[tab:Match report]
Phil McGhee at Firhill Stadium
10-man Motherwell turned in a flat performance to lose 2-0 to Partick Thistle at Firhill this afternoon.
Defeat for the Jags would have seen them sit just a single point behind the Steelmen.
But two second-half goals from Lyle Taylor were enough to allow Partick to extend their lead over ‘Well to seven points.
It was Motherwell who could have been ahead with just three minutes on the clock.
A poor pass back from Abdul Osman to goalkeeper Scott Fox was intercepted by Scott McDonald.
He squared to John Sutton but the striker’s shot hit a deflection and spun inches wide of the post.
Thistle recovered from the early scare but chances from either side were few and far between in a drab first half.
With 10 minutes to go until the break, Taylor tried his luck with an effort that was high and wide and failed to trouble George Long in the Well goal.
Kallum Higginbotham then fired a low cross into the box but there were no takers in front of goal.
Higginbotham had a go himself shortly after the restart but his fizzing low drive fell wide of the target.
The breakthrough came on 53 minutes when Thistle surged into the lead.
Higginbotham’s free-kick picked out Conrad Balatoni at the back post and he nodded across goal for Taylor to head home from a yard out. There was a hint of offside, but it was incredibly tight and ‘Well boss Ian Baraclough will have been more frustrated with his side’s defending, rather than any flag from the official.
Taylor then passed up a great chance to double the lead when he collected the ball on the six-yard line and somehow managed to hook over with only the goalkeeper to beat.
But he made amends with Thistle’s second of the day after 61 minutes.
Callum Booth whipped a low ball into the box from the left and Taylor’s initial shot was incredibly stopped by Long from point-blank range, only for the rebound to fall kindly to the on-loan Scunthorpe striker who smashed home.
The home side were hungry for more goals and only a decent save from Long prevented a fierce shot from Steven Lawless hitting the back of the net.
With 20 minutes to go, tempers began to flare and Taylor and Keith Lasley were both booked following an altercation in the middle of the park.
Thistle were desperate to put the game beyond Motherwell and they were threatening again when Balatoni threw himself at Higginbotham’s free-kick but failed to keep his header on target.
The visitors were dealt a further blow when Stuart Carswell saw red with two minutes to go after picking up two cautions in the space of four minutes.
And there proved to be no way back for Motherwell, who passed up the chance to drag Partick into the relegation battle.
[tab:As it happened]
Ally Reilly at Firhill Stadium
FT| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Full time here at Firhill. Partick Thistle 2 – 0 Motherwell
90’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Two minutes added on.
88’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Red card! Carswell is given his second yellow, for clattering into Stevenson
84’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Carswell is booked for pulling Bannigan’s shirt as Thistle broke.
79’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Thistle sub, Doolan on for Taylor.
78’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Good save again from Long, this time denying Bannigan from just inside the box.
75’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Motherwell subs, Sutton and Lasley off for Carswelll and Moore
71’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Law wins ‘Well a corner….no takers for Thomas’ delivery though.
71’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Taylor and Lasley both booked for a bit of handbags in midfield.
66’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Very, very flat performance today. Lawless has a shot from the edge of the box but Long is equal to it and saves.
65’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Motherwell sub, Ainsworth off for Dom Thomas.
61’| 2-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Goal – It’s 2-0. Lyle Taylor again poking home from close range.
59’| 1-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Taylor has a great chance as he goes through 1 on 1 with Long, who makes a great save!
54’| 1-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Goal – Taylor heads home from close range to give Thistle the lead.
49’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Higginbotham tries his luck from 25 yards but gets it all wrong at it trickles harmlessly wide.
HT| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Pearson and Ainsworth get the second 45 underway
HT| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
The teams are back out the tunnel for the second half.
HT| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Half time: A goalless first 45 here. Not been much in terms of goal mouth action.
37’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Higginbotham fires in a low cross but again no takers. Thistle looking more dangerous.
35’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Taylor sprints past McManus and gets a good cross into the box, which thankfully just evades Stevenson at the back post
31’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Lasley is hacked down on the right hand side.. Ainsworth delvers the free-kick to Sutton but he is offside.
29’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Long throw in from Thistle which falls to Osman. He shoots from 15 yards but the sting is taken out it and Long saves.
26’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
McManus concedes a corner, which McDonald easily heads away.
25’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Ainsworth is played in down the right wing and gets a cross in for Erwin but his header is tame and straight at Fox.
22’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Free-kick to ‘Well wide on the right….ref says Frans was fouled as McManus tried to get on the end of it.
19’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Ainsworth beats Booth down the right wing but sclaffs his cross and it sails out for a goal kick.
10’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Decent opening 10 minutes.The swirling wind here is causing both defences problems.
2’| 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
What a chance as Osman’s backpass is intercepted by McDonald who squares it to Sutton but his shot is deflected wide!
Kick-Off | 0-0 | #PTFCvMFC
Stevenson and Lawless get the game underway. COYW!
[tab:Reaction]
Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough:
“Both goals were offside, having seen them. It wasn’t picked up by anybody – even our lads.
“The second one was possibly a yard offside, the first one was tighter to call. You hope to get a bit of help from the officials but if he hasn’t seen it, that’s fine.
“We weren’t good enough in the second half to go and win the game.”
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald:
“I’m absolutely delighted with the win. I don’t think it was much of a spectacle in the first half but in the second half we were the better team and probably deserved the victory.
“We go into the split with confidence and with a seven-point cushion.
“The way it works, we could play them again in our next game and that could make the gap between us 10 points or four points.
“But we’re in a good place. We have momentum and another clean sheet as well but we’ll need more than this.
“You see the threat Motherwell pose with their strikers so they’ll win again and so will Ross County, so we’ll need to go again.
“The clean sheet was pleasing and it came from our two centre-backs standing up to their threat because they’re difficult guys to play against.
“I think we’ll need more than 40 points to stay up, although our goal difference will help as well.
“But going above Kilmarnock makes this a good day, even though they have games in hand.”
[tab:Man-of-the-match]
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