Win a fitting tribute to much-loved Lambie
Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald believes Firhill legend John Lambie is still helping to inspire the club.
The Jags moved off the bottom of the table with a dramatic win on an emotional day when football paid tribute to the former manager.
A game between Partick Thistle and Hamilton Accies, just four days after his funeral, couldn’t have been more appropriate – he had four spells in the home dugout and had great success managing the visitors.
Supporters unfurled banners acclaiming the great man in the newly-named John Lambie Stand and everyone rose for a minute’s applause before kick-off.
Then we witnessed a game of ups and downs that mirrored Lambie’s career.
Partick Thistle looked down and out when they started the second half one-down, but stormed back to grab a vital victory.
Alan Archibald said: “I think John would have loved it at the end.
“He was about spirit and creating a good dressing room and you could see we had that at the end.
“I think it was a fitting tribute to a good man.
“We started really well and the tribute to John helped the boys to start brightly.
“We went a goal behind against the run of play but we showed spirit to come back.
“I think the boys got caught up in the atmosphere a little bit and we went for it a bit too much.
“At half-time we told them a goal would come and it did.”
Thistle dominated possession from the outset and created pretty, passing patterns but couldn’t create chances.
Accies went ahead just before half-time when David Templeton ran at a retreating home defence and curled the ball into the corner of the net.
Thistle then summoned up the spirit of Lambie and scored for the first time in 595 minutes of play.
Booth crossed from the left and Kris Doolan was given bags of time to nod home the 100th league goal of his career.
From that moment on, there was only going to be one winner.
The ball was cleared after a stramash in the visitors’ box and substitute Ryan Edwards fired the ball through a ruck of players and into the net.
Thistle kept their composure – although there was a big dust-up involving most of the players following a wild foul by Jenkins and Erskine – and saw the game out in confident style.
Hamilton boss Martin Canning was disappointed to see his side lose two goals.
And he was just as upset that Marios Ogkmpoe was denied a penalty in the first half.
Canning said: “The frustrating thing is that we were ahead and creating chances.
“We also had a stonewall penalty in the first half which wasn’t given.
“It could have been a red card for Cerny as well.
“The referee said that our players’ reaction made him think it wasn’t a penalty.
“Our players shouldn’t have to react – it’s his job to see fouls and to give it.”
Before the game, John Lambie’s daughter, Janet, addressed the crowd and spoke of the family’s pride at having a stand named after him.
She said: “My dad loved the Jags’ fans, who stuck with him through thick and thin.”
Right now they’re sticking by their team at a difficult time.
The jubilant supporters bounced out of the ground chanting: “There’s only one Johnny Lambie”.
He would have loved it!