Firhill fightback is a fitting tribute to late Jags legend Lambie
THIS was exactly the kind of madcap afternoon John Lambie would have loved as Partick Thistle came from behind to win for the first time in 11 games, hoisted themselves off the foot of the table, ended a 595-minute goal drought and finished up with a mass brawl.
Supporters of both clubs had paid homage to their former manager, who died earlier this month, prior to the kick-off. Thistle, whom he was in charge of on four separate occasions (the final one as caretaker) also opened the stand named after him yesterday.
Lambie’s widow, daughters and grandchildren spoke movingly about the maverick on the pitch and thanked the club for honouring him in that fashion. Current Thistle manager Alan Archibald claimed that the victory was an appropriate send-off to his old boss.
‘John would have loved it at the end,’ he said. ‘He was about spirit and creating a good dressing room and you could see we had that. It was a fitting tribute to a good man.’
The home side were first to threaten when Callum Booth’s quickly-taken free-kick found Chris Erskine on the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder created space for himself with a dip of the shoulder but he dragged his shot wide.
Accies were almost the architects of their own downfall in the tenth minute when Darren Lyon was dispossessed by Erskine 30 yards out. The ball was worked to Kris Doolan but the striker was foiled by Gary Woods.
The visitors came closer in the 25th minute when Lewis Ferguson released Marios Ogkmpoe. Goalkeeper Tomas Cerny appeared to foul the striker, who managed to get his shot away but saw it cleared by Christie Elliott. Referee John Beaton was unmoved, however.
‘We had a stonewall penalty which wasn’t given,’ claimed Accies boss Martin Canning. ‘It could have been a red for Cerny as well. The law is that, when there’s an attempt to play the ball, it’s only a booking but there’s a decision to be made.’
‘It was a poor decision not to give the penalty, 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.’
Mainly, though, it was Thistle who did the attacking. They had no shortage of opportunities to get the ball into the danger area but their deliveries were poor.
Booth became the first player to be cautioned when he took the legs from David Templeton in the centre circle but the former Hearts and Rangers winger exacted revenge in the best possible way.
Dougie Imrie’s cross was misread by Elliott, Templeton seized on the loose ball and cut in from the left and fired past Cerny from 18 yards.
Hamilton should have doubled their advantage in the 49th minute when Templeton’s audaciously played in Rakish Bingham with the outside of his boot. Unfortunately, the latter’s first touch was poor and the chance was gone.
Templeton turned provider again on the hour when he sent Ogkmpoe clear but Cerny blocked his effort.
Accies were made to pay for their profligacy when Thistle drew level shortly afterwards, Doolan planting a header behind Woods from Blair Spittal’s cross for his 100th league goal for the Jags.
They were penalised further for when they failed to clear their lines from a Booth corner and substitute Ryan Edwards fired the ball home.
After that, Thistle looked more likely to extend their lead as Woods saved bravely at the feet of Conor Sammon after the Irishman had been played in by Erskine.
The only real excitement after that was a mass brawl at the end, started by Ross Jenkins. He was shown a yellow card, as was Cerny and Imrie.
However, the day belonged to the Jags, who celebrated a first home win of 2018 like it was VE Day.
‘We deserved it,’ said Archibald. ‘We started brightly and the tribute to John helped. 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 and we went for it a bit too much at times.
‘We put a lot into it but didn’t get our rewards and we didn’t work their goalie. Once we lost the goal, we had a wobble for five minutes.
‘We told the players to forget all the previous games because they are done and we can’t affect them. We told them to forget not scoring and not winning because we knew it would turn — and it has.’