Match Report
It had been some time since there was the degree of anticipation surrounding a league fixture as there was for this fixture with Dundee. With St Johnstone defeating Airdrie United the gap between Thistle and the top of the league had increased once more to four points. The objective then for this match was simple - close the gap back to just a solitary point.
To try and achieve that manager Ian McCall had the rare luxury of naming an unchanged starting eleven.
The game's first half chance came Thistle's way. Stephen McKeown was fouled some 25 yards from goal and although Harkins' free kick was poorly struck the ball very nearly fell into the path of Kris Doolan but Dundee were able to scramble the ball away.
In the 6th minute Paul Paton tried his luck with a low shot from 20 yards but Douglas was right behind the ball and was able to complete a fairly routine save.
A further half chance came Thistle's way in the 10th minute. The ball dropping at the feet of Gary Harkins at the edge of the Dundee box but the Thistle midfielder was unable to make proper contact with the ball with the result that his shot went over the bar. The reaction from Harkins suggesting that he felt that he could have done a little better.
Thistle had made the better start but Dundee showed that they were in the mood to win this game in the 14th minute. A period of sustained pressure finished with Shinnie drilling a powerful shot wide of Tuffey's left hand post.
18 minutes in and the game very nearly had its' first goal. Kris Doolan did well to get the ball from under his feet at the edge of the Dundee box with Douglas having to dive full length to tip his shot round the post for a corner kick.
In the 32nd minute Stephen McKeown was set up by Marc Twaddle but with a number of Thistle players waiting for McKeown's centre his cross was straight at Douglas.
In the 37th minute Dundee took the lead. Colin McMenamin found himself with just Tuffey to beat and he trundled the ball under the Thistle keeper to put his side 1-0 up.
Thistle's sole response before the half-time whistle had appeared to be a Stephen McKeown shot that drifted over the bat after some neat play from Gary Harkins but there was still time for a Gary Harkins free kick from 30 yards to drift wide, Harkins nit quite managing to put enough curl on the ball.
Thistle's first chance of the second half came in the 7th minute of the half when a Lucas Akins header from a Paul Paton went wide of goal.
That corner proved to be Paton's last involvement in the game as a short time later he was substituted by Kevin McKinlay.
A second Dundee goal may well have dealt a fatal blow to Thistle's hopes in this game and there was relief that Antoine-Curier was off target after McMenamin had knocked the ball across goal.
Thistle were struggling at this point and Eric Paton was able to get his head to a corner but was unable to direct his header goalwards.
Thistle made their second change of the afternoon in the 63rd minute with Scott Chaplain replacing Lucas Akins.
Thistle were making little impression at this stage and indeed it were Dundee that came closest to scoring again in the 69th minute when Jonny Tuffey did well to push out a Efrem shot. McMenamin was unable to knock home the rebound but the flag had been raised for offside anyway.
With 20 minutes remaining Thistle replaced David Rowson with Willie Kinniburgh.
In the 73rd minute Thistle had a rare shot at a goal but McKeown's effort after turning well inside the box was always on the high side and Douglas wasn't required to make a save.
Thistle hadn't looked like scoring but with 9 minutes remaining were able to conjure up an equaliser. Simon Storey did the spade work delivering a cross to the back post where Kevin McKinlay's downward header was able to beat Robert Douglas.
There was little doubt that Thistle were know in search of all three points and in pushing men forward left themselves exposed at the back and Andrew Shinnie was nearly able to take advantage of that only to shoot straight at Tuffey.
At the other end Kris Doolan flashed a shot over the bar. It was certainly making for a stirring end to the game with both teams pushing men forward in search of a winner.
Eric Paton came close to scoring that winning goal with a free kick from 20 yards that dipped just a fraction too late.
Despite the best efforts of both teams there was to be no winning goal with the real winners from this result league leaders St Johnstone.
