Partick Thistle 3-0 Raith Rovers: McNamara proud of performance

Rowson puts heartache to one side to drive Jags to victory

By MATTHEW HAROLD at Firhill

JACKIE McNamara spoke of his delight for David Rowson after the midfielder came back from a traumatic week to seal victory over Raith Rovers.

A 90th minute wonder goal couldn't disguise the pain of losing his father in midweek.

Caretaker Partick Thistle manager McNamra paid tribute to him after the three-goal win, in what could be his last game in charge.

The former Celtic defender said: “It was a great end to the season for us and what it meant for David Rowson to score.

“I said to him afterwards that he’s a credit to his family, with the week he’s had, losing his father. It was quite emotional for us and I’m absolutely thrilled for him.

“I asked him if he wanted to play, how he’s feeling and he wanted to play and I think it’s a great way for him to finish.”

McNamara spoke about his attempts to become the Jags boss full-time, saying:  “I’ve been through the interview process and I’m just waiting to see once they make the announcement and see what happens.

“I don’t think it’ll do any harm and I just said to the lads that I think their effort over the last five games have been fantastic and I can’t ask any more of them, so we’ll just have to wait and see what the powers that be, what they decide.”

While the home side celebrated, Raith Rovers were left to think what might have been, as the Kirkcaldy side slumped to their third defeat in a row, which sees them finish ten points behind Fife rivals Dunfermline Athletic at the top of the league

McNamara handed young goalkeeper Ryan Scully a rare start, replacing regular number one Scott Fox in the Firhill goal. The Jags gaffer also recalled David Rowson after the midfielder was suspended for last week’s defeat away to Dundee, he replaced Willie Kinniburgh, who himself, was sent off against the Dark Blues. Also dropping out of the Thistle team was Martin Grehan, who sustained an injury in the loss; he was replaced by Iain Flannigan.

His opposite number John McGlynn made three changes for the final game of the season, leaving out Dougie Hill, Scott McBride and Graham Weir and replacing the trio with Craig Wilson and Mark Ferry and Gregory Tade, who is rumoured to have played his last game for the Starks Park side after the end of the season.

The home side were the first to threaten, as full back Paddy Boyle drilled a 20 yard free kick straight down the throat of David McGurn, who grabbed onto the ball at the second attempt. Then, minutes later Chris Erskine raced down the right and unleashed a drive that went just over the bar.

Both sides continued to play out the game, like it what a pre-season fixture, that was until Erskine produced a superb piece of play to beat his marker, before finding Iain Flannigan on the left, who then whipped a ball onto the head of Kris Doolan, but the Thistle striker could not find the back of the Rovers net.

Raith Rovers created their first real chance of the game on the half hour mark as a free kick swung in from the left hand side was met by the head of Tade, but the striker could not direct his header beyond Scully in the Thistle goal.

The game became bogged down for the next ten minutes, until both teams sparked back into life, first Kevin McBride had a free kick from just outside box that went just wide, then Thomas Stewart drilled a shot for Thistle that was saved by McGurn.

Next up with Doolan, whose long range effort was comfortably saved by the Raith keeper, before the visitors went up the other end of the park and nearly scored as Baird a drive from outside the box, that young keeper Scully struggled to properly deal with.

The second half nearly started horribly for young keeper Scully as he kicked the ball out from the edge of the area and it landed at the feet of Iain Williamson who lobbed the ball, but unfortunately for the visitors it went over the bar.

Then, a minute later the home side went into the lead as Tommy Stewart beat the Raith defence, before unleashing a drive from the edge of the area that went beyond the despairing dive of McGurn and into the back of the net.

It could have been two, minutes later as Flannigan curled a free kick from the edge of the box, which was deflected away to safety for a corner to the home side.

Stewart had a chance to get his second of the game midway through the half as the young midfielder gained possession and proceeded to play a one-two with Doolan before striking towards goal, but unfortunately for Stewart his strike was saved by McGurn and Paul Cairney get to the ball in order to provide the finish that would have sealed all three points.

The lead should have been doubled for the home side twice in a minute as firstly Conrad Balatoni was denied after his header from a Flannigan cross was saved by McGurn. Then moments later the Raith keeper played his get out of jail free card, as he failed to grab onto the ball several times after a corner, and with the stopper out of his box, Paul Cairney attempted a lob from 25 yards, which went well wide.

The game was sealed as Mark Campbell pushed David Rowson inside the box, giving referee Eddie Smith no choice but to point to the spot, allowing Doolan to step up and score the goal that made him top goalscorer in the first division this season.

Raith Rovers had a glimmer of hope to get back into the game as a corner from left was met by the head of Grant Murray, but the defender’s effort went well over the bar of keeper Scully in the Thistle goal.

The home fans were on their feet just before the final whistle, as firstly Shaun Fraser who had come on as a sub hit the post, then Rowson unleashed an unstoppable drive from 25 yards beyond McGurn and into the top corner of the Raith Rovers net to secure a fantastic three points for the Jags, as at full time they sung the midfielder’s name as he left the park.

The Thistle caretaker heaped praise on young keeper Ryan Scully after the game saying of the youngster’s performance: “I put young [Ryan] Scully in goals today for his debut because, Scott Fox has been outstanding us, he’s one of the best keepers in the league. But it was important to give the youngster a chance.

“If I’m here next season, if Fox gets injured or suspended or someone comes in with a bid for him, I know the young lad is ready to step up.

“I’m delighted, although he didn’t have an awful lot to do today, but I’m delighted he came through and got a clean sheet today and he’ll get a lot of confidence from it.”

Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn spoke of his pride of his players after they recorded a second place finish, the best in the four and a half years that the former Hearts coach has been in charge of the Kirkcaldy outfit.

After their three goal defeat to Partick Thistle which sees the Starks Park side finish ten points behind Dunfermline in the league, McGlynn had nothing but praise for their support, saying: “I’m sure the Raith Rovers fans have been to a lot of exciting games this season and I’m glad that they stayed back and applauded off the players, when it would have been easier to disappear and grump because we were beat in this particular game.

“So I’m sure that there’s a lot of good memories for this season and perhaps the players that have been here for a few seasons, a lot of good memories in the four and a half years I’ve been here.

“We certainly picked the football club up from its knees, made it much more professional and brought the pride back to the football club, so a lot of progress has been made in the four and a half years and I’m sure the fans appreciate it as well.”

On the defeat, which is Rovers third in a row, McGlynn wasn’t too concerned, saying: “It’s definitely not the finish we wanted, but it’s not one game, or the next three games, it’s over 36 games and at the end of the day we’re second in the table and that’s the highest that Raith Rovers have been in a long time, so although we’re hurting in the last three games, we reflect on it still being an excellent season.

"I didn’t think there was very much in, though Partick’s taken their chances, we didn’t create an awful lot, I don’t think either keepers been particularly worked and I thought that the first two goals were very soft goals to lose, well taken by the boy, who turns us inside out and gets a shot in.

“I thought the penalty was really soft and the lad’s hit a really good shot for the third one. We had opportunities to shoot and we wouldn’t pull the trigger today for some reason or other.”

And on the cutbacks that the club will have to make next season, the Rovers gaffer said: “I think everyone in the league will be cutting back, so it’s going to be a challenge, life’s a challenge, so it’ll be a different challenge and we’ll need to do things differently.”

Partick Thistle: Scully, Campbell, Boyle, Cairney, (Lochhead, 72) Balatoni, Archibald, Stewart, (Fraser, 86) Rowson, Doolan, Erskine, (Burns, 81) Flannigan Subs Not Used: Fox (GK), McGeogh.

Raith Rovers: McGurn, Craig Wilson, (Donaldson, 70) Ellis, Campbell, Murray, Davidson, (Dyer, 78) Williamson, (Callaghan, 61) McBride, Baird, Tade, Ferry. Subs Not Used: Colin Wilson, McNeil (GK).

Attendance 2279

Referee: Eddie Smith

Man of the Match: Tommy Stewart (Partick Thistle)

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