Dunfermline 0 - 0 Partick Thistle: Pars close in on Rovers

Published on Friday 25 March 2011 14:55

Dunfermline 0 Partick Thistle 0

With their table-topping rivals and fellow Fifers Raith Rovers failing to beat Falkirk, Dunfermline missed a glorious opportunity to lead the First Division last night, though they have closed the gap at the top to a point. They were denied by a doughty Partick Thistle side and perhaps their own anxiety: "A draw was a fair result," said Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre, "and there are plenty twists and turns to come yet in this league."

The match was indeed pretty even overall, and full of endeavour if lacking quality, but Thistle should have been ahead after the first 15 minutes. In that opening period the home side could not create a serious chance but the visitors scorned three.

Chris Erskine should have completed a fine move after eight minutes, but shot high over the bar, before Kris Doolan sent his snapshot from the edge of the box just wide of Chris Smith's left-hand post. The trio of misses was completed by Doolan heading Martin Grehan's cross from the left against Smith's right-hand upright.

Dunfermline came into the game, especially when the veteran Alex Burke was allowed to control play from midfield, but neither side seemed capable of turning prodigious effort into sustained attack.

On the half-hour mark, David Graham found Liam Buchanan inside the box and the former Thistle striker took his time before lashing in a shot which Scott Fox saved quite superbly. "I tried to place it in the corner," said Buchanan, "but Foxy made a good save."

Not to be outdone, Smith at the other end did very well to hold Buchanan's low shot. Apart from a Steven McDougall shot over from 20 yards and an Alex Keddie header that also went over, that was the extent of the first-half action.

Simon Donnelly had come on for Grehan at half-time, but he hardly saw the ball at first as Dunfermline gradually took command. Buchanan had the ball in the net after three minutes of the second half, but Graham had felled goalkeeper Fox in mid-air and referee Charlie Richmond had already blown.

A well-worked move by Dunfermline after 56 minutes should have ended better than Martin Hardie's weak header at the back post, and when McDougall shot wide on the hour, and Thistle substitute Jamie Campbell did the same shortly afterwards, the match looked to be heading for a goalless draw.

Thistle then came back and as their manager Ian McCall said later: "It was good open end-to-end stuff."

Play wasn't quite non-stop but it was certainly invigorating enough, though Keddie was too robust with his professional foul on the goalbound Doolan and was booked after 80 minutes.With so much at stake for them, Dunfermline looked just too anxious in the final minutes, with too many overhit passes.

"It's frustrating," said Buchanan, "but there is still a long way to go and all to play for, and the boys will stay upbeat."