Archives | Partick Thistle 2 Dunfermline 1

Defeat to Partick Thistle ended Dunfermline`s promotion hopes. The team had come a long way this season to be able to finish in a play-off place but found the Jags just too big a hurdle at the end of a punishing end of season fixtures schedule.

It was a sunny night in Maryhill for the second leg of the William Hill Premiership Play-off Semi-final but Dunfermline were hit with a late blow with goalkeeper Aston Oxborough recalled by his parent club, Motherwell ahead of their final Premiership match away to Hibs.

Neil Lennon made just the one enforced change from the first leg Aston Oxborough replaced by Billy Terrell. Partick Thistle manager Mark Wilson made two changes Robbie Crawford and Alex Samuel coming in for Ts`oanelo Lets`osa and Tony Watt.

With the first leg ending 1-1, home advantage would favour the Jags especially given they went through the Championship season without losing a home game. One stat going Dunfermline`s way being that after St Johnstone they had the most away wins in the Championship and with 25 points the best away haul after the Perth side.

The teams were marched out led by referee Calum Scott and welcomed amidst a huge din. The Fifers had a super large travelling support while the home fans sang their Thistle song loudly and displayed yellow and red flags in rows across the John Lambie Stand. The Pars were hoping that it would be their supporters who would be singing at the end as the Jags kicked off attacking the goal at the open end of the stadium.

The first chance came within 90 seconds. Shea Kearney swung the ball out to Matty Todd on the left touchline who switched it for Robbie Fraser. His cross was met by Callumn Morrison 16 yards out but his connection was not enough to take an early lead.

Morrison was set up again in ninth minute, Chris Kane threading the ball forward to allow the Pars no.38 an angled shot from just inside the Thistle box that just cleared the crossbar. The home side sought something from an 11th minute free kick but Aidan Fitzpatrick`s lob into the right side of the Pars box only saw the stand side flag raised. Two minutes later Fitzpatrick forced the first corner of the match, the 25 year-old took it himself but Kieran Ngwenya comfortably headed clear.

Kane burst into the Thistle box to shoot and Dunfermline would have a corner of their own. Todd`s first went through the box and Andrew Tod played the ball off his man for a corner on the left. This time Todd`s delivery travelled through a busy six yard box to Ngwenya at the far post but agonisingly his header went the wrong side of the post.

Patrick`s best chance of the evening this far came in 22 minutes when Ben Stanway headed a Ben McPherson cross on target but Terrell was a match for it. Next Dan O`Reilly headed a Fitzpatrick corner narrowly over the Pars crossbar before play halted for Morrison to receive treatment to his right foot.

The former Falkirk man had recovered and in 34th minute played the ball back for Kearney to sweep the ball into the Thistle box where McPherson`s attempt to defend it only set up Charlie GILMOUR who found the net from 8 yards out. 0-1

Unlike the first leg this time Dunfermline held on to their lead although it took a save from Terrell to achieve that. Then Fitzpatrick`s cross fizzed across the Pars box before Kane conceded a free kick that Oisin Smyth tested Pars keeper who did well to keep out a well connected effort. Thistle corners followed but the Fifers defence held.

Dunfermline had competed strongly in the opening 45 minutes, they had created good opportunities and were deserved of their half time lead. You could sense nerves seeping through the home support and you had to wonder if that would be reflected on the park by their team in the second half?

Half Time: Partick Thistle 0 Dunfermline 1

The second 45 would determine who would face St Mirren in the Premiership Play-off Final. The home side introduced another striker with Tony Watt replacing Robbie Crawford and their fans rejoiced with a 47th minute corner. That was easily defended but it was clear early on that Partick were going to throw everything into turning the tie around.

In just the fifth minute of the half Terrell came out and blocked as Smyth burst through on him. The ball was trapped by Amade and the keeper could have picked up the ball but he drove his clearance on to the back of Thistle striker Samuel`s shirt and rebounded for Logan CHALMERS to slot home into the unguarded net. It was a disastrous way to lose a goal in such an important match. 1-1

Within a minute Morrison came extremely close to restoring the lead but his whistling shot was just ever so narrowly off target. Tod`s 59th minute cross almost put Kane in but just a corner came from it that the home defence held.

A double substitution was made for the Pars with Josh Cooper and Nurudeen Abdulia replacing Chris Kane and Alfons Amade before in 64 minutes Chalmers got through one on one with the keeper but Terrell came out to narrow his angle and the former Dundee United man shot wide. Kearney headed behind when Chalmers delivered dangerous cross from the right and two Abdulai headers cleared the danger.

The outcome was finely balanced, both sides were doing their best to find a winner, great for the neutrals watching live on BBC Scotland but Jags and Pars fans were on the edge of their seats. A Chalmers blast was deflected behind by Chilokoa-Mullen again the corner was defended but it was an opportunistic goal from Alex SAMUEL that would put Thistle head in 75th minute. The defence seamed distracted by a Thistle down in the box and the Welshman grabbed his chance. 2-1

John Tod and then Lucas Fyfe were thrown on as Dunfermline pushed for the equaliser. The Fifers applied the pressure, a Morrison cross just evaded A Tod, Fraser lofted a ball that required defended, Cooper blasted high over the bar and the Jags progressed to the Premiership Play-off Final courtesy of their 2-1 scoreline., 3-2 on aggregate

PARTICK THISTLE: Josh Clarke: Ben McPherson (Cammy Logan 73), Lee Ashcroft (c), Dan O`Reilly (Cale Loughrey 63), Paddy Reading: Logan Chalmers, Robbie Crawford (Tony Watt HT), Ben Stanway, Oisin Smyth, Aidan Fitzpatrick (Ts`oanelo Lets`osa 90): Alex Samuel
SUBS NOT USED: Luke McBeth, Gary Mackay-Steven, Kyle Turner, Fraser Taylor, Lewis Budinauckas (GK)
SCORER: Chalmers (50)
YELLOW CARD: Loughrey (83)

DUNFERMLINE: Billy Terrell: Shea Kearney (Lucas Fyfe 84), Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (c), Kieran Ngwenya, Robbie Fraser: Matty Todd (John Tod 78), Charlie Gilmour, Alfons Amade (Nurudeen Abdulai 62), Callumn Morrison, Andrew Tod, Chris Kane (Josh Cooper 62)
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Benedictus, Chris Hamilton, Keith Bray, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
SCORER: Gilmour (34)
YELLOW CARD: Abdulai (90+3)

REFEREE: Calum Scott
ATTENDANCE: 8044
WEATHER: Sunny Intervals 11°C

NEXT MATCH: Scottish Cup Final v Celtic, Saturday 23rd May 2026, kick off 3.00pm at the National Stadium

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