Match Report
Thistle made two changes from Saturday’s encounter with Raith Rovers for this ALBA Challenge Cup meeting with Berwick Rangers. Conrad Balatoni and Martin Grehan coming in for Willie Kinniburgh and Bryan Hodge, both of whom dropped to the bench.
Berwick manager Jimmy Crease had expected there to be a Thistle onslaught at the start of this game and although Thistle quickly dominated in terms of possession it was all a bit flat in front of a small Firhill crowd.
Thistle had their first half chance in the sixth minute. McCaldon was only able to punch clear a Flannigan corner as far as Simon Donnelly but Donnelly at the edge of the box but his header went the wrong side of the right hand post.
The chance that came Thistle’s way in the tenth minute was of the gilt edge variety. Again a Flannigan corner caused problems for the Berwick defence but when given a free header, Martin Grehan tried to get too much of an angle on his header and it went wide of goal.
Two minutes later Thistle again should have taken the lead. Paul Cairney and Simon Donnelly combined to set up Liam Buchanan but Buchanan wasn’t able to make the Berwick keeper work with his final effort.
It had been a game dominated by Thistle up to this point but in the 20th minute Berwick provided a reminder that they were still very much in this game and Bryn Halliwell had to do well to touch a Paul Currie shot round the post.
The bulk of the chances though continued to fall in and around the Berwick goal and in the 26th minute Liam Buchanan was nearly able to take full advantage of hesitation in the Berwick defence but he couldn’t get shot past McCaldon who was swiftly off his line to block.
A minute later we did finally have a goal but it was a Berwick Rangers goal. Thistle didn’t deal with a corner from the right hand side and from inside the six yard box Andy McLean slammed the ball home.
It was nearly even worse two minutes later but although Darren Gribben had a clear sight of the Thistle goal his final shot wasn’t one to unduly trouble Halliwell in the Thistle goal.
A feature of the first half was Iain Flannigan’s corner kicks and in the 35th minute another Flannigan corner nearly produced a Thistle equaliser. McCaldon again could only punch clear and from 12 yards out John Robertson could only stab the ball wide of goal.
A minute later Martin Grehan managed to get his head to yet another Flannigan corner but couldn’t keep his header down.
An equaliser arrived after 40 minutes and inevitably it followed a Flannigan corner. This one was only cleared as far as Paul Cairney and his shot from the edge of the box found the net with an aide of a deflection.
Having restored parity Thistle were a shade unfortunate not to go in at half-time ahead. Paul Cairney nearly made it a double but his 25 yard shot was tipped over the bar by McCaldon. The Berwick keeper again came to the rescue in the 44th minute. A Flannigan corner was right on the head of Conrad Balatoni but his header was straight at McCaldon giving him a chance to save when had the header gone even a foot either side of him it would surely have found the back of the net.
Iain Flannigan had been prominent for Thistle in the first half and he was pivotal to Thistle’s better moments in the early stages of the second half as well. He was just a foot or so high with a free kick from 25 yards out before curling a cross from the left just inches away from a waiting Thistle player.
It was a Flannigan corner though in 54 minutes that nearly had Thistle in front. A late run from David Rowson went unchecked but Rowson’s header was just wide.
Rowson came even closer in Thistle’s next attack and McCaldon did really well to get a touch to Rowson’s thunderbolt from 25 yards out.
The Thistle fans were warming to Thistle early exertions in the second half and a scramble in the Berwick box produced shouts for a penalty but ended tamely when Liam Buchanan sent a shot over the bar.
We were in the last ten minutes before Thistle had another worthwhile effort on goal but when they did they finally nudged themselves ahead. Paul Paton’s cross from the right being swept into the back of the net by David Rowson.
Berwick’s response to that goal was a fierce Craig O’Reilly shot that was about a foot wide and a reminder that this game was not yet won.
Iain Flannigan nearly made the game save for Thistle deep in injury time when a nice run ended with a shot straight at McCaldon but the final whistle sounded shortly afterwards.
