Match Report | Partick Thistle 1-2 Morton

 Partick Thistle 1 – 2 Morton

Slater (61) – Tiffoney (9), Telfer (80)

 

Morton ended 2018 with a bang as they claimed a hugely important 2-1 win over Partick Thistle at the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill today.

Jonatan Johansson had made it abundantly clear that his side travelled to Maryhill intent on closing the calendar year by ending a six-game wait for a Ladbrokes Championship victory.

They had to do so without the services of suspended duo Michael Tidser and Kerr Waddell, both of whom served one-match bans, and he replaced the pair with Reece Lyon and the returning Gregor Buchanan.

In his third and final change to the team that lost 2-1 at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle seven days earlier, the Ton boss started Scott Tiffoney in place of Robert Thomson.

The Livingston loan winger made a big impression off the bench by scoring against the Highlanders, and he made it two in two by netting in the ninth minute this afternoon.

Derek Gaston shelled a punt forward and Tiffoney did superbly well to ease in front of a home defender before swivelling and sending an exquisite chip sailing over goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon from 25 yards.

It was the first time Johansson’s men had scored the opening goal in a league fixture since Bob McHugh broke the deadlock away at Queen of the South back on 30 October.

They held today’s lead until just the hour mark when midfielder Craig Slater stepped onto a Christie Elliott lay-off 22 yards out and steered an unstoppable shot into the net off the inside of the left post.

It was real backs-to-the-wall stuff for the next 15 minutes or so as Ton defended for their lives, putting their bodies on the line to protect the box.

They also enjoyed a huge slice of luck thanks to Jags skipper Kris Doolan’s decision to tap in from an offside positon despite his team-mate’s original front-post flick looking set to roll into the net.

And the Sinclair Street side made the most of the let-off by hitting the Jags with a brilliant counter-attack that would see them edge in front again with 10 minutes remaining.

Right-back Reghan Tumilty found Charlie Telfer’s textbook run across the front of the Partick defence with a precise slide-rule pass that put the midfielder through on goal.

Telfer delayed and delayed in order to pick his spot before selecting the opportune second, just before Elliott could make a last-ditch block, to plant a firm finish across Sneddon and inside the left post to seal the win. Bring on 2019!

 

Morton (4231)

1. Gaston
14. Tumilty 2. Kilday 4. Buchanan 25. McKeown
7. Millar 8. McAlister (c)
32. R. Lyon 6. Telfer 17. Tiffoney
11. McHugh

Subs used: 10. Thomson (for R. Lyon, 68), and 3. Iredale (for Tiffoney, 85).

Subs not used: 20. Bell, 22. Armour, 28. Purdue. 38. Eardley, 23. Scully (gk).

Booked: Buchanan (62).

Partick Thistle (532): Sneddon; Elliott, Keown (Erskine, 46), Scobbie, McGinty, Penrice; Slater, McCarthy, Spittal; Doolan, Storey (Fitzpatrick, 77).

Subs not used: Wilson, Jefferies, Quitongo, Ntambwe, Lennox (gk).

Booked: Spittal (41).

Referee: Euan Anderson

Attendance: 3,074 (564 away fans)

⭐️ Star Man: Scott Tiffoney

 

Image: Gary Bradley