Match Report
After 120 strength sapping minutes of action against Rangers on Wednesday night Ian McCall, as expected, took the opportunity to freshen up the side for this fixture with Livingston. Of those that started against Rangers only Jonny Tuffey, Kevin McKinlay, John Robertson, Ian Maxwell, David Rowson and Gary Harkins took up starting positions for a fixture that would take Thistle to the top of the First Division were they to win it.
Livi were first to show in this game and a patient passing move in the 3rd minute ended with Callum Elliot sending a shot across the face of Jonny Tuffey's goal.
The home team's bright opening continued and in the 5th minute Jason Talbot touched a free kick into the path of David McKay but Tuffey made an easy save.
Livi were in front a minute later in fairly bizarre circumstances. An Elliot shot was heading nowhere in particular until it took a deflection off Murray Davidson and from there over the head of Tuffey and into the net.
In the 18th minute Livi extended their advantage to 2-0. Paul Paton got into all kinds of trouble with Joe Hamill seizing upon his error before crossing for Callum Elliot to slam the ball low and hard past Jonny Tuffey.
McPake and Elliot exchanged passes before McParland rather snatched at a shot as Livi started to exert an even stronger grip on the game. Thistle struggling to maintain possession for any significant length of time.
Thistle though won the game's first corner in the 27th minute and from that corner reduced the leeway to just one goal. Stevie Lennon's corner dropped to Kevin McKinlay and his shot was touched home by Ian Maxwell to provide Thistle with some hope and the Thistle defender his 4th goal of the season.
Maxwell's goal certainly sparked some life into the Thistle performance and in the 42nd minute Thistle came close to levelling the scores. Damon Gray, getting little joy from the Livi defence with the ball in the air, had more success when it was on the deck and he slipped the ball through to Gary Harkins. Harkins though, albeit from an angle, got the direction of his shot wrong and Martini wasn't required to make a save.
It could have been a costly miss as Livi in their very next attack nearly made it 3-1. Murray Davidson smacking a shot off the Thistle bar from 25 yards out.
In a match that Thistle were perhaps lucky to still be in on the stroke of half-time a Paul Paton cross right across the Livi six yard box was very nearly turned in by Kevin McKinlay. It had, though, been a first half dominated by the home side with Thistle exhibiting all the classic signs of suffering a hangover from Wednesday's heartbreak against Rangers.
In attempt to rescue something from this game Ian McCall made a couple of changes at the break. Left behind in the dressing room were Paul Paton and Steven Lennon with their places being taken by Simon Donnelly and Marc Twaddle.
Thistle had the glimpse of a chance in the 49th minute. Kevin McKinlay threaded the ball through in the direction of Damon Gray but Martini in the Livi goal was sharp to the situation and was able to get to the ball a shade in front of Gray to snuff out the danger.
A third Livi goal would surely have sealed the points and in the 51st minute Callum Elliot was able to steal in behind the Thistle defence to get his head to a free kick but there was no power behind his header and Tuffey easily gathered the ball.
In the 65th minute Thistle made their third and final change when Mark Roberts replaced Kevin McKinlay.
Livi came close to scoring the goal that would have restored their two goal advantage in the 67th minute. McParland pushed the ball through to Rocco Quinn but Quinn when left with just Tuffey to beat sent his shot wide of target.
Two minutes later Hamill tested Tuffey with a snap shot from the edge of the box but although his shot was powerful it was straight at the Thistle keeper.
In th
e 81st minute Livingston all but made the game safe. Pushing men forward Thistle always looked vulnerable to a Livi counter attack and when Livi broke three on one a third Livingston goal looked inevitable. The danger looked to be over, however, when Giarrizzo's cross looked like drifting wide of goal but Rocco Quinn was able to pull the ball back for Callum Elliot to bundle home his second goal of the afternoon.
Mark Roberts saw a shot creep wide of goal with 5 minutes remaining as Thistle looked to spark an unlikely comeback.
Thistle could have made Livi sweat with a goal right on the 90th minute mark. Roberts pushed the ball through to Simon Donnelly but Donnelly's effort was blocked at the expense of an unproductive Thistle corner.
Just to what degree Wednesday's efforts could account for this result is open to debate but there was no doubt that the home side deserved their win as they maintained their position at the top of the First Division. Organised at the back and with pace up front they will not be easy dislodged.
