Queen’s Park 0 Partick Thistle 2

Queen’s played host to their derby rivals under the lights at Hampden both looking for a victory to improve their league standings. A tense affair saw Partick take the spoils back to Maryhill and consolidate their playoff spot in the league retaining 4th position with Queen’s stalling in 7th place.

Having had their Scottish Cup ambitions ended by Aberdeen at the weekend, Queen’s looked to freshen up their starting line for this Glasgow encounter. Raymond earned his starting place for having impressed against Aberdeen with Evans gaining a startup front in place of the ill Drozd. Injuries to Ujdur and Welsh at the weekend saw Jackson and King slot into a back three alongside Tizzard for this game.

Five minutes had elapsed on the clock when Partick struck to take the lead. Slack play along the Queen’s back line saw the ball passed back to Keeper Ferrie who miskicked his clearance up field only to slice it to Partick’s Graham on the edge of the Queen’s box. A quick pass across the box to Chalmers saw him take a touch and strike a volley into the top right-hand corner of the Queen’s net past the despairing Ferrie.

It took Queen’s time to settle into the game after the fast start from Partick, with possession being contained to the midfield area with little penetration of the Partick defence. Having survived some sloppy play on 25 minutes where Queen’s almost gifted Partick an own goal, more pressure was to follow when full back Reid played a perfect cross into the Queen’s penalty box for Graham to nod the ball home from a few yards only for him to mistime his header which went passed the Queen’s goal to safety.

In 38 minutes, Queen’s again struggled to clear the ball up field to safety and from 30 yards Partick’s Brannigan was able to win his challenge on a loose ball, drive forward to the Queen’s penalty box and unleash a shot that beat keeper Ferrie but struck the left-hand post of the Queen’s goal and rebound to safety.

Partick were discovering gaps in the Queen’s defensive line and from a cut back, Graham ‘s shot from the 6-yard box, was blocked for a corner which was eventually cleared. Queen’s response was to create a shooting opportunity themselves when King broke from his defensive duties and travelled some 40 yards to the opposition’s penalty box against a retreating Partick defence only to lack composure when shooting with his shot sailing high over the bar.

Half Time: Queen’s Park 0 Partick Thistle 1

The opening exchanges in the second half followed the same pattern as the first. Partick were comfortable to allow Queen’s possession in their own third and invited forward passes from them to counterattack on the break.

Queen’s needed to take the game to Thistle who were happy to sit deeper behind the ball. The game needed a change with nothing of note happening in the first 15 minutes of the second half from either team. Queen’s made the first move to get energy into their play with Raymond and Evans being replaced by Hurst and McGregor. Two minutes later Queen’s almost levelled with Devine releasing Turner down the Queen’s right flank into the Thistle penalty box however his cut back to Rudden was eventually blocked by a defender for a corner that was cleared to safety.

Now chasing the game Queen’s made another substitution in 74 minutes with Rocco replacing Longridge. In 82 minutes, Queen’s Rocco was released on the right wing and weaved his way into the Thistle penalty area only for his cross cum shot parried by Thistle keeper Budinauckas and cleared. From the clearance the ball fell to Queen’s Duncan, who sent over an in-swinging cross from the left flank which found Hurst in the centre of goal who attempted to cushion a header across goal to the unmarked McGregor only for it to agonisingly fall out of his reach and the chance was gone.

Rocco on Queen’s right was having some success against the Thistle defence and from a fizzed cross along the 6-yard box, keeper Budinauckas managed to collect the ball before it reached the inrushing Rudden for a certain equaliser. Queen’s final throw of the dice was to replace defender King with Drozd in 86 minutes to snatch a draw.

The game was becoming stretched, and Queen’s players were tiring as the game reached its later stages, probably because of their cup exertions at the weekend. In the 92nd minute a break by Thistle down Queen’s left saw Thistle’s Chalmers make ground into the Queen’s penalty box who then cut it across goal for Jakubiak to score beyond the diving Ferrie and put the game beyond Queen’s reach.

Full time: Queen’s Park 0 Partick Thistle 2

Queen’s Park: Calum Ferrie (C), Adam Devine, Leon King (Seb Drozd 86 mins), Ben Jackson, Will Tizzard, Ryan Duncan, Jack Turner, Louis Longridge (Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia 74 mins), Jaydan Raymond (Kyle Hurst 61 mins), Reece Evans (Roddy McGregor 61 mins), Zak Rudden.
Unused Substitutes: J. Wills, S. Welsh, J. Hinds, T. Scott, J. McGarva

Partick Thistle: Lewis Budinauckas, Josh Reid (Sean Kelly 83 mins), Scott Martin (Kyle Turner 12 mins), Stuart Bannigan, Brian Graham (Alex Jakubiak 83 mins), Logan Chalmers, Robbie Crawford (Aidan Fitzpatrick 68 mins), Luke McBeth, Daniel O’Reilly, Lee Ashcroft, Kanayochukwu Megwa.
Unused Substitutes: D. Mitchell, L. Cameron, Z. MacKenzie, M. Falconer

Referee: Ross Hardie