Lawless leaves it late to restore order

Partick Thistle 2 Erskine 82, Lawless 90 Queen of the South 1 Lindsay (og) 48

THERE will be some still unsure about the new format of what is now known as the Betfred Cup but at least the competition’s early start provides supporters and players with genuinely competitive games.

This tie at Firhill had some real zip about it from start to finish because it actually mattered. Both sides played well, Partick Thistle won with a last minute goal and Queen of the South showed they have enough about them to give the Championship big boys a scare or two.

“I was a real advocate for this format when it came in,” said Alan Archibald, the Partick Thistle manager. “We showed good character and I hope we can take that into the league season.”

Thistle were almost overly generous hosts when on four minutes Ziggy Gordon, a summer signing from Hamilton, passed the ball straight to Queen of the South’s veteran striker Derek Lyle wwhose curled shot hit the bottom of the post.

Thistle played some good football. They moved the ball around well, especially on 20 minutes in a move that ended with David Amoo crossing to the back post for Ade Azeez who looked certain to score but somehow put his header past.

Moments after that, after some more slick passing and good movement, Callum Booth centred for Amoo whose header was superbly saved by Lee Robinson, he pushed the effort onto the bar, and the goalkeeper even had enough about him to catch the ball on the line.

Then on 31 minutes, Thistle’s Chris Erskine made a great run from midfield, got the ball on his left foot just outside the box and his effort was brilliantly blocked by Andy Dowie.

The men from Dumfries should have gone behind on 33 minutes. Erskine fed a pass to Gordon who had got up from right-back, his cross-cum-shot was kept out by the diving Robinson, and the ball fell to Amoo who looked certain to score only for Dowie to produce another goal-saving block.

At the other end, and on the brink of half-time, Mark Millar rattled the crossbar with a fine shot from distance. Queens were to score within minutes of the restart.

Lyle produced a superb low cross from the right, Dale Hilson got there inside the six-yard box and while the ball may have come off a Thistle man last, he claimed the goal.

How Queen of the South did not add to their lead on 77 minutes is a mystery. As the ball broke loose inside the Thistle box, Hilson raised his boot high to get off a shot, it came back off the inside of the post, the ball broke to Steven Rigg but from a few yards out he couldn’t get his shot in, the ball was blocked by Sean Welsh.

Thistle did score with eight minutes to go. A Callum Booth cross was met by Mathias Pogba whose header was somehow kept out by Robinson. The ball was only cleared to Erskine who guided his show into the bottom corner.

Then on 90 minutes, Gordon crossed, Pogba headed back across goal and Steven Lawless was on hand to volley home the winner.

Gavin Skelton, the Queen of the South manager, said: “The players gave me everything.”