Match Report
Thistle made it through to the Fourth Round of The Homecoming Scottish Cup but not without a real fight especially in a second half that was dominated by a battling home side.
Manager Ian McCall didn't have his defensive problems to seek for this match. With no fewer than four defenders missing his defensive options were limited to say they least. So much so that Alan Archibald having played just 30 minutes of football in the last 9 months was drafted into the team forming a three man central defence alongside Ian Maxwell and Gary Harkins.
Elsewhere there were starts for Ryan McStay and Scott Chaplain while youngsters Ryan MacBeth and Michael Robertson were included among the Thistle substitutes.
In front of a travelling Thistle numbering just over a 1,000 The Jags made a bright opening to the game and were threatening the Second Division side's goal as early as the 7th minute. After collecting a pass from Alan Archibald, Kevin McKinlay saw his cross to the back post scrambled clear for a corner.
Four minutes later a neat chipped pass from Ryan McStay nearly picked out Scott Chaplain inside the box but once again the danger was cleared at the expense of a corner kick.
A revamped Thistle defence hadn't been unduly stretched at this point but in the 14th minute Stirling showed a threat for the first time and Martin Grehan wasn't too far off target with a header from a left wing cross.
It was Thistle though that continued to look the more likely to score and in the 27th minute they duly did. It was a simple goal. Ryan McStay swung over a corner from the Thistle right and when Stirling were unable to clear the ball it fell to Scott Chaplain at the back post who scored with a low drive.
It took Thistle just six minutes to extend their lead and put themselves firmly in control of proceedings. Almost out of the blue Liam Buchanan was presented with a goal scoring opportunity inside the Stirling box but before being able to shoot he was hauled to the ground. Gary Harkins has been the man entrusted with Thistle's penalties so far this season and he was again the man to take the kick. Showing great calmness he simply rolled the ball into the corner of the net and the tie looked to be all but over.
As it turned out that was as far from he truth as it was possible to be. Thistle still held their two goal advantage as the teams went into the dressing room at half-time but Stirling had already hinted at the fragility of Thistle's lead.
Just two minutes after Thistle went 2-0 ahead David McKenna seized upon an Ian Maxwell error but when left with just Tuffey to beat he could only hit his shot against the body of the Thistle keeper.
A minute later Tuffey was in action again this time saving from Craig Molloy after he had been set up by Mark Docherty.
There was further anxiety as well in the 39th minute when Grehan glanced a header wide of target.
Thistle, however, were close to a third goal just five minutes before the break. Liam Buchanan was able to get his head to a Kevin McKinlay cross but he was denied a goal by a fine save from Scott Christie.
A cup-tie that had looked like heading towards a comfortable Thistle win was very much back in the melting pot 9 minutes into the second half. The Thistle defence, to be kind, got into a terrible mess and when an attempted clearance fell invitingly into the path of Liam Corr he made no mistake with a shot high into the Thistle net.
Thistle should have perhaps restored their two goal advantage less than 60 seconds after Corr's goal. Ryan McStay set up Liam Buchanan but Buchanan dragged his shot from good position inside the Stirling box wide of target.
Twice in a space of a minute after that miss Thistle were nearly made to pay for not taking that opportunity. Twice David McKenna was left with just Jonny Tuffey to beat. His first finish was a poor one and Tuffey was able to make a comf ortable. Tuffey, however, was more stretched in keeping out McKenna's second effort.
It was becoming clear that Thistle would need a third goal to secure their berth in the next round and in the 63rd minute there were loud Thistle appeals for a penalty when Buchanan took a tumble inside the box. On this occasion, however, referee Richmond turned down the appeals despite having a long look at the incident.
This game was becoming more and more open and Tuffey was in action again in the 65th minute keeping out a low Grehan shot before Liam Buchanan saw a back post shot following a McKinlay assist blocked at the expense of a Thistle corner.
With 20 minutes remaining Thistle somehow managed to hang on to their slender advantage. Jonny Tuffey firstly denying Molloy before making an even better save from substitute Christopher Hamilton when the Stirling player pounced on the rebound.
Hamilton was again heavily involved in Stirling's next serious assault upon the Thistle goal in the 78th minute. His cross being headed over the bar by Martin Grehan who was lurking inside the Thistle six yard box.
Thistle's nerves were eased considerably in the 82nd minute. A Liam Buchanan shot went across the face of the Stirling goal and when the ball was returned back across goal Buchanan was on hand to head into the back of the net.
The game was now surely won? Not quite.
Thistle sub Ryan MacBeth showed his confidence with a shot from 20 yards that wasn't too far off target in the 86th minute but the game's next goal came at the other end. Paul Murphy finding the net from 12 yards out.
There would be no Stirling equaliser but with the game deep into injury time Tuffey needed two attempts to grab hold of a David McKenna shot that the Thistle keeper must have been happy see hit almost straight at him.
Teams:
Stirling: Christie, Lawrie, Lowing (Waddell), Graham, Gibb, Molloy, Corr (Hamilton), Murphy, Grehan, McKenna, Docherty subs unused Hogarth, Ross, Devine.
Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, McKinlay, McStay (Turner 60 mins), Archibald (MacBeth 82 mins), Maxwell, Chaplain, Rowson, Buchanan, Donnelly (Roberts 67 mins), Harkins subs unused Hinchcliffe, M Robertson
