Match Preview
It will be good to get back into action at Firhill again. With no pre-season friendly matches played at Firhill as the pitch was prepared for the arduous season ahead almost three months have passed since our last home game.
Berwick Rangers provide the opposition in a Co-operative Insurance Cup First Round tie and manager Ian McCall was clearly relishing getting back to familiar surrounds when he spoke to www.ptfc.co.uk
"First of all it's going to be good to be back playing football at Firhill again. As good as it is to get back into action at our home ground there is every prospect of our match with Berwick proving to be a tough game. We are at home against a side from a lower division and we will be heavy favourites to win the game but that brings its' own kind of pressure. There is every chance that we will need to be patient and we will certainly need to play the game at the right kind of tempo. If we don't do that then we will be in for a very difficult 90 minutes indeed."
"I'm not sure at this moment in time what team I will field for this match and I am uncertain for the best of reasons. I will be without the injured Willie Kinniburgh and Alan Archibald but I have an otherwise full squad to pick from. In recent fixtures, especially against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night, there have been a number of players that have been staking a real claim for a place in the starting eleven and those claims can only be ignored for so long."
Last season Berwick finished second bottom of the Third Division but their manager Jimmy Crease has embarked upon a major rebuilding job over the summer months and has made a number of what appear to be shrewd additions to his squad. None more so that the acquisition of striker Damon Gray. Damon, of course, is well know at Firhill having spent two separate loan spells here while still a Hibs player. Across those two spells Damon made a total 24 appearances and scored 8 goals including that never to be forgotten strike against Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup.
Tomorrow's tie will be the fourth time that Thistle will have played Berwick in this particular competition but the first time the two teams will have clashed in the tournament at Firhill.
Back in 1995 Murdo MacLeod's reign as Thistle manager got off to the best possible start with an emphatic 7-0 win at Shielfield Park. Further Shielfield encounters followed in 2001 and again in 2002. Thistle winning 3-0 in 2001 and by the same score 12 months later.
Thistle Stats
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Liam Buchanan 1
Last Match
ALBA Challenge Cup First Round
Saturday July 25th 2009
Airdrie United 0, Partick Thistle 1
Berwick Rangers Stats
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Jamie Ewart 1
Ian Little 1
Last Match
ALBA Challenge Cup First Round
Saturday July 25th 2009
Stranraer 4, Berwick Rangers 2
Last Meeting
Challenge Cup Second Round
Tuesday September 4th 2007
Partick Thistle 3, Berwick Rangers 1
Teams
Thistle: Tuffey, Storey, Twaddle, McStay (Gibson), Harkins, Archibald, Strachan (McKinlay), Rowson, Buchanan (Keegan), Di Giacomo, Murray
Berwick: Flochart, Bolochoweckyj, Fraser, Smith, McGoarty, Greenhill (Little), Thomson (McLeish), Wood, McMullan (Diack), Gemmill, Swanson.
Scorers
Thistle: Harkins (26), Di Giacomo (82), Keegan (90)
Berwick: Thomson (78)
Crowd: 1,226
Match Details
Co-Operative Insurance Cup First Round
Saturday August 1st 2009
Partick Thistle v Berwick Rangers
Kick-off: 3:00pm
(match to be played to a finish with extra-time and penalties i f required).
Prices:
Adults: £12
Concessions £6)
Under 16s: FREE (more details at www.scottishfootballleague.com )
Programme: £1.50 (reduced sized programme - 16 pages)
Match Officials
Referee: Douglas McDonald
Assistant Referees: Francis Andrews and Steven McFaulds
