Archives | Dunfermline 2 Partick Thistle 2

Seventh-placed Dunfermline returned to KDM Group East End Park on Tuesday evening looking to end a run of back-to-back defeats when they hosted second-placed Partick Thistle in a rearranged William Hill Championship fixture. Their opponents have been among the division`s most consistent sides, accumulating 47 points and losing just four league games all season, though all of those defeats have come away from home. All the momentum, on paper at least, appeared to favour the visitors `“ but with the backing of the East End Park faithful, Dunfermline would have been hoping to make that home advantage count.

Neil Lennon brought in goalkeeper Aston Oxborough on loan from Motherwell and started Chris Kane for the first time since early October. Kieran Ngwenya returned after serving a one match suspension. Shea Kearney and Olly Thomas dropped to the bench.

Partick Thistle manager Mark Wilson made two changes bringing in Oisin Smyth and Aidan Fitzpatrick for Kyle Turner and Alex Samuel.

The Maryhill side kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end and it was the visitors who created the first chance of the evening in just third minute, with Fitzpatrick getting to the right byeline to crash the ball across the six yard box. Ben Stanway got in a powerful effort that Nurudeen Abdulai kept out with his chest and the same player dispatched a shot three minutes further on, over the crossbar from 25 yards out.

Fitzpatrick continued to be the threat and the second of two 15th minute crosses from the left led to the opening goal. Tony Watt headed the ball down and back to goal, Robbie Crawford teed it up for Logan Chalmers to drive his shot between Ngwenya and Gilmour and given Oxborough no chance of preventing it hitting the Pars net. 0-1

Thistle had the ball in the Pars net again five minutes later after headers from Lee Ashcroft and Dan O`Reilly caused the ball to be forced over the line but fortunately referee Dan McFarlane ruled that out due to a foul on Oxborough. Callumn Morrison released a 23rd minute shot on target that was blocked but the game got bogged down between the two penalty boxes for a spell.

When Robbie Fraser raced forward exchanging a pass with Matty Todd he was able to get to the byeline and cut the ball back through the Thistle box but the defence were first to it. Ashcroft cleared a Morrison cross and there was a really good chance from a 39th minute free kick delivered from the left by Todd. Ngwenya headed the ball across the box but Thistle got the ball away as Kane looked like striking.

Charlie Gilmour had an effort blocked after a Morrison cross hard been headed down towards him by Fraser. A clever backheeler from Kane reached the Jags keeper before Tod. Dunfermline had put plenty of pressure on Partick for the final 15 minutes of the half and it felt like they had to capitalise on that.

The final chance of the half fell to Gilmour from another Todd free kick but again Thistle scrambled that away.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Partick Thistle 1

A 50th minute equaliser brought real hope for the second half. Abdulai was warned by the referee as he was jostled in front of goal at Todd`s corner from the left. When the corner was taken, Freddie Turley rifled a shot in from the edge of the box, the ball took a deflection as it travelled through a ruck of players and ABDULAI was perfectly placed to stab the ball home. 1-1

The Pars came very close to scoring again in 61 minutes. Fraser burst up the left channel, fed Todd on the wing and the cross just required a touch but unluckily Tod couldn`t get the necessary touch. Then in 66 minutes Partick regained the lead through Alex SAMUEL. The substitute had only been on the park six minutes when the 30 year-old Welshman accepted Watt`s flick on to a long free kick from keeper Josh Clarke to clinically finishing from the right side of the box into the top right. 1-2

Both sides made substitutions with 20 minutes remaining which meant Josh Cooper and Olly Thomas replaced Matty Todd and Chris Kane. The Pars almost found the equaliser in 82 minutes but when Morrison got on the end of an inviting Fraser cross the right post denied the 26 year-old.

Fraser won a 91st minute free kick on the left, Cooper fired the ball deep into the Thistle box, Chilokoa-Mullen and then Thomas tried to finish and in a scramble in front of goal NGWENYA forced the ball home.

The 2-2 draw was deserved and with Queens Park finding a late equaliser against St Johnstone there was no change at the top of the table but the Pars point took them up to sixth equal on points with Raith Rovers and Morton.

DUNFERMLINE: Aston Oxborough: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (c), Nurudeen Abdulai (Shea Kearney 88), Kieran Ngwenya: Matty Todd (Josh Cooper 71), Freddie Turley (Alfons Amade 71), Charlie Gilmour, Robbie Fraser: Callumn Morrison (Keith Bray 83), Chris Kane (Olly Thomas 71), Andrew Tod.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Benedictus, Chris Hamilton, Alasdair Davidson, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
SCORERS: Abdulai (50), Ngwenya (90+2)
YELLOW CARD: Fraser (62), Cooper (89)

PARTICK THISTLE: Josh Clarke; Ben McPherson (Cale Loughrey 70), Lee Ashcroft (c), Dan O`Reilly (Luke McBeth 70), Paddy Reading: Oisin Smyth, Robbie Crawford (Kyle Turner 78), Ben Stanway (Ts`oanelo Lets`osa HT), Logan Chalmers (Alex Samuel 60), Tony Watt, Aidan Fitzpatrick
SUBS NOT USED: Ricco Diack, Lewis Budinauckas (GK)
SCORERS: Chalmers (15), Samuel (66)
YELLOW CARDS: O`Reilly (22), Fitzpatrick (32), Watt (46), Smyth (65)

REFEREE: Dan McFarlane
ATTENDANCE: 5246 (inc 706 away fans)
WEATHER: Overcast 10°C