Fair share of the points for Thistle and Saints in mid-week clash
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St. Marnans 2 - Turriff Thistle 2
Turriff Thistle made the short trip up the road to Foggieloan in midweek for the first local derby of the season against St. Marnans, however, both teams had to settle for a share of the points although it was a fierce, hard-fought encounter, with no quarter asked or given throughout, and a cracker of a game.
The Saints pushed the Jags back straight from the kick-off and took a deserved lead in seven minutes with a sensational strike from Kian Moore, however, Thistle regrouped and took control for the last 20 minutes of the first half with the pressure forcing St.Marnans into conceding an own goal when Ritchie Gibb headed over his own keeper to level the match at the interval.
A hungrier and more determined Thistle came out for the second half and virtually camped in the Saints half until the 74th minute when David Stephen put the home team back in front.
This slender lead lasted barely five minutes until Greg Miazek drove home a close range shot from deep in the St. Marnans box to square the match again.
Both teams went hell for leather until the final whistle but, despite creating chances at both ends, nether could score that elusive winning goal and nab all three points.
Thistle signalled their intentions lining up in an attacking 4-3-3 formation and welcomed James Mackintosh into the back four, after two games out with an arm injury, alongside Callan Reid, Ryan Catto and Jonny Buist. Joe Bisset, Mike McCombie and Dylan Buxton made up the midfield with an attacking trio of Nathan Fraser, Michael Harris and Regan Fowlie.
A full subs bench of Callum Wilson, Joe Stephen, Greg Miazek, Mitchell Allan, Kian Beaton, Bruce Mair and Glen Morrison completed the Jags squad.
The match kicked off at a fair pace and it was clear that both teams were well up for it.
The first shot in anger came from Thistle in four minutes with a long-distance attempt by Harris which the keeper held easily then a minute later Saints came even closer when a fierce drive came back off the underside of the Jags bar.
St. Marnans took the lead in seven minutes when Moore picked the ball up just outside the Thistle box, with his back to goal, before spinning round and smashing an unstoppable shot into the net just inside the left hand post.
The Jags hit back immediately and in 10 minutes hesitation by the Saints keeper saw McCombie nip in between him and a defender and get his foot to the ball but it was off target.
Thistle were coming more into the game and in 15 minutes Harris fired in another shot from outside the box which was again saved.
In 17 minutes a free kick from Fowlie on the left was fumbled by the keeper but a lob from Harris in the packed goalmouth flew high over the bar.
The Jags kept the pressure on and in 25 minutes a shot from Fraser was deflected over the Saints bar then in 28 minutes a McCombie corner was met in the 6 yard box by Catto but his powerful header flew past the wrong side of the post.
Thistle finally equalised in 35 minutes with more than a little help from the hosts when a long ball from the back by Mackintosh was beautifully controlled just outside the Saints box by Harris who immediately attempted a lob over the advancing keeper which looked from the side-lines to be too short.
However, as the keeper came out and the central defender backed up for the same ball you just knew exactly what was going to happen well before Gibb headed it over his keeper and into the empty net.
The Jags should have gone into the interval in front when in 43 minutes a through- ball from Buxton set Harris free on the right behind the Saints defence.
His angular shot beat the approaching keeper, however, the ball hit the back post and came straight back out to him but he was crowded out before he could get to the rebound.
A much more determined and hungrier Thistle came out for the second half and pushed St. Marnans back straight from the kick-off.
In 47 minutes Fowlie was brought down just outside the box as he drove in from the left but Harris blasted the free kick over the bar then in 55 minutes a Harris cross from the right was deflected by a defender’s head but the ball flew straight into the keeper’s arms.
It was all Thistle at this time and in 58 minutes Harris had another diagonal shot from the left that beat everyone including Fraser who rushed in from the right and narrowly missed contact with the ball at the back post before it flew past.
In 69 minutes the Jags were awarded another free kick close to the Saints box but this time Buxton smashed the ball narrowly over the bar.
Thistle made their first substitution in 71 minutes with Miazek coming on for Fraser, however, within three minutes St. Marnans took the lead for the second time with what seemed like their first attack of the half when, ex-Jag, Stephen blasted in a low shot from the right that flew through a packed goalmouth and into the net at the back post.
Before the re-start Allan came on to replace an injured Bisset.
The Saints lead didn’t last too long, however, when in 79 minutes Buxton floated another free kick into the box which was not cleared by the defence and the ball fell directly to MIAZEK who smashed it through a sea of legs and into the back of the net.
Morrison replaced an injured Buxton and Beaton came on for Buist as both teams went on the hunt for the winner during the last 10 minutes which see-sawed up and down the pitch.
Thistle peppered the Saints goal with crosses from Beaton and Reid at full-back and Fowlie and Morrison out wide, however, the well organised home defence stood firm against this onslaught.
Miazek had a chance to win the match but he fired another Jags free kick from outside the box over the bar.
Saints created a few chances of their own as time ticked on but the Jags defence were solid and Ogg was on top form, holding everything that was thrown at him.
Reid was forced off with a hamstring problem and was replaced by Wilson as the match headed into added-on time and eventually ended all-square.
This was a cracker of a match to watch with both teams playing quality football and having ample chances to add to the final score.
Roll on the return match at Turriff.
