Partick Thistle 1 - 2 Inverness CT

League (Playoff) - Quarter Final 1st. Leg
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022, 7:05 PM at Firhill Stadium, Glasgow
Attendance: 2,919
Referee: Steven McLean
Partick Thistle Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Robbie Crawford (54) Shane Sutherland (71)
Austin Samuels (82)

Team Managers
Ian McCall Billy Dodds

Starting Eleven
Jamie Sneddon
Ciaran McKenna
Kevin Holt
Tunji Akinola
Stephen Hendrie
Robbie Crawford
Stuart Bannigan
Ross Docherty
Alex Jakubiak
Brian Graham
Scott Tiffoney
Mark Ridgers
Kirk Broadfoot
Robbie Deas
Daniel Devine
Sean Welsh
Reece McAlear
David Carson
Tom Walsh
Logan Chalmers
Shane Sutherland
Billy Mckay

Bench
Ricky Foster
Cammy Smith
Andy Firth
Steven Bell
Connor Murray
Juan Alegria
Ben Stanway
Cameron Mackay
Cameron Harper
Scott Allardice
Lewis Hyde
Austin Samuels
Joe Hardy

Substitutions
Juan Alegria -> Alex Jakubiak (74)
Cammy Smith -> Brian Graham (86)
Lewis Hyde for Tom Walsh (19)
Austin Samuels for Lewis Hyde (60)
Cameron Harper for Logan Chalmers (75)
Joe Hardy for Billy Mckay (75)

Bookings
Stephen Hendrie (40)
Brian Graham (76)
Logan Chalmers (49)
Austin Samuels (92)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Ridgers (GK) 191 apps -
Daniel Devine 147 apps5 goals
Kirk Broadfoot 41 apps2 goals
Robbie Deas 78 apps1 goal
Sean Welsh 103 apps13 goals
Reece McAlear 38 apps4 goals
David Carson 90 apps1 goal
Tom Walsh 103 apps16 goals
Billy Mckay 195 apps81 goals
Logan Chalmers 13 apps5 goals
Shane Sutherland 159 apps21 goals
Cameron Harper (sub) 70 apps2 goals
Lewis Hyde (sub) 11 apps -
Austin Samuels (sub) 14 apps2 goals
Joe Hardy (sub) 13 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Reece McAlear (20 years 85 days)
Oldest Player:Kirk Broadfoot (37 years 277 days)
Average Player Age:28 years 181 days
Domestic Players:8 (72.73 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Lewis Hyde (19 years 297 days)
Oldest Player:Kirk Broadfoot (37 years 277 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 72 days
Domestic Players:12 (70.59 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Advantage Inverness



The first leg of the Premiership Play-Offs saw Inverness travel to Glasgow to take on the Maryhill Magyars as a place in the top division beckoned. Neither side were able to dominate on the Firhill tattie field and they went in goalless at the break although Logan Chalmers looked to be impeded as he tried to get a shot away. Crawford opened the scoring when he got onto a reverse ball from Graham to shoot high into the net from inside the box to put Partick in the driving seat. Inverness turned it round in the second half with goals from Shane Sutherland and Austin Samuels and it's back to the Highlands on Friday night to conclude this tie.

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Aaron Doran was missing along with Wallace Duffy and Roddy MacGregor as the fragility of both squads reared it's ugly head. Scott Allardice was a surprise inclusion on the Inverness bench, his return kept quiet. Lewis Mayo was a big miss for the Jagsters but as expected, Brian Graham and Scott Tiffoney took their place in an attack minded Partick Starting XI.

A frantic opening on the tattie field pitch saw a snapshot from players player of the year Shane Sutherland go wide inside five minutes. In the tenth minute Sean Welsh was just beaten to the ball by Crawford as he bust into the box.

Unfortunately Tom Walsh took a knock as he tried to shoot and the result of that was Lewis Hyde coming on to replace the wide midfielder in the twentieth minute.

From a corner Mark Ridgers snatched a ball on his line as Tunji Akinola knocked goalwards and Kirk Broadfoot was the third Inverness player to receive treatment for his troubles in trying to defend. Scott Tiffoney lashed a ball over the bar after yet another corner with neither keeper overly troubled so far.

Inverness were denied a penalty when Logan Chalmers appeared to be blocked off from taking a shot by Akinola inside the box, but the referee was not interested. Seen them given, also seen them denied.

In truth the intensity of the game and state of the pitch made for a scrappy affair as neither side was able to impose themselves on the game in the first forty-five.

Some frantic defending and missed clearances led to an opportunity for Partick but we weathered the mini-storm. At the other end a Reece McAlear free kick was thumped into the body of keeper Sneddon five minutes before the break. A minute before the interval and Billy Mckay dollied a shot towards goal which Sneddon gathered easily.

Last effort of the first half fell to Robbie Deas wide on the left side of the box but after he brought the ball down well he dragged it across the goal without troubling the kepper.

HALF TIME : 0-0

Six minutes into the half and Ridgers flopped on the ball just as Brian Graham pulled the trigger from one yard. However a minute later Partick opened the scoring after a neat ball through from Graham found Robbie Crawford who hit the ball high past Ridgers from ten yards.

Samuels replaced Hyde as Sutherland volleyed over, but Partick appeared motivated by their goal.

Sutherland showed good feet to get a shot away but it just cleared the corner of the bar. He did better ten minutes later after Billy Mckay hit a powerful shot towards goal. Sneddon parried it but it fell to Sutherland who knocked in the rebound from eight yards to restore parity.

Wow! A complete cock up by David Carson allowed Alegria a tremendous chance but the striker curled his shot over when he should have scored. A let off for Inverness after a slip by Carson.

Substitute Austin Samuels put the visitors ahead when he got on the end of a sublime cross from Sutherland to score from six yards and that was enough to turn the game around and put Inverness in pole position.

Great away performance from the Caley Jags and our only worry is injuries to key players with Walsh taking a sore one tonight.

A hard fought win on a disgrace of a pitch which apparently will be in use tomorrow for another play-off game. God save the grass

Match report written by tm4tj