Our Premier Sports Cup group matches continued this evening with a trip to Firhill to take on group leaders Partick Thistle. With a quick turnaround in games, Manager Peter Murphy made one change to the starting eleven that faced Ross County. As Kurtis Guthrie returned from injury to lead the line, Ben Johnstone dropped to the bench.
The hosts who had won their opening two games were quick out the block and with just 28 seconds on the clock they had their first chance, Tony Watt was in on goal but turned his left foot shot wide of the upright from close range.
Four minutes later Aidan Fitzpatrick burst in from the right and hit a powerful shot across goal only for Jack Hannah to clear off the line. As they continued the pressure Ts’oanelo Lets’osa played the ball into the box but Queens managed to clear.
The Palmerston side were struggling to get out of their own half but they did manage to win a corner, Kai Kennedy played it into the area and as Thistle cleared Mikey Hewitt fired it back in, Reece Lyon got his head on it, but it didn’t have enough power and Lewis Budinauckas collected.
It was only a brief flurry forward as the home side attacked again and as Logan Chalmers homed in on goal, he had Ross Stewart beaten but Hewitt cleared off the line.
Chalmers looked lively and with just over 15 minutes played he delivered a great ball over for Watt who had made a run, the striker got on the end of it but Stewart made a great block before recovering to stop the ball from finding the net as Watt had a second attempt. The double saves kept Queens level and Thistle’s on slot relented for a ten-minute spell, although they still controlled the game.
As they came again, Lets’osa tried to curl a left foot shot into the top corner but curled it wide. And within sixty seconds, they were denied again, this time by the post when Chalmers had Stewart beaten. The keeper was on hand to collect when he tried for a second time.
Thistle were relentless and with just over half an hour gone, they eventually broke the deadlock. Awarded a free-kick just outside the 18-yard area, former Queens winger, Fitzpatrick curled the ball past Stewart. They quickly doubled the lead when Taylor Charters lost the ball 30-yards out and with Stewart over committed, Watt homed in on goal, as Charters tried to recover, he got back to put himself between the goal and Watt but the forward slipped the ball through to the unmarked Lets’osa who tapped the ball into the net.
The first half had been all Thistle and with five minutes of the first half left they almost made it three when Fitzpatrick crossed the ball into the six-yard area from the right, Chalmers was on his own at the back post but he couldn’t connect to steer the ball home.
HALF TIME: Partick Thistle 2 Queens 0
It was a bit more of a contest after the break although Thistle still had the better chances, Chalmers did well but as he crossed there was no one on hand to take advantage, then Hewitt and Hannah both made good headed clearances. Queens were getting out their own half more and as Luissint played the ball forward, Jack Stott hit a shot but Lee Ashcroft blocked.
Ashcroft was again on hand with fifteen minutes remaining when Liam Smith cut inside and delivered the ball into the danger zone but the big defender was first to get there to head clear.
Thistle always looked a threat and Hannah had to make a well-timed challenge inside the box to halt substitute Thomas Horn.
And in added on time, Kennedy tried to cross from the left but the keeper collected.
FULL TIME: Partick Thistle 2 Queens 0
Teams:
Partick Thistle: Budinauckas, Logan, Reading, Ashcroft, Chalmers (Stanway 62), Crawford (MacKenzie 75), McBeth, O’Reilly, Fitzpatrick, Watt (Horn 75) & Lets’osa (Lawless 62). Subs not used: Cameron, Falconer & Dolan.
Queens: Stewart, Hewitt, Charters, Lyon, Douglas, Hannah, Smith, Luissint (Ross 87), Kennedy, Stott (Johnstone 70) & Guthrie. Subs not used: Thomson, Rogerson, McLinden, Hall, Chapman & Burke.
Ref: George Calder
Crowd: 2235