Alan Archibald Makes His Comeback
Tuesday 7th September 2010
This afternoon at Keanie Park, home of Johnstone Burgh Alan Archibald made his return to action after five and a half months out in a closed door fixture between a Thistle XI and a St Mirren side.
On an excellent playing surface it was St Mirren that ran out 4-2 winners but there were plenty of positives for the watching Thistle manager Ian McCall to take from an entertaining 90 minutes. Not least the fact that Archibald emerged unscathed from 65 minutes of action and produced a confident and assured performance at the back for Thistle.
Thistle almost totally dominated the first 45 minutes of this game and should probably have led by two or three goals but instead went in at the break tied at 1-1.
In the 10th minute a lovely through ball from Iain Flannigan picked out Martin Grehan but Grehan, who had an otherwise excellent game, was let down by his finishing on this occasion.
Six minutes later Grehan and Simon Donnelly combined to set up Paul Cairney who sent a shot over the bar and Chris Erskine too fired over when a pass from Simon Donnelly left him with just the keeper to beat.
Thistle did take the lead, however, after 33 minutes when Martin Grehan knocked home a cross from the left.
Grehan was close in the 40th minute but his volley from a long clearance by Ryan Scully was tipped over the bar by Samson in the St Mirren goal. From the corner that followed Alan Archibald very nearly capped his comeback game with a goal but his header was saved.
St Mirren though were level right on the stroke of half-time when a cut back from the right was side footed home from close range.
Jamie Campbell was just too high with a shot from the edge of the box just after half-time before Chris Erskine saw a shot saved by the St Mirren keeper. Erskine was injured in the process and had to be replaced by Shaun Fraser but early indications are that Chris is fine.
St Mirren took the lead in the 61st minute when Ryan Scully was left exposed and just a minute after Archibald was replaced they extended their lead further when a cross from the right was converted at the back post.
The goals were coming at a fair old rate at this point and Martin Grehan scored his second of the afternoon after 68 minutes when after collecting a pass from Shaun Fraser his controlled finish found the corner of the net.
Two minutes later though St Mirren restored their two goal advantage and the game finished 4-2.
Team: Scully, McGeough, Stevenson, Campbell, Lochhead, Archibald (Sweeney), Cairney, Flannigan, Grehan, Donnelly (Burbridge), Erskine (Fraser).
You can read Alan Archibald’s thoughts on his comeback game here on www.ptfc.co.uk tomorrow.
