Thistle lose out to Colts in cup clash
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Turriff Thistle were dumped out of the Aberdeen FC Trophy in the first round following a comprehensive defeat at the hands of Division 2 University Colts despite taking the lead after 20 minutes through Michael Harris.
Two breakaways by the Colts saw them reach the half-time interval with their noses in front then they caught the Jags on the break an unbelievable further three times in the second half to record a massive and well-deserved victory to take their place in the second-round draw.
Thistle’s starting line-up saw Colin Bain Jnr., Lee Stuart, Dan Bruce, Bruce Mair and Michael Harris come in for the unavailable Kian Beaton and the injured Greg Miazek with Joe Bisset, Paul Williamson and Regan Fowlie dropping to the bench alongside Kyle Chalmers and Calum Anderson.
Straight from the kick off Harris was quick to rob a hesitant Colt’s player, then drive up the left but saw his low shot saved by the keeper.
Colts hit back immediately and in 3 minutes broke through the Thistle defence on the right after a blatant offside was allowed to play on, however, Jordan Ogg was out quickly to block the shot with his feet.
In 7 minutes Bruce pounced on another Colt’s mistake but his shot from the right was again well saved.
It was all Thistle at this stage and in 11 minutes a long diagonal ball from Mike McCombie set Harris free on the left but the Colt’s keeper brought off another fine save.
The Jags took a deserved lead in 18 minutes when another long ball, this time from Neil Chapman, again put HARRIS through on goal and he made no mistake in slotting the ball into the corner of the Colt’s net.
Everyone expected the Jags to extend their lead, however, it only lasted a bare five minutes before they gave the Colts too much space to drive in from the right and fire the ball into the corner of the net.
In 34 minutes Mair powered up the right and his cut-back found Mitchell Allan in the middle but his low shot was again saved by the Colts keeper.
A couple of minutes later a Colts 30 yard free kick was hammered goal-wards but was confidently held by Ogg.
With just four minutes left on the first half clock Thistle were caught out for a second time when the Colts broke away in numbers down the right and the ball was again driven into the corner of the Jags net in identical fashion to their first goal.
The second half began with Thistle in determined mood but they found it hard going to break down the packed Colt’s defence and within ten minutes Bisset, Fowlie and Williamson were sent on in place of Stuart, Mair and Bruce.
In 57 minutes Harris nipped down the left to the by-line but his cross was too high for the waiting Fowlie.
On the hour mark McCombie tried his luck with a long shot that flew narrowly past the top left-hand junction of the post and bar then a turn and shot from Williamson at the edge of the Colts box was parried round the post by the keeper.
In 67 minutes, as the Jags pushed forward constantly in search of an equaliser, the Colts caught them flat-footed and broke away in numbers for the third time and converted the simplest of chances to extend their lead.
Thistle could do nothing else but to battle back and piled everyone forward, however, they were again caught out on the break by the Colts in 74 minutes but this time luck was with them and the final shot flew past the back post.
Unfortunately, this luck deserted them a minute later when the Colts again broke away, this time down the left-hand side, with the player cutting in to the box before blasting the ball home for the fourth goal.
The Jags could only fight on and somehow get themselves back into the game but another three-man breakaway in 78 minutes saw the Colts score their fifth goal.
Thistle battled on until the final whistle, with Kyle Chalmers and Calum Anderson coming on for the last ten minutes in place of Harris and Bain Jnr., but the cup-tie was well over long before that.
It is hard to analyse the specific reasons for such a poor performance as the commitment and energy from every member of the squad was apparent to see throughout the entire 90 minutes, however, apart from poor passing and poor decisions, the team did not seem to get going at all throughout the match.
This defeat is now recorded in the Club’s history, however, it has to be stated that there have been several similar Cup results in the past and there will, no doubt, be more in the future.
You just have to file it under “Never Again”, keep believing in yourself and each other and get on with it.
The players will just have to take it on the chin, lick their wounds and come back stronger and more determined for the next challenge this game of football throws at them.
