IT was all about the numbers at Firhill last night as Partick Thistle and Morton took a possible step into the future.
The success or failure of Friday night football will depend on the size of crowds that can be attracted and while the result of this match will be of paramount importance to the teams and their managers, the 3380 attendance figure will be the one that matters most for the Scottish Football League. The proximity of Greenock to Glasgow’s West End made the first division fixture between these two the ideal guinea pig for the unusual encounter.
Despite some reservations from supporters, and the rain lashing down on Firhill right up until kick-off, the match produced Thistle’s biggest home league attendance of the season, outstripping, for example, totals of 2639, 2045 and 2501 for the last three Saturday afternoon games. Partick will certainly need all the supporters they can muster through the gates after it was confirmed yesterday that Glasgow Warriors will switch to playing their home games at Scotstoun as of next season.
The experiment will not have gone down so well with Morton, Allan Moore’s men falling behind in only the third minute.
Stephen O’Donnell, the former Celtic youth player who made his Thistle debut during last Saturday’s defeat to Livingston, burst through the heart of the visitors’ defence to crown his maiden start with a composed finished from just inside the area.
It was the first act of an encouraging bow from the 18-year-old as he stepped forward from his natural full-back berth with aplomb to turn in a bright and energetic performance on the right side of midfield.
After 28 minutes, O’Donnell was instrumental once again as Thistle doubled their lead. Having beaten Ross Forsyth to the ball in the middle of the park, he slid a perfectly- weighted pass into the path of Kris Doolan, who made no mistake in converting for his fourth goal of the season. With a half-time dressing down from Moore no doubt ringing in their ears, Morton tried desperately to claw their way back into the game.
Their attack was bolstered by the addition of Paul Di Giacomo and they had Thistle pegged back in their own area during the opening spell. Andy Graham’s header went narrowly over before Andy Jackson had an effort ruled out for offside seconds later but as time ticked away, their hopes diminished. When Graham saw red for a deliberate handball after 74 minutes and Christie Elliot netted after a deflection from the resulting free-kick, it was all over.
Things only got worse for the Morton manager, however, as home substitutes Chris Erskine and Tommy Stewart added the shine to a polished performance from Jackie McNamara’s men.
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