Match Report
Thistle made a nightmare start to their league season at Starks Park with a truly miserable defeat.
Thistle could scarcely have made a worse start to this game falling a goal behind after just six minutes. Raith’s pace on the break caused the Thistle defence problems, which it did throughout the game, and John Baird squared the ball to Iain Williamson who in turn set up Mark Ferry who netted with a low shot that Bryn Halliwell may feel that he should have saved.
In the 10 to 15 minutes that followed that goal Thistle enjoyed their best spell and were, perhaps, a little unlucky not to score during that period. An Iain Flannigan free kick struck the Raith Rovers wall with Paul Cairney’s follow up effort also blocked.
The best chance though fell to Simon Donnelly. Iain Flannigan’s delivery from a left wing corner was excellent finding Donnelly at the back post but his shot was tipped over the bar by McGurn in the Raith Rovers goal.
Paul Cairney too was able to threaten the Raith but with Liam Buchanan furious not have received a pass Cairney dragged a shot wide of goal.
If Thistle were a shade unfortunate to be behind they had nobody but themselves to blame for falling 2-0 behind on the half hour mark. Bryn Halliwell had made a comfortable save from an Ellis free kick but in attempting to launch a swift counter attack he gave the ball to Paddy Boyle who was already being pressurised by two Raith players. When Boyle was unable to keep possession of the ball it was squared from the right to John Baird who was left with an easy finish.
Thistle needed a goal at this stage and Simon Donnelly was close to scoring it only for McGurn to turn his shot round for a corner.
At this stage that was very much an isolated raid on the Rovers goal as the home side tried to press home their advantage. In the 36th minute they were close to a third goal. This one at least couldn’t have been avoided. An Allan Walker free kick striking a Thistle defender and, with Halliwell heading in the direction the ball had been heading , struck the post.
A third Rovers goal though was just five minutes away. Once again the pace of Rovers was Thistle’s undoing. Mark Ferry escaped the attention of Willie Kinniburgh who brought the Rovers player down. The award of a penalty was never in doubt the red card that followed maybe a little more controversial. John Baird was the man to take the penalty and he tucked the ball home with ease.
Thistle made a double switch at the break with Chris Erskine and Conrad Balatoni, and there can be few players to make their debut with his team 3-0 down at the break, coming on for Paul Cairney and Simon Donnelly.
Raith though looked in no mood to let up and after winning a couple of corners in quick succession Grant Murray sent a header just wide of Halliwell’s left hand post.
Thistle weren’t devoid of spirit and in the 61st minute were close to make some inroads into the Rovers lead. Paul Paton’s excellent ball out of defence was gathered by Liam Buchanan and he was unlucky to see his effort saved by McGurn.
Thistle were even closer to a goal three minutes. After a Liam Buchanan shot from a David Rowson pass was blocked for a corner, Conrad Balatoni’s header from that corner struck the base of the Rovers post.
Thistle’s spirited second half showing merited a goal and they were close again in the 71st minute. Liam Buchanan laid the ball through to David Rowson but Rowson took one touch too many when in front of goal and the opportunity was lost.
With the game inside the last ten minutes, Thistle had another opportunity to net at least a consolation goal. Chris Erskine did well to escape the attention of the Rovers defence and create space for himself inside the Rovers box but he wasn’t able to get enough of an angle on his final shot and McGurn was able to save.
Salt though was to rubbed into Thistle wounds about as large as the space John Baird was given at a free kick in the 83rd minute with Baird completing a hat-trick from about a yard out.
