A memorable season came to a remarkable end at Firhill yesterday.
With one fixture left, away to Dumbarton on Saturday, Partick Thistle bowed out in front of their own fans with a six-goal thriller against Dunfermline Athletic, a frantic extra-time finale keeping the party going for the Irn-Bru First Division champions.
Once again the home side left it late, but it seemed worth the wait for their jubilant supporters.
"We never say die," said Alan Archibald, the Partick Thistle manager. "We didn't want the season to peter out. These games can sometimes be a bit of an anti-climax, but they showed great attitude to keep going until the end. We have done that all year."
For much of the season, this fixture stood out as one that could have been potentially decisive in the title race, but Dunfermline's plunge into administration made the hunt for three points valuable for a very different reason as they seek to preserve their first-division status.
That job can now be completed next weekend in their final fixture of the season against already-relegated Airdrie, with Jim Jefferies' side a point clear of Fife rivals Cowdenbeath, who travel to Hamilton.
The celebrations come the end of the 94 minutes at Firhill may have been raucous, but the action was far more low key, in the first half at least. A cool finish by former Dunfermline captain Jordan McMillan was the highlight as Partick Thistle took a 27th-minute lead.
Dunfermline appeared determined not to go down without a fight, however, and goals from substitute Ryan Wallace and Ryan Thomson turned the match on its head. Their advantage was well deserved, but even when Thomson scored for a second time the points were not safe as Chris Erskine cut the deficit and Steven Lawless scored in the fourth minute of injury-time to rescue a late point and demoralise Dunfermline.
"That is the most gutted I have ever felt after a game," Jefferies said. "It was a magnificent performance in the second half. We had three great chances and we could have been five or six up in the second half."
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