Partick Thistle 5 Queen’s Park 0 – Injury overshadows sore Saturday for the Spiders

QUEEN’S PARK were on the receiving end of a Glasgow derby defeat but while the scoreline may be heavy, it was overshadowed by injury to Charlie Fox.

The Spiders favourite required almost ten minutes of treatment midway through the first half after going down in agony challenging Jags forward Tony Watt on the halfway-line.

He was stretchered off ahead of hospital treatment and further analysis of an injury to his left knee.

That forced Sean Crighton into early changes to his backline that performed such heroics last week against Ayr United.
The head coach had already recalled Josh Fowler, straight into the starting XI for the suspended Henry Fieldson and reverted Matty Shiels to left-back.

Fox was first in action, blocking Watt close in after just two minutes, and Ross McLean – who retained his spot from last week was next, chasing back to follow the run of Logan Chalmers in an important defensive duty.

The visiting side held out well in the opening exchanges, sticking to the task and it took 12 minutes for Fowler to get a touch – and what a touch it was. He picked up possession midway inside the QP half, looped around and took Ben McPherson on. One nutmeg later he was zoning in on the penalty area and fed a neat pass into the path of Mclean – but Clarke saved at his feet.

The Spiders had missed their top scorer’s added attacking threat in recent weeks, but with Thistle’s next attack they opened the scoring.

A cross sneaked under Carlo Pignatiello and was laid off by Tony Watt. Ben Stanway’s shot was bravely blocked by Fox and knoccked clear – but Fowler was penalised for challenging to meet the loose ball. The free kick was hacked out of the box by Louis Longridge but returned with interest by Paddy Reading, with an admittedly sweet strike beyond Calum Ferrie from 20 yards.

Ex-Spiders defender Ben McPherson was first into ref Chris Graham’s book for a barge from behind on McLean but Drozd’s finish to the set-piece routine was well over.

On 24 minutes the game stopped. Charlie Fox followed Tony Watt to the touchline and aimed to challenge, but immediately went down clutching his knee.

It was a harrowing watch, immediately in front of the Jackie Husband stand, and took seven minutes for the Spiders stalwart to be treated and stretchered off to a standing ovation as the heavens opened above Firhill.

What followed was over-shadowed by the defender’s injury, but his team-mates galvanised – with Rocco Friel on in his place. Euan Murray marshalled the backline with Shiels inside to centre-half and Pignatiello on the left side.

In the 41^st minute – including the seven minute delay – Ross McLean sent a teasing ball into the box from the left. It threatened to sneak inside Josh Clarke’s post but he pushed it wide. The creator was next in the book for a high challenge on scorer Reading as Thistle threatened to break from the corner clearance.

He was quickly followed by Luke McBeth for impeding Josh Fowler and Chris Graham pulled play back – much to Fowler’s frustration.

By the time the players were back in the dressing room they were two down – in the 11^th minute of added time.

Rocco Friel lost possession on the right and Ben Stanway dispatched past Ferrie with another finish that left the Spiders keeper with no chance.

The visitors’ defence were on the backfoot for the opening exchanges of the restart too, with Thistle hitting the crossbar from a close-range header by sub Kyle Turner.

Sean Crighton rang more changes, as he often does, on the hour bringing on Darryl Carrick and Tyrece McDonnell for McLean and Drozd and switching to a 3-5-2.

Within five minutes it almost paid off – twice. Both times from McDonnell.

The sub sent a floating strike goalwards after being picked out by Josh Fowler and Grant Savoury and only a good stop by Clarke denied a goal back.

Longridge’s corner broke to Tyrece again and he rattled the crossbar from 20yards.

That was as close as the Spiders came.

Cal Ferrie was called upon to push another close range header onto the bar – this time from Alex Samuel but it only delayed the Jags a minute as Logan Chalmers tapped in a third at the backpost with 15 minutes to go.

Ts’oanelo Lets’osa added a mirror image a few minutes later and Thistle added a very late fifth from the head of Luke McBeth to extend the scoreline on a particularly sore Saturday for the Spiders.

QUEEN’S PARK: Ferrie, Shiels, Fox (Friel 32), Murray, Pignatiello, Longridge, Savoury (Waugh 82), McLean (Carrick 61), Drozd (McDonnell 61), Connolly, Fowler (Sowa 82).
Subs not used: Sliwinski, Wills, Burke, Scott.

Att: 3370