Lyle laps up the plaudits as Partick punish Motherwell
LYLE TAYLOR recently began his international career, scoring on his debut for Montserrat last month. However, his strike in the World Cup qualifying tie against Curacao is unlikely to have been greeted with as much enthusiasm as the Maryhill crowd displayed for his double here.
The 25-year-old struck twice from a yard out to lift the Jags into eighth place and ease their fears of being dragged into the play-off battle.
He left the field to a standing ovation 11 minutes from time and milked every second of his walk to the touchline.
With five post-split fixtures still to play, Thistle have equalled their points total for the whole of the previous campaign and, more tellingly, they have moved seven points clear of second-bottom Motherwell.
It’s the first time they have won three home league games in a row since John Lambie was manager back in December 2002.
The Lanarkshire side arrived at Firhill seeking a fourth successive league victory (and their seventh in eight games against Thistle) but they left well beaten.
In truth, the scoreline flattered them. After a reasonably bright start, they fell out of the match and could easily have lost by a wider margin.
It might have been very different if they had seized the initiative when they had the chance. In fact Motherwell really ought to have taken the lead in the second minute, courtesy of a lapse in concentration from Thistle holding midfielder Abdul Osman.
His short passback was intercepted by Scott McDonald and, with Scott Fox stranded in no-man’s land, the little Aussie supplied John Sutton.
The striker could have rolled the ball to the unmarked Stephen Pearson but went for goal instead, only to be denied by a desperate block from Conrad Balatoni, who deflected his shot wide.
Sutton spurned another chance on the half-hour mark, sending a free header yards wide after being picked out by Lionel Ainsworth’s free-kick.
Thistle’s first chance came four minutes later, when Ryan Stevenson just failed to get a touch to Taylor’s driven cross.
Overall, though, the standard from both sides was lower than expected. Any time a player found himself in possession, the ball was immediately despatched elsewhere — sometimes to a team-mate, often to an opponent, but mostly into space.
However, the home side finally managed to get their supporters out of their seats when they broke the deadlock eight minutes after the restart.
McDonald brought down Stephen O’Donnell on the far touchline and Frederic Frans was left unmarked at the far post when Kallum Higginbotham floated in the resulting free-kick.
The Belgian could have attempted to score himself but unselfishly elected to head the ball back across the face of the goal, where Taylor was on hand to nod home.
With the away side in disarray, visiting goalkeeper George Long was called into action in the 58th minute, racing from his line to turn Taylor’s netbound shot over the bar.
The second goal was merely delayed by a matter of seconds. Higginbotham released Callum Booth on the left and his driven cross was met by Taylor.
Long managed to stop his initial effort but the striker had a simple task to tap the rebound behind his former Sheffield United team-mate.
Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough sent on teenager Dominic Thomas for Ainsworth in an attempt to revive his side’s fortunes but the hosts continued to surge forward. Long did well to beat away a venomous drive from Steven Lawless.
Taylor blotted his copybook by becoming involved in an off-the-ball altercation with Motherwell captain Keith Lasley and a yellow card was brandished at both players by referee Bobby Madden.
Substitute Stuart Carswell was cautioned for hauling back Stuart Bannigan by the jersey as the Partick midfielder burst past him and he was ordered off for fouling Stevenson from behind in the 89th minute, which Mr Madden correctly decided was a second bookable offence.
Kris Doolan had a decent chance to improve Thistle’s goal difference but sliced his shot high and wide from 18 yards.
As far as Motherwell were concerned, though, the damage had already been done.