Firhill Stadium

Partick Thistle v Alloa Athletic
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Queen’s Park v Alloa Athletic

Only two teams have never beaten Alloa in this year’s League 1, and Queen’s Park have endured an exceptionally bad time of recent meetings with no wins in their last 18 games against the Wasps. It was all change from Brian Rice’s team after he shuffled the deck again to assess his playing options. Sammon, Riley-Snow, Howie and O’Donnell start as Church, Boyd, Scougall and Cawley all fall to the bench from last week’s defeat against Airdrie.

It was a nervous start as Alloa were instantly opened by Luca Connell but the finish from Connor Smith was not up to the task of beating the impressive PJ Morrison in the Alloa goal. Jack Thomson was next to tee up a QP strike as his cross was almost converted by McHugh, but the rattled bar saved Alloa this time.

Euan Henderson sliced a 20 yard effort wide after Sena won the battle for the ball on the half hour mark and sent another looping effort safely into Ferrie’s hands but on the 35 minute mark Alloa should have taken the lead. Again Sena and Henderson combining but Sena’s poked effort from 8 yards was swiftly swatted aside when the Alloa striker looked to have rolled the combative midfielder in for the opener. A subsequent corner then exposed the weak defending of the Spiders but neither Sena or Howie could connect with a finish to make the breakthrough.

Charlie Fox was spared any blushes as he rattled a ball of his sitting midfielder. This gaffe almost freed Henderson who charged through on goal past the helpless Queen’s Park defenders only to try to place an effort into the bottom corner but the tameness of the shot gave Ferrie ample time to get a hand to divert.

Bob McHugh almost grabbed the opener as QP made a rare penetrating break, but again the striker cannoned his driven shot off the bar to allow the sides a goalless tally at half time.

That would soon change. 4 minutes into the second half Mark Durnan stabbed home from an exquisite in-swinging corner from Adam King that eliminated goalkeeper and defence of the Spiders for his 4th goal of the season.

Both teams probed for next goal but it was Connor Smith who sent two notable strikes at Morrison, and the Alloa keeper denied his opponent with strong hands. Substitute Steven Boyd skint Fox with an agile spin forcing a foul and the first booking of the game for the centre back but King’s free kick was simple for Ferrie.

Alloa were the architects of their own demise as Sena’s light dink proved too short for Taggart. Queen’s Park broke quickly, Darcy and McBride combined and Bolton loanee Ronan Darcy smashed a wild strike into the top corner to grab an equaliser from what previously looked like an uninspired and increasingly languid Queen’s strikeforce. Alloa would try to grab the late winner again at Firhill but Cawley saw a promising drive blocked and Boyd’s last kick of the game was not potent enough to pass Ferrie.
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Queen’s Park v Alloa Athletic

Alloa faced an unbeaten, top of the table Queen’s Park on an uncustomarily Super Sunday.

Alloa named emergency keeper Wright to replace the suspended Hutton. Robertson was preferred at left back and Howie started in midfield as Alloa shuffled around injuries. Sammon also leads the line as Henderson drops to the bench from last week’s loss to Peterhead.

Alloa’s talisman took no time to warm up as Kevin Cawley fired the Wasps ahead after an incisive move down the right within 35 seconds. Alloa were impressive at the back and methodical in attack but they left a gaping hole for Bob McHugh to rifle into the bottom corner in the 35th minute.

After the break Alloa started brightly, but this time Queen’s Park punished them with another precision through ball freeing McHugh, who finished coolly to send the Spiders into the lead. Alloa would not wait long to react to the setback as minutes later Craig Howie converted Scougall’s corner with a header to draw the Wasps level.

The game almost turned into tennis with both sides creating an end to end spectacle – if the pitch resembled a well used, damp and severely cut up Centre court. Both had golden opportunities – Trouten leaning back as he blazed a Taggart cutback over and Alloa putting everything on the line to deny Queen’s Park before Murray could only rattle an effort high into the sky.

Queen’s Park almost made the breakthrough with Luca Connell smashing the post from range but it thankfully bounced off Wright’s post and away from danger. Connell would get what was assumed to be the winner on the 89th minute as Alloa were punished from their own corner. Longridge sprinting past everyone – rounding the keeper in the process and squaring past the penalty spot for the youngster to smash home.

But up steps another youngster; on-loan Hearts forward Euan Henderson. After an advanced throw-in was aimed to Durnan – the skipper flicked a headed layoff to Henderson – He converted low into the bottom corner and Alloa were level. But this game still had plenty to offer and a minute later Charlie Gilmour lobbed one in behind for the pacy striker to punish. Staying on his feet despite a heavy Queen’s Park challenge and up against Muir for the winner, Henderson slotted the ball into bottom corner to complete a euphoric comeback and give Alloa all three points after one of the best contests of a game of football you’ll see in years.

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Partick Thistle v Alloa Athletic
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Partick Thistle v Alloa Athletic

jim goodwin at firhill

Disappointed to our start in the second half the way we did , I thought the way the boys played in the first half was perfect, it was everything that we had spoken about in the build up to the game to allow Patrick’s three defenders at the back to have the ball and hit them on the break, we got in a couple of times on the counterattack, Jack Aitchison does perfect for his goal, it was a great finish so we were delighted at half-time as you can imagine but we knew about the threat Partick Thistle have with the quality of players they have and being able to bring off the bench. Credit to Gary Caldwell he made a brave double substitution at half-time and I thought Joe Cardle and Gary Harkins did really well.

Joe got his goal after a couple of minutes which is disappointing, because we spoke about the importance of the opening ten minutes of the Second half and how important it was to keep the score line at 1-0 and stay in the game and manage it properly, unfortunately we didn’t do that, Cardle drifted in to the middle of the pitch and got his shot away and that was one each.

The goals for me we lost were disappointing because we had been blocking shots and stopping crosses in the whole first half up until then, I don’t think Neilly had too many safes to make and the winning goal you just have to take your hat off sometime and give credit to Scott McDonald, when you are able to bring a player of that quality to your club then that’s what you get his sixth goal since he arrived he has been a really good signing for them.

We are disappointed because we would be disappointed to lose any game of football, but I did say to the players they can be very proud of the run they were on prior to the game, we are the only team in the league this season to win four games in a row, so we took a lot of credit for that but we will not get down in the dumps about this afternoon being 1-0 up a half-time we should take something from the game, but I have been there as a player too many times when you know 1-0 is not a comfortable lead, so we need to go again and it is still in our hands.

If you had offered me this situation at the start of the season with two games left we are three points off the bottom and need to go and win another game of football to stay in the division I would have snapped the hand off you. So we have Inverness CT and Ayr United coming up two games which we be extremely difficult games, but games we are more than capable of winning.

I can’t argue to much with the final result Partick were the better team on the day, we did really well in the first half but they were on top in second half which gives them a fighting chance now, it is a fantastic league, really entertaining and I think you will be doing well to find a more entertaining league this season – It’s still all to play for everybody’s still in the mix and there is still a lot of football to be played.
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Partick Thistle v Alloa Athletic

This was “The Wasps” first visit to Firhill now named “The Energy Check Stadium at Firhill since Season 2005/06, the game was played in horrendous conditions, driving icy rain, sleet and hailstones along with a biting wind.

Credit to both teams for serving up a very good 2 – 2 draw, Partick Thistle took the lead after 18 minutes when Jake Hastie fouled Christie Elliott and Kris Doolan made no mistake from the spot. Six minutes later “The Wasps” were level after a fantastic run into the box by Alan Trouten before squaring the ball back for Kevin Cawley to score his 55th goal for the club.

Partick Thistle’s second goal came from another set play, Blair Spittal getting two chances from his free kick as his original effort was blocked but rebounded straight back to him to put the home side back in front.

Alloa stepped up a gear in the second half, bossing possession and deservedly struck their equaliser just before the hour mark, Dario Zanatta firing home past Jamie Sneddon in the home goal.

Alloa looked dangerous in possession and could have scored more but lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. They thoroughly deserved the draw, having the best chances of the second half, however it was another chance lost to claim full points. No change in the league positions with all five games in the Ladbrokes Championship all ending in draws.

jim goodwin after draw at firhill

Prior to the game, we fancied ourselves coming here and we felt if we got at them we would have a chance of winning the game. There was nothing in the game up until the penalty, I would need to see it back again, I don’t know but it looked relatively soft from my point of view, I look at the two goals, I think in the first instance we don’t need to go to ground in the box to give the referee a decision to make, I think it was the linesman on the far side who eventually gives it and for second one from the free kick, we again go to ground and give away a free kick 30 yards from goal and Partick get the break of the ball, the wall does it job stands up and takes it but it came straight back to Spittal and he hits it through a crowd of bodies and it was very difficult for Neil Parry to do anything with.

From our point of view, I think our two goals were really well worked, Alan Trouten does really well for the first goal and the second one had a good passage of play on the far side a bit of one touch football with Iain Flannigan involved with a fantastic strike from Dario Zanatta. I suppose having been 2-1 down at half-time if you had offered me a point then I would have been delighted but I think over the whole balance of play I felt we played the better football on the day, without really having any real clear cut chances I thought we just shaded it.

The conditions were not great but we still tried to play, we knew Partick would try and exploit the space in behind and I don’t think we handled it as well as I would have liked in the first half, we spoke about it at half-time and we had a better line in the second half and denied them that space in behind which restricted them in the second half. Full credit to the players they have their Christmas night out tonight and I’m pleased they can go and enjoy it on the back of a positive result, they deserve it. We are almost half way through the season and they have been absolutely brilliant and the pleasing thing for me is there is still more to come from this group of players.

We have looked at both our last two games which have been drawn and believed both games were winnable, we had looked to get four points which would have been a great return as it stands we have only taken two points but it was better drawing the games than getting beat, the players character cannot ever be questioned being 2-1 down last week and drawing the game, anyone at the game would tell you we should have won the game and here today I think a draw was probably a fair result.
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