Ayr United 0
Partick Thistle 0
League (First Division)

Match Report

On a wet and windy night at Somerset Park on Wednesday night manager Jackie McNamara made two changes to his side that had started against Culter in the Scottish Cup at the weekend. Injury ruled out David Rowson, an ever present till this point, and Scott Robertson with the available again Kyle Hutton and Conrad Balatoni drafted back into the team in their place. Despite the rain in the days leading up to the game, rain that continued to fall throughout most of the game, the underfoot conditions were excellent. Overhead less so with a strong swirling wind not helping the game as spectacle any.

Thistle though started well and a Chris Erskine run was only halted illegally just a yard or two outside the Ayr box in a central position. Against Culter at the weekend Paul Cairney struck the bar from a very similar position. This time, however, he could only tamely clip the top of the Ayr wall, although Thistle did win an unproductive corner kick. Thistle continued to make the early running and Cairney, with 7 goals to his name already this season, tried his luck from the edge of the box but could only send the ball high into the Ayr sky and over the bar. The overhead conditions were clearly having a negative impact on the quality of the game and it was the 29th minute before we had a genuine near thing in front of either goal. A corner on the Ayr left was headed on, and Michael Moffat’s header looked set to find the net only for a combination of Scott Fox and a defender to clear the ball off the line. That was the closest that Ayr would come to a goal in the first half with Thistle’s best opportunity coming 7 minutes later, and it really should have produced the game’s opening goal. Christie Elliott squared the ball from the right to Chris Erskine ten yards from goal. Erskine tried to steer the ball into the corner of the net, and while Cuthbert did look beaten Erskine’s effort crept wide of goal. An undistinguished half finished with Kyle Hutton sending a shot well wide of goal from 25 yards out.

With conditions is anything worsening at the start of the second half it was Thistle that had the first chance of the second 45 minutes. In the 53rd minute Kyle Huuton pushed on from midfield before knocking through a pass for Tommy Stewart. Stewart shot first time and saw his effort thud off the body of Cuthbert in the United goal. Neither side could be accused of lacking effort but clear cut chances continued to be at a premium. Although Thistle were playing arguably the better football what chances there were came for the home side. A Mark Roberts shot on the turn taking a deflection over Scott Fox’s crossbar before, in the 65th minute, the Thistle keeper had to adjust his body to claw away another deflected effort, this time from Michael McGowan. There was a moment of anxiety in the 78th minute when Alan Archibald’s touch back to Scott Fox was a little short but a well timed challenge from Conrad Balatoni snuffed out any danger. With time starting to run out Chris Erskine sent in a good ball from the left hand side, sub Kris Doolan was able to slide across to meet the ball but the close attention of an Ayr defender prevented him from being able to direct the ball on target. In Thistle’s next attack Chris Erskine did have the ball in the net but any Thistle celebrations were cut short by a raised flag for offside. On the 90 minute mark Thistle came close again. Kris Doolan was able to turn inside the box and tried to find the far corner but saw his effort go narrowly wide.

Match report written by Partick Thistle Official Website