MATCH REPORT

Captain Mitch Megginson was the match winner on a day of firsts as the team finally won away from home in the Championship, Paul Hartley chalked up his debut victory since returning and the side kept a clean sheet for the first time in 2023.

The manager made four changes from the Scottish Cup defeat at the hands of Ayr United and had the luxury of seven players on the bench. McClelland, Vigurs, Reynolds and Paterson dropped out, Jason Naismith returned after being cup-tied, Miko Virtanen was handed his first start, and there were recalls for Morgyn Neill and Luis Longstaff.

On a dull, drizzly and misty afternoon in Maryhill it was a quiet start to the match with both teams taking time to settle. Cove were first to threaten, winning a corner on the left, but when Longstaff swung the ball in, Neill could only head wide at the back post.

Out of nothing, Thistle fashioned an opening in the eleventh minute. Lawless played a pass over the top for Mullen to run on to, but Neill recovered his position quickly, and made a vital challenge in the box to prevent the striker from getting his shot away.

We conceded a free-kick twenty-two yards out on the angle of the box which Turner whipped towards the back post, but Scott Fox was alert and pushed it wide for a corner. It would not be the goalkeeper’s last intervention of the afternoon.

Thistle then handed us a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring. An attempted pass back was way short, and Leighton McIntosh ran on to it, but with Cieran Dunne waiting for the cutback in the middle, the striker lost control of the ball and Sneddon dived on it to snuff out the danger.

Two minutes later we did take the lead.

Shay Logan fed Dunne, and the winger raced down the left touchline before firing in an inviting cross to the back post. Mitch MEGGINSON got free of his marker to direct an angled header back across the keeper, and although McIntosh might have got his foot to the ball, it was the captain who wheeled away in celebration.

The home side tried to find a way back into the game and won a free-kick thirty yards out when Logan was adjudged to have fouled Lawless. Turner rifled his effort low round the wall, but Fox dived to his left to make a fine stop, pushing the ball wide. twenty-five yard strike which brought a superb save out of Fox, the keeper clearly touching the ball wide, only for the referee to award a goal kick. goalwards, but Scott threw up his left arm and pulled off a breath-taking save.

Near the hour mark Tiffoney’s low shot was well held by Fox then, minutes later, the substitute drove into the box, but his dangerous low shot was cleared by Neill.

After defending solidly for a large part of the half, the team got up the park, and Longstaff, Virtanen and Weston all had shots blocked in the box before Scully smashed in a volley from twenty yards which Sneddon saved on the line.

Partick Thistle (4-2-3-1)

Sneddon; McMillan (McKinnon 46), McAvoy (Muirhead 59), Holt (c), Milne; Bannigan, Hodson; Lawless (Graham 46), Turner, Fitzpatrick; Mullen (Tiffoney 46)

Substitutes

Harry Milne then burrowed his way into the Cove box, the ball running free for Turner who wheeled and struck a powerful shot, but Scott Fox was again equal to it, tipping over the bar.

In first half stoppage time, Fitzpatrick broke free and unleashed a stinging

Thistle were piling on the pressure now and McKinnon was next to try his luck, his twenty yard volley touched over by Scott Fox.

The keeper again came to our rescue in the sixty-seventh minute. Thistle won a free-kick out on the right, Turner sent in an inch-perfect delivery, and from just a few yards out Holt powered a header

The closing stages were inevitably nervy as Thistle pushed desperately for a leveller, but the back line held firm, and the boys saw out the match for what could be a massive result.

Mitchell, Brownlie, Lyon, MacKenzie

Booked McMillan (16), McAvoy (47), Hodson (66)

Sent off Graham (70)

Cove Rangers (4-2-3-1)

Fox; Naismith (McClelland 82), Ross, Neill, Logan; Virtanen, Scully; Longstaff, Megginson (c), Dunne (Reynolds 82); McIntosh (Weston 82)

Substitutes

Gourlay, Vigurs, Glass, Paterson

Goalscorers Megginson (26)

Booked Virtanen (45), McClelland (88), Megginson (88)

Referee Duncan Williams

Attendance

2,450