SMILES BETTER!
Penrice believes cup win can help lift Firhill gloom
(AET: 1-1 after 90 minutes)
PARTICK THISTLE fans have suffered a torrid time of late. Troubles off the park have left them fretting at the direction their club is headed, while a stuttering start to their league campaign has done little to lift spirits.
James Penrice hopes the Betfred Cup victory over Premiership opponents Ross County can give the Firhill faithful something to smile about as the young left-back proclaimed the Jags have now set themselves a standard for the season ahead.
Penrice is a product of Thistle’s academy and has spent the majority of his career in Maryhill.
He did, however, enjoy a short loan spell at Livingston during the early part of their promotion season under David Hopkin when they ultimately went up via the play-offs at Thistle’s expense.
And while he didn’t get to enjoy the Lions’ promotion party, Penrice can see signs in the Jags’ dressing room that they can replicate Livingston’s success and secure the ultimate aim of promotion at the end of the campaign.
‘When Livingston went through in the play-offs, they didn’t have much,’ said Penrice. ‘The budget was small but everyone got behind each other and had a strong group of lads. We’ve got that here.
‘Obviously, the first two results in the league haven’t been brilliant but this win can be the turning point for us. That’s the standard we’ve now set ourselves.
‘That’s a Premier League team who we’ve played off the park and deserved to go through.
‘The fans were brilliant — so loud. Even at the end when they have stuck around it’s fantastic to see because it’s not easy for them right now. They’re going through a lot of stuff and it is hard for them. Hopefully, that result can put a wee smile on their faces.
‘It’s massive to get through to the quarter-final of the cup, you can’t ask for much more than that.
‘It was hard out there today, especially when they went 1-0 up.
‘But it was a brilliant fight from the lads and going into extra-time I thought we looked brilliant.
‘Both teams were struggling (with fitness) but we looked the fitter bunch and that is what has got us the win in the end.’
For a time, it looked as though the Championship side were crashing out of the competition after ex-playmaker Blair Spittal came back to haunt his old club with the opening strike on the hour. He enjoyed his celebrations, too — signalling to the Thistle fans in the Jackie Husband stand that he had silenced them.
As it turned out his confidence was misplaced.
Veteran striker Kenny Miller levelled the match late on to take the game to extra-time where Penrice proved to be the catalyst for the only lower-league side victory over Premiership opposition in the last-16 ties.
The 20-year-old rifled a stunning free-kick into the back of the net via the post and, following an equaliser from Harry Paton, he supplied the assist for Steven Saunders’ winner to send the Maryhill club through to face holders Celtic at Parkhead in the quarter-finals.
While the young full-back lacks the experience Miller has gathered over an illustrious career, he had to put the 39-year-old in his place as they stood over the free-kick.
‘Kenny was warning me about the wind, but I kept telling him: “I can get it round that wall”. He wasn’t so sure, but I was confident, so he told me to go for it. Then when I scored he just said: “Listen to your old da”,’ joked Penrice.
‘We work on free-kicks in training — I did it a lot last year. But come matchdays I didn’t really get the chance because we have other free-kick takers. But Joe (Cardle) had gone off and I fancied it the way it was. Luckily, it’s gone in.
‘I didn’t even see it go in because I curled it around the wall which had jumped up. Then I just heard Kenny shouting and I was away.
‘Kenny’s been massive since coming in. The guy’s played at the highest level, he’s scored goals for Scotland. He brings intelligence as well on the park when he’s talking to you — it’s brilliant for the boys.
‘You need to listen to him because he has got the experience and knows what he is talking about, so it has paid off today.’