Partick Thistle v Falkirk
Tuesday 18th January
Scottish Cup 4th round replay
Tonight we're delighted to be joined on our trip to Maryhill by my mate Richard. He's been my friend for a very long time, as I remember our first meeting was in the store room of the Schuh store in Edinburgh. We quickly bonded over our taste in music, The Stone Roses, and before you know it we're ............... years down the line. The stories I could tell.
Richard and I meet my dad in the lay by outside my work for the journey over to Maryhill in Glasgow for the 4th round replay between Partick Thistle and Falkirk. The two sides had drawn two each a week a go at Falkirk. A 86th minute equaliser by Kris Doolan has given Partick another chance to progress to the 5th round and a game at St.Johnstone.
As is expected we get stuck in the rush hour traffic on the M8, but it doesn't dampen spirits as we're having a right banter in the car whilst listening to the Sportsound on the radio. The traffic gets busier as we near Glasgow city centre. We end up, through no fault of my fathers, taking the wrong turn of off the motorway. He blames Google maps. It doesn't matter though as before long we're back on track and on parking a short stroll from the ground by just after 7pm.
As is traditional tonight's guest gets to pose for the pre-match photo outside the ground. My camera failed to bring out the best of the wide angled shot I took of the large Partick Thistle sign so you'll have to do with the Richard flicking through tonight's programme outside the Club shop.
Talking of programmes, if any knows where I can get a copy of the Hearts v Hibs New Years day programme I'll be very grateful. It's the only ground we've been to this season where we have been unable to buy one.
Back tonight though. At the ground you have to buy your ticket from a port-a-cabin before you can go in through the turnstiles and I'm pleasantly surprised to find it's only £40 for the three of us. It's still two days till pay day so yet again I've got to scrounge a tenner of the old man.
The main stand is closed, there is nothing wrong with it but it is only opened when they expect a large crowd (editor's note courtesy of Dad: so it can't be in much use!!!). Instead then we make our way to the stand on the far side of the ground. Taking our seats we get our first look at the pitch and what a sight it is. Glasgow Warriors, who play rugby in the Magners League, share Partick's ground and you can tell it. The pitch, although not as bad as Motherwell, is in a bit of a state.
After we've decided on the best seats available I decide it's time for dinner. Three scotch pies please. Richard shows his naivety and gives the pie a whopping nine out of ten score. My dad and I are quick to shoot this down. Mine is soggy and if it didn't come in a silver pie tray I'm sure the bottom would have fallen out of it. Richard stresses that due to his meaty content he's sticking to his score.
The Falkirk supporters whilst limited in size are a noisy bunch,. It's shame though that the two sets of supporters are so far apart but the banters on the go from the start. Falkirk sing What a shitey home support, the home fans respond with We can Count you!!
The game is only 36 seconds old when referee Brian Winter awards the first free kick of the evening. The referee will continue throughout the course of the game to infuriate both sets of supporters.
Partick Thistle take the lead after only 5 minutes. Kris Doolan plays a brilliant defence splitting ball to the feet of Chris Erskine and the tall left winger strides clear of Chris Mitchell and his shot from the edge of the box squirms underneath the diving Olejnik in the Falkirk goal. The home fans go wild.
It takes Falkirk almost twenty minutes to get an effort on goal, a Compton free kick is floated into the box and McLean throws his left leg at the cross and manages to hook the ball goalwards. He gets a little to much on the it and the ball clears the crossbar.
Partick continue to play good football on their way to the Falkirk box but once they get there they dilly dally too much and try to do an Arsenal and walk the ball into the net.
An off the ball incident is missed by the near side linesman and the referee and admittedly me but judging by the swearing and raised voices around me the Partick fans didn't. It seems that Falkirks number nine Finnegan may have swung a punch.
Scott Fox keeps his side in front with a brilliant diving save to his left from a Murdoch shot from the edge of the area.
Compton is booked after twenty five minutes for a tasty challenge on Partick's player Cairney.
Erskine has a touch of the Peter Crouch about him, he doesn't look like he's going to be good with the ball at his feet but he does well on the left wing dragging the centre half with him and neatly nutmegging him to the delight of the home fans. He squares it but finds no players making a run into the box.
Out of the blue the boy behind us screams 'I fucking hate you Steven Pressley!'. I don't know quite how the Falkirk manager has done it but he seems to have wound up all of the home fans.
On the half hour mark the linesman flags for a foul on a Falkirk player, the referee award the free kick, the home fans scream more abuse. Imagine then how they would have reacted if from Mitchells free kick Finnegan had got his header on target rather than over the bar.
Winter awards a soft free kick to Partick and as he marks out how far back the wall should be the crowd count along with his steps. Richard points out that his wee legs take shorter and shorter strides as the crowd get louder. Cairney's effort flew just wide from twenty five yards.
The last ten minutes of the half were very scrappy and Pressley will have his work cut out to turn things round at half time.
Whilst Richard was downstairs getting the half time refreshments my dad and I had a chuckle as 3rd prize was read out for the half time draw - 3rd prize is a weeks holiday in Tunisia. (editor's note (for future readers): Tunisia had slid down the rankings as a holiday hot spot in the previous 24 hours due to a revolution and emergency flights out for tourists)
The second pie was a little better than the first but it was never a nine out of ten effort.
Falkirk came out much brighter at the start of the second half and within forty seconds a Finnegan header went just wide.
Five minutes in and the linesman and referee were up to no good again when awarding a free kick for a fair challenge. Twaddle was incensed and got a booking for his outburst towards the linesman. Two minutes later he booked Falkirk's McLean for diving straight through a Partick player. If the first challenge was worthy of a yellow then the latter should have been a red.
Finnegan continues to nip away at the Partick players, he's a sly bugger always having a go when the referee has his back turned.
Falkirk are awarded a free kick at the edge of the box and in the moments before they take it my dad and I debate whether we actually want Falkirk to equalise. We decide that we don't, we don't want extra time and penalties, we don't want to watch the teams struggle to string two passes together and we certainly don't want to endure further dodgy decisions by the referee, whose stop start method of controlling the game has taken all the enjoyment out of the game. We're delighted then when the ball is blasted into the wall and cleared away from danger.
With fifteen minutes left Erskine again skips away from defenders and finds himself in a two on one situation. As has been Partick's failure all evening, he decides to attempt a pass when a shot is by far the better option. He fluffs the pass, the defense clear the ball and the crowd groan.
With five minutes to go Finnegan has a chance to take the tie into extra time but his shot from six yards goes wide of the post.
With two minutes left Buchanan can wrap things up for Partick as he is clear on goal. Guess what happened next? That's right he decided to pass the ball into the middle rather than face up to the responsibility of a shot on goal.
I must admit I find the Falkirk managers tactics a bit strange. He hasn't thrown forwards on in the hunt for a goal, he hasn't sent his defenders forward, he seems to have not grasped the concept of a cup game and his team are out. The referee has blown for full time.
All in all it's been a terrible second half, the first half wasn't much better. The referee has probably provided the most entertainment and Richard wanted to give his man of the match award to him for at least giving the Partick crowd something to shout about.
As we walk back to the car Richard points out that never has he seen a team who have been more in need of a right winger. Every Partick attack came down the left hand side. On this showing Falkirk are in dire need of creative midfielder and a striker and finally a manger who is willing to take some risks.
The drive back through to Edinburgh is much quicker than our journey through and the news that Ayr United have beaten Hibs goes down well. It's just a shame Ross County couldn't have put Dundee United out too.
I've really enjoyed having Richard with us at the game and I hope he can make it again before the seasons up. If any of the rest of you fancy joining us, we're off to East Stirlingshire v Buckie Thistle tomorrow and then to Hamilton on the 29th January.
The Statistics
Ticket: Adult £15 , Concession £10
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 2,024
Pie: £1.60
Pie Marks: 6.5 / 10
Man of the Match: Chris Erskine
Final Score: Partick Thistle 1 v Falkirk 0
Mileage: 96 miles
Fascinating Fact of the Day: When they were founded Partick Thistle didn't have their own football strip and had to borrow a strip from West Scotland rugby team and since then they've played in red and yellow as a reminder of this.
Next game: Ochilview Park (East Stirlingshire)
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