Match Report
It was a case of as you were for Thistle this afternoon as they made the long trip to Dingwall to tackle the current league leaders, Ross County. With the team in excellent form at present it wasn't really a surprise to see Ian McCall field the same starting line-up that defeated Ayr United seven days ago. The only change coming on the bench where the fit again Martyn Corrigan was preferred to Willie Kinniburgh.
The last time these two teams met the result was a sterile 0-0 draw. This game was as far removed from that match as it was possible to be.
We had almost as much action inside the game's first ten minutes than we did for the entire 90 minutes back in August. In the game's first attack Jonny Tuffey was tested with a low drive while at the other end, and still inside the game's opening 60 seconds, Liam Buchanan set up Simon Donnelly who was very quickly closed down by a County defender.
This open start to the game very nearly produced a goal for the home side in the 7th minute but Paul Paton was in precisely the right place to clear a Michael Gardyne cut back.
If that was an excellent chance it was nothing compared to the chance that came Thistle's way just two minutes later. McGovern in the County goal was able to save but not hold a fierce David Rowson shot but when the loose ball broke to Liam Buchanan the normally reliable Thistle striker wasn't able to hit target on this occasion.
It was the sign though for Thistle to start to take a grip on the game. In the 12th minute a corner kick was worked to Mark Corcoran who saw his well hit shot headed behind for another, unproductive, Thistle corner.
Six minutes later Liam Buchanan and David Rowson exchanged passes at the edge of the County box but Rowson's left foot shot was partially blocked by a home defender taking the pace off the ball and McGovern was able to make a routine save.
Still Thistle pressed and in the 22nd minute Liam Buchanan was nearly able to connect with an Ian Maxwell free kick.
Against Inverness Caledonian Thistle Alan Archibald netted a rare goal and in the 29th minute he nearly made it a Highland double. His shot from the left hand edge of the box going just the wrong side of the opposite post.
Archibald was close again 2 minutes later but he saw his header tipped over the bar by McGovern.
Thistle continued to dominate and a goal was looking more and more likely. Mark Corcoran nearly helped provide that goal in the 35th minute but there were no takers for his cross that went right across the County six yard box.
Thistle really should have been in front in the 37th minute. Paul Cairney's quickly taken throw found David Rowson who in turn picked out Liam Buchanan but Buchanan again when you would have expected him to score failed to hit target.
Thistle were made to pay for those missed chances in the 40th minute. For long spells of the first half County had rarely been seen as an attacking force but they were still able to go in at half-time a goal to the good. It was at least an excellent goal. Michael Gardyne shooting home, via the inside of Tuffey's left hand post, from the edge of the box.
Thistle had been more than a little unfortunate to go in at half-time behind but they didn't make the best of starts to the second 45 minutes.
Indeed it was the home side that looked likely to press home their advantage and in the 54th minute Jonny Tuffey did well to parry a well struck shot.
In the 57th minute the game looked set to swing back towards Thistle. In the first half Martin Scott has been lucky not to pick up a yellow card but when he picked up two yellow cards in the space of 8 second half minutes off he went.
Five minutes later Thistle were level once more. Both Jim Hamilton and Chris Erskine had been introduced to the action by this stage and they combined for the equaliser. Erskine taking a touch of the ball before curling a shot into the net for his first league goal in Thistle colours.
That looked to be the signal for Thistle to once more take a grip of proceedings and go on and win the game. It was, however, County that would score the game's next goal. When the ball broke invitingly into the path of Paul Lawson his shot looked net bound from the second that it left his foot.
This time Thistle would be level inside three minutes. After missing a couple of first half chances the ball broke to Liam Buchanan inside the box and this time he made absolutely no mistake with a well struck shot.
Thistle though were not happy with a point at this point and for the remaining 20 minutes or so they pressed and pressed for what proved to be an elusive winning goal.
A free kick was touched into the path of Paul Cairney and his shot was deflected for a corner and Jim Hamilton headed a Mark Corcoran cross wide of goal in the closing stages but the Thistle fans who provided such excellent support throughout the 90 minutes weren't able to celebrate a Thistle win.
