PARTICK THISTLE crashed out of the League Cup at Firhill as they went down 1-0 to Championship side Falkirk.
A Peter Grant strike just after the half hour mark was all that separated the sides as the Bairns took a Premiership scalp and booked their place in the third round draw.
It was a hugely disappointing night for boss Alan Archibald as his side turned in a poor performance and saw their ambitions of a cup run this term ended at the first hurdle.
Having struggled in knock-out competitions in recent years, Archibald proved he was keen to see an improvement this term as he sent out a strong side at Firhill.
It was a chance for Thistle to finally record their first win of the campaign following draws with Hamilton Accies, Inverness Caley Thistle and Kilmarnock so far this term and give themselves a timely boost ahead of the visit of Aberdeen this weekend.
Defender Frederic Frans and midfield pair Sean Welsh and Stuart Bannigan were the only Jags stars to drop out of the side from the weekend defeat to Hearts, while there was a return to the squad for striker Mathias Pogba.
Thistle may have had their sights firmly set on a third round berth, but this was never going to be an easy tie for the Jags to negotiate against a side that will once again bid for a Championship play-off spot this term.
And Falkirk more than held their own in the opening exchanges as Archibald’s side struggled to get into the game and make the difference in division show on the park.
Thistle saw their share of the ball but struggled to do anything with it and there was little to bring the home crowd to their feet in a low key encounter as frustrations grew at Firhill.
And it was the visiting fans that had reason to celebrate on 32 minutes as Grant converted a David Smith cross from the right flank, his touch enough to send the ball into the far corner of Tomas Cerny’s net and put Peter Houston’s side in control of the tie.
A Kris Doolan effort that was blocked was all Thistle had to offer in the remainder of the half and Archibald wasted little time in shuffling his pack at the interval as Pogba replaced David Amoo in the Jags’ forward line.
After the Frenchman and Ryan Stevenson tried their luck, Pogba spurned Thistle’s best chance of the night as he burst clear but waited and waited before pulling the trigger, his effort finally blocked as Falkirk recovered in numbers.
The No.99 provided a physical presence at the head of the Thistle attack but Falkirk weren’t exactly under siege as Archibald’s side continued to struggle and the home ranks became more and more vocal in their disappointment.
Archibald threw on David Wilson and then Declan McDaid as he looked to spark his side into life but the clock ticked down without the scoreboard ticking over for the Jags.
The groans of frustration apart, the only noise from the Thistle support came when Aaron Muirhead entered the action, the former Firhill stopper given a round of applause on his return to the club.
But it was a chorus of boos at the final whistle that summed up Thistle’s night as their cup dreams came to an end for another season.
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