PARTICK THISTLE moved top of the Championship despite shipping two late goals against Cove Rangers at Firhill.
Stevie Lawless opened the scoring with a first-half thunderbolt from the edge of the area before Stuart Bannigan left Jim McInally’s side with a mountain to climb be doubling his side’s advantage not long after the break.
However, two late goals from Cove centre-half Mark Reynolds ensured a smash-and-grab point for the visitors as the home side were undone by two set-pieces.
With Ayr United dropping points against Raith – Lee Bullen’s team were defeated 3-2 at Stark’s Park – the Jags now occupy top spot in the second tier on goal difference, tied with the Honest Men on 14 points after seven matches.
It didn’t take long for the Jags to fashion their first opportunity. With barely a minute on the clock, a Brian Graham flick-on sent Scott Tiffoney careering through on goal. The winger’s first touch was sublime, delicately dinking the ball beyond the last man as he waltzed by him, but Cove keeper Kyle Gourlay did well to rush out and close down the shot.
Thistle maintained the early pressure, attacking with numbers and with intent, while the visitors broke forward on the counter-attack intermittently. A superb through ball on 10 minutes sent Thistle right-back Jack McMillan bursting into the box having caught out the Cove defence. His low ball across the box was intercepted before it fell kindly to the feet of Graham. The centre-forward drilled a low shot towards the far corner, Tiffoney – from just a few yards out – stuck out a boot but somehow the ball flew over the bar.
The opportunities kept falling the way of the home side. A clever run from Graham got the better of Cove’s offside trap but the striker’s first touch was a tad heavy and allowed Gourley to rush off his line and deny him.
With 20 minutes on the clock, Thistle got the lead their play deserved. McMillan, lurking outside the opposition box, squared the ball to Lawless on the edge of the dee. The winger took one touch before slamming the ball into the top right corner, giving Gourley little chance of stopping it.
Cove were down but they were not out. A succession of corners and free-kicks in dangerous areas caused a bit of alarm in the hosts’ defence, and McInally’s side carried a real threat at set-pieces. At the other end, Lawless did well to pick out McMillan’s overlapping run but the full-back’s shot was palmed away by Gourley as the Jags searched for a second.
A long ball over the top looked to have caught out the Thistle defence as Mitch Megginson latched onto it and bore down on goal but Aaron Muirhead recovered superbly with a well-timed slide tackle in his own box to deny the Cove striker.
Tiffoney would have one last chance before the interval, shifting past Scott Ross with a terrific piece of skill as he advanced into the box from the left, but the angle was too narrow and his shot was easily repelled. Central defender Ross was then taken off at the break after suffering an injury in fairly innocuous-looking circumstances.
Thistle maintained their front-foot approach upon the restart and were unlucky not to double their lead when Kyle Turner’s inviting delivery from a free-kick fell favourably into the path of Graham, only for the centre-forward to volley over from close range.
Ian McCall’s men wouldn’t be deterred, though, and when the second arrived it could have hardly have come from a more fitting figure. Bannigan, lurking at the back post, deftly plucked the ball out of the air before turning it in from a narrow angle to mark his 30th birthday in style.
Given this was a week when a testimonial was announced for the long-serving midfielder, as well as his impending induction into the club’s Hall of Fame, few could begrudge him running the length of the park to celebrate with supporters in the John Lambie Stand, who soon burst into a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
With the game approaching full-time, McMillan had to be replaced after picking up a knock, with Lee Hodson coming on to replace him. Graham and Tiffoney were also brought off, replaced by Anton Dowds and Aidan Fitzpatrick for the final 15 minutes.
Fitzpatrick had barely been on for a minute when he was a whisker away from scoring a goal of the season contender. Connecting brilliantly with a lofted ball forward, the winger’s volley from the edge of the area lobbed the keeper but shaved the outside of the far post.
There was still time for Bannigan to receive one last birthday card. With Cove breaking forward, the midfielder bundled over Charlie Gilmour 30 yards from goal, and his efforts were rewarded with a booking. The resulting set-piece eventually fell to the feet of Reynolds, who prodded the ball home from close range on 80 minutes.
The defender would have his second of the afternoon a few minutes later. A Shay Logan corner for the visitors wasn’t adequately dealt with and when the ball fell into Reynolds’ path, the centre-back required no second invitation to slam the ball home.
Thistle pushed hard to restore their lead in the remaining few minutes but the damage was done. Some excellent work from Lawless down the right resulted in a neat cut-back to Fitzpatrick, but the substitute had his back to goal and his back-heel never looked like going in. Kevin Holt would head over from close range in the game’s dying moments as McCall’s men were forced to settle for a point.
