Doolan sets top-six Thistle party alight
SUDDENLY, sitting on your seat just did not seem appropriate any more. The natives of this peculiar three-sided structure, which looked resplendent in the spring sunshine, rose as one in the 85th minute to verbally salute their leader.
There will come a time when Alan Archibald will leave Partick Thistle. The talent he possesses as a manager means it is inevitable. When that juncture arrives, it will be days such as this he will look back on and cherish most.
History was in the air. Harry Calderhead is one of the most well-kent faces around these parts and celebrated his 98th birthday on Friday, having hardly missed a game since first venturing to Firhill back in the 1940s.
No doubt old Harry’s would have been one of the voices echoing around this place, chanting the name of a manager who has officially secured Thistle’s place in the top six and has guaranteed the club its highest league finish since 1981.
‘We have come through the bad times — there have been times the club has been maligned and laughed at,’ said Archibald with the passion of a man who clearly holds the club dear to his heart.
Thistle were bottom of the table in December. Their transformation over the second half of the season means it will be Archibald who is entitled to the last laugh on this occasion.
‘These are different times now,’ he added. ‘I’m glad we don’t have to worry about being in the bottom six because, trust me, that’s a horrible feeling.
‘The fans have been brilliant for me and they have been through a lot of hard times and now they can enjoy this.’
Thistle midfielder Chris Erskine said: ‘He’s one of the best managers in the country. This proves it. I wouldn’t be surprised if other clubs are looking at him. He’s that good.’
Despite the sunshine and the feelgood factor in Maryhill, speaking to the locals prior to kick-off revealed murmurs of apprehension. That they might somehow ambush their own sevenmatch (now eight) unbeaten run and falter with the top six in sight.
A sense of pessimism comes with the territory when you follow the Jags. But it was misplaced this time, with any nerves being settled after 11 minutes.
Ryan Edwards spread the ball wide to Christie Elliott on the left. He prodded the ball forward into the channel, where Erskine sold a beautiful dummy to Ben Heneghan.
Running clear into space, Erskine whipped a delicious ball across the face of goal. The Motherwell defence simply could not cope with the speed at which the move happened.
They were stretched and disorganised; exactly the type of flaws which Kris Doolan has spent a career punishing. Typically elusive and predatory, he made no mistake in slotting his 13th goal of the season and his 102nd in a Thistle jersey.
Adam Barton, all silk and Cruyff turns in the middle of the park, was pulling the strings as Thistle dominated. On 26 minutes, he delicately bent a free-kick up and over the visitors’ wall. Craig Samson was well beaten, but the ball dipped just wide of target.
Motherwell were toiling, with boss Stephen Robinson admitting afterwards: ‘Our heads dropped after Partick scored. It wasn’t good enough.
‘You can’t just switch off for half an hour as we did. I was angry at half-time and again at full-time. The players didn’t seem to understand what was at stake.’
Zak Jules typified Motherwell’s struggles with a series of rash decisions and wild clearances. That he has two Scotland Under-21 caps to Liam Lindsay’s zero is a glaring oversight from the SFA.
The frustration for Thistle was that their dominance only resulted in a one-goal lead at the interval. Stevie Lawless struck the crossbar and Doolan came close to a second in the closing stages of the half.
Motherwell improved drastically in the second half and thought they had equalised when Jules thundered a header towards goal, only for Tomas Cerny to reach behind himself and claw the ball away one-handed from the line.
Thistle survived a couple of scary moments near the end. But, just three points ahead of them, perhaps it is fifth-placed Hearts who should now be scared most of all.