NOPOLISH
THE name may have been changed but the same cast of characters remain guilty as charged.
Defensive failings returned to haunt Rangers as they failed to make it three wins in a row for the first time under Pedro Caixinha at the Energy Glob... the Global Chec... the Check Ener... at Firhill.
Blair Spittal left Rangers in tears as a teenager when he was deemed surplus to requirements by his first love in football.
His second-half equaliser and assist for Chris Erskine – later dismissed for a bad lunge on Alfredo Morelos – left fans of his former club weeping as they continue to seek tangible signs of their club’s rebirth under Caixinha.
A four-goal win would have taken them to the Premiership summit but fans were again left fretting for signs of their side’s ability to go the distance as they failed to keep a clean sheet for the fifth time in six league games.
Morelos looked to have Rangers on course for three points when he fired them in front 19 minutes in with his eighth goal of the season.
But Rangers paid the price for wastefulness when Spittal and Erskine hit them with a one-two after the break.
Graham Dorrans fired a spectacular equaliser 14 minutes from time with the Jags down to 10 men but Thistle defended heroically as they avoided going six home games in a row without a win for the first time since 1932.
These teams must do it all again on Tuesday night in the Betfred Cup but it was the prospect of Rangers going into next weekend’s Old Firm game five points behind Celtic vexing the minds of the Light Blues legions as they streamed into the night.
It had started with a wonderful show of respect from both sets of supporters as the life of Thistle’s oldest fan Harry Calderhead, who passed away this month aged 98, was celebrated with warm applause before kick-off.
However, there was no such show of support from Rangers fans for Record Sport columnist and BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton who was the subject of scorn from the Jackie
WE WERE NOT USELESS AND WE ARE NOT RUTHLESS
edged chance two minutes into the second half when Daniel Candeias screwed a shot wide from 16 yards.
They were made to rue that miss three minutes later when Thistle equalised from a stunning setpiece, which had looked their most likely source of paydirt.