Match Report
Thistle were left to rue missed first half chances as Brechin won this friendly match 1-0. All that a decent first half performance lacked was a Thistle goal but the second half display was disappointing.
Ryan McStay had Thistle’s first opportunity of the game but Chris McCluskey, a former Thistle keeper, was able to save his shot from distance with ease. Two minutes later trialist Simon Lynch tested McCluskey after being set up by Simon Donnelly but the Brechin keeper was again equal to the task.
Brechin proved little of a threat in the first half but they did come close to a goal after 15 minutes when a Ward header from a corner had to be scrambled off the line.
That was very much an isolated chance for Brechin as Thistle continued to dominate the first 45 minutes. Kevin McKinlay was prominent on the left hand side for Thistle and his run and cross in the 17th minute nearly produced a goal but Simon Lynch’s header slipped wide of the post.
A minute later McKinlay was heavily involved in Thistle’s next attack when his header presented Simon Lynch with a great opportunity to open the scoring. Lynch though looked to be fouled when in the act of shooting but amazingly no penalty followed as Lynch went tumbling inside the Brechin box.
Thistle continued to play nice possession football on an excellent Glebe Park surface and came close again in the 25th minute when a Donnelly shot from a Twaddle cross produced a splendid save from the Brechin keeper.
An enterprising run from Ryan McStay gave the Thistle midfielder a glimpse of goal but his shot from the edge of the box was always on the rise. Stephen McKeown sent a side foot shot over the bar on 36 minutes before the half ended with Ryan McStay sending a shot over the bar.
As is the norm in pre-season games both sides made a number of changes at the break with Thistle in particular seeming to be affected by the number of changes.
Jonny Tuffey had to be alert in the 50th minute to kept the score tied at 0-0 but he had to admit defeat 5 minutes later when Charlie King slammed home what proved to be the game’s only goal.
Thistle came closest to an equaliser in the 63rd minute. Mark Roberts was able to work himself into a promising position on the Thistle left with Gary Harkins’ first time shot from Roberts’ cross going wide of goal.
The crisp passing play that had marked Thistle’s first half performance was now missing and had it not been for a timely intervention from John Robertson to deny Smith a scoring opportunity in the 69th minute Thistle may even have fallen further behind.
At the other end only a Simon Storey shot that drifted wide of goal was all that Thistle could muster as they searched for an equaliser in the game’s latter stages.
