Statistical Preview: Raith Rovers v Partick Thistle

Raith Rovers will attempt to break their three-game losing streak at Starks Park against high-flying Partick Thistle on Saturday. 

The Jags arrive in Fife as the Championship’s form team. Mark Wilson’s side climbed to second place off the back of a 1-0 win over Ross County at Firhill last weekend, and followed that up with a midweek win over Ayr United.

Partick Thistle’s Form Guide 

Using the Raith Rovers v Partick Thistle Match Centre on Andy’s Bet Club, we can see that Partick are a team in form, going unbeaten in the Championship since the opening day of the season, when they lost 5-1 at St Johnstone. 

2-1 Win  vs Ayr United (H) – Championship

1-0 Win vs Ross County (H) – Championship

1-1 Draw vs Greenock Morton (A) – Championship

1-1 Draw vs Arbroath (H) – Championship

1-0 Win vs Queen’s Park (A) – Championship 

Partick Thistle’s Recent League Matches:

Partick Thistle vs Ayr United

Tuesday’s clash was tight, with little to separate the sides at Firhill. Ayr are the best first half side in the Championship by some margin, having led at the break in seven of their 11 matches, and they took the lead through Ethan Walker just before the interval.

But, it was Partick’s strength in the second half that saw them come back. Wilson’s side have won the second half in seven of their 11 games and did so again, with a five-minute salvo from Tsoanelo Letsosa and Ben Stanway proving the decisive factor in this game.

From here, Partick managed their lead and did not add to their three shots on target in the game, even when the visitors were reduced to 10 men with 18 minutes remaining. Ayr, who scored with their only first-half shot, were the side taking the initiative late on, but were unable to level the match.

Partick Thistle vs Ross County

For the first time since the opening day of the season, Partick had less possession than their opponents, with Mark Wilson seemingly choosing to take a more defensive stance against County.

It was notable that the Dingwall side were allowed to control the ball before being pressed by Partick, who were less proactive defensively than they typically are. 

This was a successful tactic. Tony Docherty’s side were limited to just three shots on target and did not manage a single attempt of any sort in the second half, as the Jags locked them down. The Staggies only managed two shots from inside the home box as they failed to get close to goal.

While this was to the cost of Partick’s own attacking play – their eight efforts was their second-lowest tally this season – after Oisin Smith’s opening goal just before the hour mark, there was no cause for them to be adventurous. 

Partick Thistle’s One to Watch:

Logan Chalmers: Partick Thistle winger Logan Chalmers has been their outstanding performer. With five goals for the season, he is the Jags’ leading scorer, while he has also chipped in with three assists – including decisive passes for the only goal against Ross County, and the equaliser against Ayr.

He averages 2.93 shots per game and has 2.07 shot assists per match this season, earmarking him as both a goal threat and a major creative force.

Final Thoughts:

Partick showed flexibility to their tactics against Ross County as they dropped deeper and absorbed pressure, but that is not usually how Mark Wilson’s side approach games. They like to be ball dominant, typically controlling around 60% of possession.

To achieve this, they make sure they have numbers in midfield, preferring either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 shape.  It also means that they are more measured in their buildup play than Raith’s typical opponents, using the long ball much less than their usual rivals.

Last week’s win over County, meanwhile, shows they can set up to make themselves difficult to beat in another string to their bow.

With 41% of their shots hitting the target in Championship play this season, Partick are a team that are highly effective when they get into good areas, as Rovers discovered at Firhill back in August, when the Jags scored three times from 11 total shots in a 3-2 defeat.

Despite this, there has been a tendency to be wasteful in recent weeks, failing to turn these shots into goals. Last weekend’s win over Ross County broke a run of five successive matches in which they have underperformed in terms of their xG.

On the flip side, the Jags do have a strong xG this season of 18.19. With 0.13xG per shot, the efforts they get away are of a high quality, with only Ayr (0.14xG per shot) outperforming them in this regard.You can find more high-quality football match stats, and football tips at Andy’s Bet Club. Please note, you must be 18 or over to use the site, and we strongly encourage responsible gambling.

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