Match Report
Aiming to go second in the league Thistle's mini crisis had abated to the degree that Ian McCall was able to select the same side that defeated Livingston. Major injury doubts Willie Kinniburgh and Stephen McKeown being declared sufficiently fit to take their places in the starting eleven. Both sides made an energetic start to the game. The home side were the first to threaten and Ian Maxwell did well to put his body in the way of a well struck Steven Watt shot in the third minute. Clearly keen to make an early impression County forced Jonny Tuffey into serious action for the first time in the fifth minute with the Northern Ireland international having to tip a dangerous looking Richard Brittain cross over the bar. From the corner that followed Alex Keddie was able to steal round the back of the Thistle defence but his header lacked both power and direction and Tuffey completed an easy save. Even allowing for those early half chances for County Thistle were keeping possession well in the midfield and in the 10th minute the hopes of the travelling support were raised when a promising move involving Liam Buchanan and Simon Donnelly ended with Bullock in the County goal intercepting Buchanan's cross. In Thistle's next attack a minute later a Simon Donnelly header put Liam Buchanan clear only for the Thistle striker's run to be halted by a raised flag. In the 12th minute County came close to opening the scoring with what would have been a quite excellent goal. Sean Higgins turned sharply some 20 yards from goal before sending a shot that was just too high. Liam Buchanan was prominent in most of Thistle most enterprising moves and in the 25th minute he combined well with Kevin McKinlay before McKinlay's cross was cleared for Thistle's first corner of the evening. Play started to settle down with Thistle perhaps enjoying the better of the possession while County carried more of a threat in front of goal. In the 42nd minute it took a perfectly timed tackle from Simon Storey to deny Brittain a scoring opportunity before, with half-time fast approaching, former Thistle player Scott Boyd saw a header strike the outside of the Thistle post. The last chance of the half though came Thistle's way. Stephen McKeown pushed the ball through to Liam Buchanan but from an angle Buchanan's finishing let him down and his shot cleared the County bar. Thistle started the second half with Scott Chaplain on in place of Stephen McKeown. The early exchanges of the second half belonged firmly to the home side. Dyron Daal's low shot from 22 yards in the 49th minute didn't unduly trouble Jonny Tuffey in the Thistle goal. Liam Buchanan glanced a header from a Simon Donnelly cross wide of goal in the 50th minute but a series of Ross County corners had the Thistle defence firmly on the back foot and in the 52nd minute Paul Paton had to clear a Daal effort off the line. Paton was involved at the other end shortly afterwards but he was unable to keep his volley from the edge of the box down. Just after the hour mark Adam Strachan was able to latch onto a through ball but couldn't find a way past his former team mate Jonny Tuffey when he tried to beat him at his near post. It was beginning to look as if the game's opening goal would provide to be decisive look about it and Scott Chaplain was inches away from connecting with a Kevin McKinlay cross in the 64th minute. The game did have a goal though in the 68th minute. Sean Higgins did well with his back to goal to push the ball into the path of Dyron Daal and Daal found the top corner of the net with a fine finish from the edge of the box. Thistle could and probably should have been level before County had been given time to enjoy their lead. Firstly a low skidding shot fro
m David Rowson required a touch from Bullock in the County goal. When County didn't manage to clear the corner that followed Willie Kinniburgh hooked the ball back across goal only for Liam Buchanan to head over the bar the type of chance he would normally take with ease. You sensed at that point that this was a game that Thistle were destined to take nothing from. Mark Roberts and Ryan McStay were sent on as Thistle attempted to prise a point from the game but as time wore on the better chances for all Thistle's endeavour came in the home side's way. Daal should have scored his second goal of the night in the 82nd minute. A Sean Higgins cross laid the ball on a plate for Daal but he failed to make proper contact and Tuffey was able to save. There was no lack of effort from Thistle as the game drew to a close but in pushing men forward they left themselves vulnerable on the counter attack and with three minutes remaining Daal was able to break clear only to be thwarted by a well timed Ian Maxwell tackle.
