Match Report
It was a welcome return to winning ways for Thistle against a Dunfermline side that are sure to be frustrated not to have taken advantage of another slip by league leaders Dundee.
Despite defeat Cappielow on Saturday manager Ian McCall more or less kept faith with the players that featured in that match. There was a return for Ryan Conroy who replaced the injured Ian Maxwell and Steve Lovell returned to the starting eleven at the expense of Simon Donnelly while there was also a starting place for Bryan Hodge.
It was to Thistle that the game's first chance fell to. In a run that would epitomise his performance all night, Liam Buchanan set up Steve Lovell but Lovell's attempted flick was blocked inside the Dunfermline six yard box. It was, however, an encouraging start.
Thistle though failed to build upon that in the early stages as Dunfermline had the better of the opening exchanges though with Thistle defending well Dunfermline were restricted in terms of clear cut openings.
Joe Cardle had scored a hat-trick the last time the two teams had met and he again was posing the Thistle defence problems. In the 5th minute David Graham was able to beat Jonny Tuffey to a Cardle cross but Graham's header drifted wide of target.
Tuffey was well placed a few minutes later when he saved from Steven McDougall and in the 16th minute Dunfermline missed the best chance of the game up to that point. Cardle was again the main at the heart of the move and his cut back was sent wide of target by Steven Bell.
At the other end a neat through ball from Liam Buchanan nearly played in Paul Cairney but Thistle did take the lead in the 27th minute. There was more than a little good fortune surrounding this goal but given the misfortune we've had in front of goal recently nobody in red and yellow was exactly complaining. Liam Buchanan's shot from outside the box was on target but it didn't look set to trouble Fleming in the home goal any. Fleming, however, unaccountably fumbled the ball over the line and Thistle had the lead.
There was even an opportunity to double that lead just three minutes later. Paul Paton's cross to the back post picked out Mark Corcoran but he couldn't keep his shot down.
The next goal when it arrived in the 36th minute came at the other end. Steven McDougall shooting confidently past Jonny Tuffey with an angled drive.
It was, perhaps, a deserved equaliser and for the remainder of the first half Dunfermline continued to put Thistle on the back foot without, it must be said, really creating much in the way of chances.
Thistle started the second period with Simon Donnelly and Stephen McKeown on for Steve Lovell and Mark Corcoran but it was the home side that looked like scoring the next goal in the opening skirmishes of the second 45 minutes.
Nick Phinn was denied by a fine block by Jonny Tuffey while Dunfermline sub Ross Campbell may feel that he should have done better than send an attempted lob over Jonny Tuffey's head wide of target in the 57th minute.
Three minutes a magnificent block from John Robertson denied Phinn a shooting chance and Jonny Tuffey was required to palm a header away from the corner that followed.
After that spell of pressure Thistle began to assert themselves with David Rowson in commanding form in the heart of the Thistle midfield and Liam Buchanan full of running and endeavour up front.
Thistle's leading scorer had the ball in the net in the 71st minute after a thumping shot but Paul Cairney's cross had gone out of play before the ball had reached Buchanan.
Two minutes later it took the intervention of Dunfermline keeper to keep out a Buchanan header after Paul Paton's cross from the right had picked out the Thistle striker.
As the game opening out in the last ten minutes Thistle were looking more of a threat and with 9 minutes remaining they sealed the points. Simon Donnelly sending a shot soaring into the back of the Dunfermline net from the edge of the box.
There were some anxious moments to endure before the referee finally blew his whistle for full-time. It had been some time since Thistle had lasted tasted victory away from Firhill and the relief and delight was clear to see on the faces of all associated with Thistle at the finish.
