[tab:Match report]
Grant Russell at Firhill
Four goals in 12 first-half minutes ultimately consigned Motherwell to another defeat as bottom club Partick Thistle took all three points in Glasgow.
Strikes from Blair Spittal, Ryan Edwards and Connor Sammon inflicted the damage, despite a spirited comeback in the second half which yielded two goals – and one strike disallowed amidst scenes of controversy.
Both of the visitors’ changes were forced through injury. Chris Cadden and Alex Fisher dropped out, with Liam Grimshaw and Deimantas Petravicius coming in. Russell Griffiths continued in goals with Trevor Carson absent, while Louis Moult and Peter Hartley continued to miss out through injury.
After a tame opening, the game exploded to life as Thistle took the lead with 15 minutes on the clock. Carl McHugh’s challenge on the edge of the area on Sammon gave Spittal the chance to take a shot at goal on the far left side of the box.
From the resulting free kick, the forward curled the ball over the wall and beyond Griffiths into the top right corner of the net.
Thistle then almost immediately carved out a second. A counter attack from a Motherwell free kick saw Miles Storey burst down the right hand side. His cross into the middle was met by the run of Martin Woods on the penalty spot, but his header dropped wide of the left hand post.
The hosts didn’t have to wait too long to double their advantage. A hopeful ball to Storey on the right flank eluded Charles Dunne, allowing the forward space on the right.
Edwards surged in behind McHugh, with Storey’s weighted pass finding him with precision, before the Australian fired past Griffiths to make it two with just 22 minutes on the clock.
It got worse for the ‘Well. Five minutes later, it was 3-0. The hosts overwhelmed the backline with numbers, with the ball slipped through to Sammon, who took the opportunity one on one with Griffiths to make it a third.
With eight minutes left in the half, Motherwell should have pulled one back. Elliott Frear’s cross from the left was perfectly floated to meet the run of the onrushing Charles Dunne. But the defender’s header was into the ground, and then bounced wide of the post.
Andy Rose then had half a chance as the Steelmen looked more positive in their attacking play. His shot from just inside the area fizzed through the legs of several players, but Tomas Cerny got down low quickly to keep it out.
Frear had been the more positive of the attacking players in the first half and, after another surge into the box, bent a dipping shot just over the bar.
Manager Stephen Robinson rang the changes at half time to try and salvage something from the match. Andrew Rose and Liam Grimshaw were withdrawn, with Craig Tanner and Gael Bigirimana the replacements.
Within eight minutes of the restart, Motherwell were awarded a goal. Tanner’s free kick from 25 yards to the back post was met by Cedric Kipre, whose header found the net.
Dunne was in close proximity to Cerny as it went in. But with the goal awarded, the goalkeeper furiously protested to the officials that offside had been committed.
After deliberation between the referee and his assistant, the goal was chalked off.
A minute later, ‘Well got a goal which stood. Another high ball into the box was met by Ryan Bowman. His effort crossed the line, despite the desperate attempts of the keeper to claw it out.
Motherwell piled on the pressure. Bowman was just kept out at the near post unmarked by Cerny amidst a succession of corner kicks midway through the half. Kipre also came close from a header, as Robinson’s men laid siege.
With 12 minutes to go, it was game on. Tanner danced his way through several defenders in the Thistle box, before unleashing a ferocious effort past a diving Cerny into the bottom right corner.
The visitors pressed and pressed for the equaliser, dominating the possession and trying to carve out opportunities.
But just as at Ross County several weeks ago, they couldn’t snatch the equaliser.
The golden chance came just as the first of four added minutes started. Tait’s cross to the penalty spot was met by the head of Frear, but he could only steer it into the grateful arms of Cerny.
Motherwell: Griffiths; Tait, Kipre, McHugh, Dunne, Frear; Rose (Bigirimana 45), Campbell, Grimshaw (Tanner 45); Petravicius (MacLean 64), Bowman.
Subs not used: Hammell, Newell, Livingstone, Turnbull.
Partick Thistle: Cerny, Turnbull, Keown, Spittal (Lawless 82), Barton, Devine, McGinn, Sammon, Edwards, Woods (Fraser 64), Storey (Doolan 85).
Subs not used: Scully, Erskine, Nitriansky, McCarthy.
Attendance: 2452 (568 Motherwell fans)
[tab:As it happened]
Alastair Reilly at Firhill
Live Blog As it happened: Partick Thistle 3-2 Motherwell
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[tab:Reaction]
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson:
