Match Report
Despite defeat seven days ago against Raith Rovers and two new signings available to him manager Ian McCall resisted the temptation to make a plethora of changes for this fixture with Morton. Chris Erskine being drafted in at the expense of Mark Corcoran being the only change to the starting eleven. New boys Lovell and Adams having to content themselves with a seat on the bench.
The opening quarter of this game proved to be extremely untidy with neither side able to string more than a handful of passes together and it would be the 20th minute before we had an incident of any note. The physical presence of the Morton front two was starting to pose the Thistle rearguard some problems but Weatherson's run into the box to meet a right wing cross should have been checked. Weatherson's header though went over the bar.
Twice in the space of a minute just before the half hour mark Morton came close to opening the scoring. In the 26th minute a Brian Wake run went unchecked and when he whipped a cross into the Thistle six yard box it took a great clearance from John Robertson to get the ball clear. Seconds later it was Jonny Tuffey's turn to intervene when he made an excellent block to deny the same player a goal.
With the Morton pressure mounting though the Thistle keeper came a long way not to claim a corner and it took an age for Thistle to finally clear the ball.
Suddenly this game was getting interesting and in the 31st minute Thistle had their first chance of the afternoon. Simon Donnelly flicked the ball on to Liam Buchanan who flashed a shot wide of Colin Stewart's right hand post.
A minute later there was further hope for Thistle when Chris Erskine saw his cross hooked clear for Thistle's first corner.
The game should have had an opening goal in the 36th minute and it should have been a Thistle goal. Colin Stewart spilled the ball inside his box with the loose ball breaking into the path of Simon Donnelly who saw his effort headed off the line for a corner. When that corner came in Ian Maxwell was able to get his head to the ball but his header slipped past the post.
In the 41st minute it was Morton's turn to come close to an opening goal. Brian Wake managed to weave his way past some ineffectual Thistle challenges inside the box before seeing his shot saved by the legs of a diving Jonny Tuffey.
Two minutes later half the ground thought the ball was in the Thistle net when after turning sharply inside the box Peter Weatherson lashed a shot into the side netting.
Thistle started the second half with Jamie Adams on for Bryan Hodge.
After a goalless first 45 minutes we nearly had a goal inside the first few seconds of the start of the second half. Brian Wake was again the threat to the Thistle and Tuffey again the man to deny him a goal.
In the 53rd minute Thistle took the lead. There was a touch of good fortune in the lead up to the goal with David Rowson enjoying a favourable break of the ball as he tried to burst into the Morton box. There was, however, no doubting the quality of his cut back to Liam Buchanan who tucked the ball home for his 11th goal of the season.
In next to no time Thistle were 2-0 ahead. This time Liam Buchanan was the creator. After getting the better of David MacGregor he squared the ball to Simon Donnelly who like Buchanan moments earlier was left with an easy finish.
In the 62nd minute Morton were nearly right back in this game. Ryan McGuffie was able to get his head to a corner from the right hand side but a well placed Thistle defender was able to clear from the line.
A third Thistle goal would surely have sealed the points and in the 76th minute a chipped David Rowson cross fell just behind substitute Mark Corcoran.
At the other end the Thistle defence were in no mood to concede anything and McGuffie's header Morton were unable to create a single chance after Thistle's two goal salvo at the start of the second half.
