johnstone broke swiftly with Alan Archibald forced to concede a corner. From that corner Samuel was able to get his head to the ball but from almost right under the Thistle crossbar couldn't keep his header down.
The sense was at this point that Thistle wouldn't be unhappy to get in at the break still level and they managed to do just that thanks to a resolute defensive performance.
The second half started much the same way that the first had finished and in the opening minute of the half it took a timely intervention from Simon Storey to deny Samuel a scoring opportunity.
Just three minutes into the second half Ian McCall was prompted into making his first change with Scott Chaplain coming on in place of an injured Stephen McKeown.
The Thistle fans were on their feet in the 52nd minute when Paul Paton was able to break down the right flank but his cross field ball to Kris Doolan was a difficult one for the Thistle striker to control with the result that his shot always looked like drifting away from goal.
Gary Harkins too was off target in the 55th minute after St Johnstone hadn't quite managed to clear a Paul Paton free kick.
Heart was taken from these scirmishes in and around the St Johnstone goal and Paul Paton, becoming increasingly prominent down the right hand side, was very nearly able to create an opening for the tireless Kris Doolan.
In the 65th minute St Johnstone took, in what was always going to be a tight game, an important lead. Steven Milne found himself with time and space in the bo x for just about the first time all afternoon and he knocked a low shot past Tuffey and into the corner of the net.
In the 70th minute with the need of a goal obvious Marc Twaddle took matters into his own hands and he was a little unfortunate to see a powerful drive from 25 yards go the wrong side of the post.
Before the action could recommence after that chance Thistle made a second change with Simon Donnelly replacing Lucas Akins.
With 12 minutes left Thistle came close to an equalising goal. A Paul Paton free kick was headed back across goal to Simon Donnelly who from the edge of the six yard box knocked his shot wide of goal though whether the goal would have counted, the far side assistant referee's flag quickly being raised.
With 7 minutes of the game remaining Ian McCall made his third and final change of the game replacing Kris Doolan with Kevin McKinlay.
There were just four minutes remaining when almost out of nothing Thistle scored a dramatic equaliser, an equaliser of sublime quality. Gary Harkins' power seeing him evade the challenges of the St Johnstone defender before burying a low shot across Alan Main and into the net.
The noise of the Thistle reached new levels when Marc Twaddle earned Thistle a corner. As the loose ball bounced about the box there were shouts for handball before Scott Chaplain saw his drilled shot strike a St Johnstone defender into the relative safety of another Thistle corner.
With the game in injury time Kevin McKinlay was able to latch onto a Marc Twaddle cross but although Main was able to save the flag had already gone up for offside.
While Gary Harkins' stunning equaliser was of stunning quality what will life long in the memory was the quite incredible backing proving by the Thistle support that all but filled the away stand at McDiarmid Park.
