SKIPPY’S ROBBED

Sc o t t McDonald savoured the goal that rescued a point for Well then insisted a blundering linesman robbed him of a double.

Skippy watched the replay of his 64th-minute header that was chalked off by Alan Mulvanny’s flag afterwards and discovered he was wel l onside.

McDona ld still pounced to nod home seven minutes from time to c a nc e l out Chris Erskine’s first-half opener but the Aussie said: “Getting the goal after hav ing one di s a l lowed doesn’t make up for the one that was chalked off.

“The game might have changed if it had been given. I am not offside at any point of the build-up.

“I am on the linesman’s side of the box and it’s incredible. I Partick Th Motherwell said to the referee at the time it was a wrong decision and I had a stare at the linesman!

“I could see Ziggy Gordon the whole time and I knew I was not offside.”

Three games unbeaten and on the back of a 4-2 derby win over Hamilton, you expected so much more from Well yet they were insipid, ineffectual and in trouble in a dreadful first-half display.

McDonald added: “The first half was horrible. We were 11 individuals and not a team like we were against Hamilton.

“We didn’t look like we knew what we were doing. After the break they had chances but we were pushing on and we were much better.”

Ryan Bowman did muscle clear of Liam Lindsay from Stevie Hammell’s long ball in that first half but Ryan Scully clawed the lob away and soon Well had leaked a shocker at the other end.

When you are mired in the sort of worrying early- season run that saw the Jags rooted to the bottom of the table one slice of fortune can change the entire complexion. Archibald’s side got it from the unlikeliest of sources after a catastrophic error from Well veteran Hammell.

Through 610 professional games the 34-year- old left-back has laced his game with reliability. Yet in the 31st minute he turned inside, didn’t check for danger and played a horrific backpass straight into the path of Erskine who guided home his fifth of the season.

Erskine was at the centre of everything good for Thistle and after the break he timed his pass perfectly to send Ade Azeez clean through only for the former Wimbledon striker to wastefully screw his finish wide.

Azeez makes great runs but needs to develop a killer touch to match them. The tireless Adam Barton fed him again on the hour mark but this time the left-foot finish was wayward.

And it seemed Thistle had paid a hefty price for his wastefulness when Well skipper Keith Lasley lofted in a free- kick and Ben Heneghan headed back across goal for McDonald to nod home.

Skippy had incurred the wrath of the home faithful with what they saw as a dive earlier so the linesman’s flag that chalked the goal off for offside was greeted with raucous delight.

The outstanding Ryan Edwards so nearly eased the suffering with a thrilling 30-yarder that ripped past Craig Samson but cannoned wide off the outside of the post.

Fed by sub Sean Welsh, Azeez saw yet another shot beaten away by Samson before Jags suffered the hammer blow of that late equaliser.

Richard Tait’s delivery had been top drawer all day and he cut back on to his left foot to curl in another pearl. McDonald did what he does best to peel off back post and nod into the roof of the net.

The Well goal hero – who operated on the left then switched to striker – said: “It was a terrific delivery from Richard for the goal.

“I’m a senior player now, I still want to score goals and play my natural position but I’m that age now where I put the team first.

“I’m not as selfish as I was when I was younger – I leave that to Moulty now!”