Match Report
With Thistle's promotion hopes hanging by a thread manager Ian McCall made three changes to his side to face an inform Morton at Cappielow. Ian Maxwell, Scott Chaplain and Lucas Akins all earning starting berths at the expense of Simon Storey, Simon Donnelly and Kevin McKinlay.
Conditions were for this match, a slight breeze aside, were near perfect. A bright sunny day providing a colourful backdrop to a match between the teams sitting second and third in the league. Morton kicking the match off on a near immaculate Cappielow surface.
The game's first half chance came Thistle's way in the 3rd minute. Kris Doolan managing to get on the end of an Ian Maxwell flick but he was unable to keep his header down.
Thistle were looking slightly the better of the two teams in the opening exchanges and after 12 minutes Cuthbert was called into making his first direct save when he was well placed to save a Scott Chaplain shot from the corner of the penalty box.
At the other end a Steve Masterton free kick that flew across the Thistle box caused a degree of anxiety before Maxwell was able to clear.
Masterton has often posed a threat to Thistle from set pieces and in the 16th minute a neatly placed free kick from that player 35 yards from goal was glanced wide of the Thistle goal by the head of Peter Weatherson.
In the 19th minute Thistle took the lead. Cuthbert was only to palm out an Ian Maxwell long throw and when the ball was returned into the box Lucas Akins was on hand to steer the ball home from about 8 yards out and score his first Thistle goal.
It could have got even better for Thistle 5 minutes later. A Paul Paton corner was only cleared as far as Alan Archibald and although Archibald miscued his shot it fell into the path of Kris Doolan who was off balance and unable to direct the ball towards goal.
It was all Thistle at this point and Marc Twaddle was able to get a free header at another Paton corner but saw the ball slip the wrong side of the post.
Morton hadn't been much of a threat but when Brian Wake gathered the ball in space inside the Thistle box after Tuffey had looked to have been fouled Thistle were happy to snuff out the danger and keep their goal intact.
In the 28th minute Morton were a whisker away from equalising. A 35 yard free kick from the ever dangerous Masterton had looked to have been heading wide but it struck instead the inside of the post before bouncing across the face of the goal where there was no Morton boot to apply a finish.
Have survived that scare Thistle came close to scoring a second goal in their next attack. Scott Chaplain was able to hook the ball into the box for Kris Doolan who probably felt that he should have done better than head wide of goal.
Thistle had merited their lead when Akins scored but in the period immediately prior to and after Doolan's miss in the 29th minute it was the home side that were firmly in the ascendancy and with Tuffey looking a little uncertain Masterton's set plays were becoming increasingly dangerous.
If Tuffey had been looking uncertain there was no questioning his bravery when he saved at the feet of Peter Weatherson in the 37th minute.
A one goal lead was looking a precarious advantage at this point but Marc Twaddle's attempt of doubling that lead with a long range free kick came under the heading of ambitious.
Despite plenty of Morton pressure as half-time neared Thistle were able to go into the dressing room at half-time still holding the slender advantage that Akins' goal had provided.
After having been forced to defend for much of the second portion of the first 45 minutes Thistle started the second half on the attack with Marc Twaddle winning a corner inside the first minute. When that corner was only partially cleared to David Rowson Cuthbert did well to get down save near his left hand post.
Lucas A kins too came close to scoring. Collecting a pass from Scott Chaplain Akins resisted the opportunity to shoot first time choosing instead to steady himself but was denied by a fine stop by Kevin Cuthbert.
It would be wrong to suggest that Thistle were dominating at this point as Morton, as they had done in the latter stages of the first half having Thistle under not inconsiderable pressure at times. Three Masteron corners in quick succession raising anxiety levels.
It was Brian Wake though that came close to an equaliser in the 53rd minute. After turning sharply inside the box, at a time when Thistle were temporarily down to ten with Marc Twaddle off injured, Wake sent a shot wide of goal.
Morton were close again in the 55th minute when Tuffey did well to get down and keep out a Peter Weatherson header.
Thistle made their first change in the 57th minute with Simon Donnelly coming on for Kris Doolan.
There was no immediate respite from Morton pressure though with Weatherson sending a powerful shot over the bar after turning at the edge of the Thistle box.
A quickly taken Paul Paton free kick found Simon Donnelly inside the Morton box in the 62nd minute and his shot that went across the Morton goal wasn't too far away from providing Thistle with the relative cushion of a second goal.
A Masterton corner that struck the top of the bar had Thistle hearts in mouths. As they were seconds later when Brian Wake just failed to direct a Finlayson shot towards goal.
Lucas Akins could have dramatically reduced the tension in the 69th minute. A Simon Donnelly assist left Akins with just Cuthbert to beat but Akins got his attempted chip all wrong with the ball drifting harmlessly over the bar.
In the 76th minute Peter Weatherson was able to gather a Stewart Greacen cross field pass but his finish let him down with the ball clearing Jonny Tuffey's crossbar with some comfort.
As he had been in the 69th minute Lucas Akins was again wasteful in the 80th minute. Simon Donnelly was once more the provider and again Akins was too high with this shot when left with Cuthbert. In fairness to the Thistle striker this was, however, a much harder chance to take.
It did prove to be his last involvement in the game as before the game could be restarted Ian McCall made his second change of the game with Kevin McKinlay coming on in place of Akins.
With time running out Morton continued to throw bodies forward and with 3 minutes remaining Tuffey was happy to clutch hold of a Weatherson header after neat play from Morton sub Iain Russell.
That wasn't to be Morton's last chance either. The game was in injury time when Tuffey was able to make a routine save from a James Grady shot that had lacked any real menace in any case.
