Own O goal shocker sums up Thistle’s day
partick thistLe 0
hiberNiaN 1
Barton (o.g. 48)
This is what happens to teams when they are at the bottom.
Partick Thistle put a lot into this game but ended up losing due to a freak own goal.
Alan Archibald’s side are now four points adrift of secondbottom Dundee but wins for them and Kilmarnock – plus Hamilton drawing at Hearts – left the home fans feeling as gloomy as the weather as they made their way home from Firhill.
Thistle travel to Rugby Park next weekend for a vital clash with Killie but Archibald claimed he wasn’t disheartened by their display here.
“We’re not too down about it,” he insisted.
“It wasn’t a poor performance by any manner of means. We’re going into a massive game against Kilmarnock so we’ve got to take the positives.
“It’s a vitally important game a we want to stay in touch with the teams round about us so it’s crucial we go and pick points up. This month will be huge. Going into January you want to be within touching distance or, even better, off the bottom.
“We have seven big games coming up.
“I’m hoping to get our injured players back. We’ve got five or six out at the moment so if we can get some of them back it will make a massive difference.”
The afternoon exploded into action after a quiet start when Anthony Stokes was inches away from putting Hibs in front as he only just failed to get a touch on Simon Murray’s cross as it fizzed across the face of Tomas Cerny’s goal.
Blair Spittal replied for Thistle with a free-kick from 25 yards which Ofir Marciano did well to keep out.
Spittal then sent Chris Erskine through on goal but Marciano was the hero again, making himself big to block the midfielder’s effort.
The goal, when it came, was a catastrophic one for the home side to concede. Jordan Turnbull was booked for fouling Dylan McGeouch on the edge of the 18-yard box and Anthony Stokes drove the freekick against the wall.
Fortunately for Hibs, Lewis Stevenson reacted quickly to float in a cross which came off the top of the static Adam Barton’s head. Cerny might have got to it but slipped and the ball trundled in.
Hibs had a few chances to kill the game on the break but, as long as they were only one ahead, there was hope for the Jags.
Sadly for them, Marciano was the Hibs hero again when sub Kris Doolan’s shot from Miles Storey’s cutback saw the ‘keeper going the wrong way but he managed to throw out his right leg and deflect the ball away from his goal.
However, Thistle are the lowest-scoring side in the top flight for a reason and they couldn’t salvage a point.
“The goal was disappointing to lose, and Tomas would probably have got there if he hadn’t slipped,” said Archibald.
“Adam doesn’t get a shout so he has to go and try to deal with it. It was a sore one to take. I thought we played ever so well and it was a good game of football. It was end to end at times and I thought we had a couple of the best chances in the game.
“Their goalie had two good saves and Tomas didn’t have too many to make so there are a lot of positives for us. The goal sums up our luck this season a little bit but we’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves.
“It’s probably the best we’ve played in terms of moving the ball and we got into some good areas. It’s a bit of bad luck and when you are down there that happens, we know that, that’s football.”