Partick Thistle Match Report

Mark Reynolds emerged as the unlikely hero with the first double of his professional career as he struck twice late on to secure a point from a game which had long looked lost.

Lawless and Bannigan had given Thistle a 2-0 lead, their advantage pegged at that only thanks to another outstanding performance from Kyle Gourlay.

But with time running out, Reynolds twice found space in the Partick penalty area to snatch an improbable draw.

Thistle began the match on the front foot, and very nearly took the lead with just forty-five seconds on the clock.

A long ball forward found Tiffoney drifting in from the left, he flicked it beyond Scott Ross and drove into the box, but Gourlay was out swiftly and saved the forward’s low shot with his foot, diverting it for a corner.

With seven minutes gone, Lawless clipped a delightful ball over the top for McMillan to run on to. His low cross was partially blocked, but fell to Graham, and the striker fired in a powerful low shot which flew across the box. Turner was free, but couldn’t adjust his feet, and diverted the ball over from close range.

It took eleven minutes for us to get up the park, and we very nearly opened the scoring. Jamie Masson gathered and teased the Thistle defence, before feeding Fraser Fyvie on the left. The midfielder swung in a delightful cross, missed by the home defence, and keeper Mitchell had to look lively to push the ball wide for a corner with Robbie Leitch in close attendance.

Kyle Gourlay then had to look lively to prevent Brian Graham from scoring after the striker ran on to a Tiffoney flick.

The home side did go in front in the 17th minute thanks to a moment of real quality. After a patient build-up, the ball fell to Steven LAWLESS twenty yards and the midfielder did not hesitate. He looked up and fired a powerful left-footed strike which cannoned into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

As the half wore on, Cove were seen less and less as an attacking force, but Mitch Megginson almost wriggled through after a defensive slip-up just past the half hour mark. The captain tried to break between the home central defenders, but Muirhead recovered just in time, and Mitchell was out to fall on the ball.

Tiffoney always looked dangerous coming in off the left and five minutes before the break he escaped the attentions of Scott Ross and blasted towards goal, Gourlay again making an impressive stop.

Ross then crumpled to the ground after seemingly catching his studs in the turf while being pressurised by Graham and he failed to re-emerge for the second half, new signing Kyle McClelland coming on for his Cove Rangers debut.

Slack defending almost cost us a second goal. From a free kick out on the left, Turner whipped in an inviting delivery, and with the back line posted missing, Graham volleyed high over the bar from close range.

Having survived that scare, Cove hit back. Fyvie rolled the ball forward to Masson, who gathered and fed in Towler. Evan sent in a low cutback which Megginson controlled, but his shot on the turn was blocked on the edge of the six yard box.

Thistle increased their advantage in the next attack. Tiffoney’s cross from the left skidded off the head of Mark Reynolds, but fell at the feet of Stuart BANNIGAN. The midfielder took a touch, then shot low and hard under Gourlay for a rare goal, his first in eighteen months.

“Out of the blue, we surprisingly got a foothold in the game.”

With sixty-two minutes played, gaffer Jim McIntyre turned to his bench; Leighton McIntosh and Luis Longstaff replacing Leitch and Masson.

Longstaff went for a run down the right in a rare Cove attack, and when he found space to send in a cross to the back post, Fraser Fyvie could only head over from eight yards.

It was to be the midfielder’s last contribution. Having earlier received treatment, Fraser dropped to the turf again, and was replaced by Blair Yule, his return one of few plus points at that stage of the afternoon. Out of the blue, we surprisingly got a foothold in the game.

Shay Logan swung in a free kick from the left, Leighton McIntosh won his header, and when the ball dropped invitingly, Mark REYNOLDS was first to react, his shot from twelve yards deflecting past Mitchell. Suddenly, it was all Cove. Mitch Megginson drove into the box, his low angled shot saved by the legs of the home keeper for a corner.

Seconds later, we were level. Logan floated the ball in, Gilmour headed it back across the box and Mitch’s flick was cleared off the line. Again, Mark REYNOLDS was in the right place. He controlled the ball on his chest before smashing a left-foot volley past Mitchell before being engulfed by his jubilant team-mates.

Partick Thistle

(4-3-2-1) Mitchell; McMillan (Hodson 70), Muirhead, Holt, Milne; Docherty(c), Turner, Bannigan; Lawless, Tiffoney (Fitzpatrick 70); Graham (Dowds 70) Substitutes: Sneddon, Brownlie, Smith, Weston, Akinola, Mullen Goalscorers Lawless (17), Bannigan (52) Booked Docherty (87)

Cove Rangers (4-1-4-1) Gourlay; Logan, Ross (McClelland 46), Reynolds, Towler; Gilmour; Leitch, (Longstaff 62), Scully, Fyvie (Yule 77), Masson (McIntosh 62); Megginson(c) Substitutes McKenzie, Neill, Vigurs, Dunne, Johnston

Goalscorers Reynolds (81, 84) Booked Towler (36), Megginson (36), Gilmour (88)

Referee

Calum Scott

Attendance

2,918

WELCOME

Boss Jim McIntyre was busy during the unexpected break between the Hamilton and Partick Thistle matches, signing two talented young defenders on loan from Premiership clubs.

Max Johnston – the son of former Scotland winger Allan Johnston – arrived from Motherwell, and the following week he was joined at Balmoral by Hibernian’s Kyle McClelland. Max spent last season on loan at Queen of the South where he was a first team regular, playing more than thirty matches, and featured against us in the two Scottish Cup ties and the Challenge Cup semi-final. He scored on his debut for Scotland Under16s in a win over Australia in January 2019, and subsequently earned two caps for the Under-19s against Israel and Hungary in March of this year. Max was an unused substitute last weekend, but believes this can be a big move for him:

“I was excited when I was told Cove were interested in taking me on loan. Having been at Balmoral Stadium on two occasions last season when I played for Queens, I’m aware of how well the club is run and how good the team are, as well as the brilliant facilities they have.

“I’m looking to play as many games as possible during my loan spell, and bring some of the things I have learnt at Motherwell to the team here.”