Match ends, Ross County 1, Partick Thistle 1.
Ross County 1-1 Partick Thistle
By Jonathan Sutherland
BBC Scotland in Dingwall
- From the section Football
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Alex Schalk's late penalty extended Partick Thistle run of Premiership games without a win to 11 games.
Scott Fox had been replaced with Aaron McCarey after his blunder against Rangers and the Irish goalkeeper was beaten by a low Blair Spittal drive.
The goal had come after 23 minutes against the run of play, with summer signing Davis Keillor-Dunn impressing.
Thistle looked to have managed the game excellently until Schalk equalised after winning the penalty himself.
It was a deserved point that ended County's run of three straight league defeats.
The consolation for Thistle was avoiding a ninth straight defeat and moving off the bottom of the table, although they remain three behind their hosts.
County came flying out of the traps with Keillor-Dunn at the centre of most of it. The 19-year-old was making his first start for County and wasted no time in making an impression, testing Tomas Cerny with a shot in the first minute.
There then followed a couple of chances from team-mate Craig Curran before Keillor-Dunn was at the fore again. His header was cleared off the line by Danny Devine and then had a shot deflected wide.
Spittal had an early shot for Thistle turned wide by McCarey, but better was to come from the former Dundee United midfielder for the travelling fans to savour.
Against the run of play, he burst through the County defence before calmly firing past the goalkeeper to put Thistle into what was a surprise lead given the balance of play.
County tried to hit back and it was Keillor-Dunn again pulling the strings. This time, he supplied a dangerous cross into the box and there was Thomas Mikkelsen, but the Danish striker went with his foot when a header may have been the better option and the chance was gone.
Into the second-half, a big chance for Mikkelsen, but this time he was denied by a sensational blocking challenge by Devine.
Devine had his own chance as he fired a shot wide of the post. The defender claimed he had his shirt pulled in the box, but referee John Beaton gave a shake of the head.
Substitute Schalk fired in a low shot that was well saved by Ryan Scully - who had replaced the injured Cerny in the home goal.
A great move from County down the left almost fashioned an equaliser. Keillor-Dunn played the ball into the path of Sean Kelly and Schalk failed to connect with a cross when a touch would have almost certainly secured a goal.
However, Schalk would get his chance. The Dutch striker felled in the box and a penalty given by the referee.
Up stepped Schalk himself to fire past Scully into the bottom left corner with real confidence to level the scores.
Ross Draper almost scored a winner for County. His header was arrowing into the top corner, but Scully produced a stunning save to keep it all square.
Post-match reaction
Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "I think, on the balance of chances, we created, we definitely had the more threatening chances to go on and score more goals, but unfortunately we couldn't go on and take them.
"I thought we started the game really well. I was pleased with the way we started.
"We asked the boys for a fast start. I thought both wide players were causing problems for Thistle.
"They score from a breakaway throw, which is really frustrating and we switch off and we get done.
"That just puts that seed of doubt in your minds when you have lost the last three matches.
"Credit to the players, they stuck at it. We told them to keep believing at half-time and it would come. To a man in the second half, they were excellent."
"We had to deal with enforced injuries as well, but I thought every substitute that came on really played their part as well."
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald: "I thought we had the better chances first-half. I thought we dealt with the onslaught in the first 10 or 15 minutes. We knew that was coming.
"Once we dealt with that, it opened up a bit and I thought we looked really dangerous on the counter-attack and picked some great areas up.
"Delighted with the performance. Obviously we were penned in in the second-half, but I thought we rode the storm actually and dealt with their two strikers up to that point - and then we don't deal with an aimless ball into the box.
"That's the positive - we got a point and we're not sitting on zero points so that's a big positive, but it feels like a defeat because we were leading for so long."
Line-ups
Ross County
- 31McCarey
- 3Naismith
- 15DaviesBooked at 80minsSubstituted forvan der Wegat 81'minutes
- 2Fraser
- 6KellyBooked at 58mins
- 7Gardyne
- 17Draper
- 4RoutisBooked at 61mins
- 40Keillor-Dunn
- 11CurranSubstituted forSchalkat 66'minutes
- 19MikkelsenSubstituted forMckayat 69'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Fox
- 8Chow
- 9Dow
- 10Schalk
- 18Lindsay
- 22Mckay
- 28van der Weg
Partick Thistle
- 1CernySubstituted forScullyat 31'minutes
- 14Elliott
- 4Turnbull
- 17Nitriansky
- 15DevineBooked at 7mins
- 13Barton
- 8BanniganSubstituted forErskineat 83'minutes
- 18Sammon
- 19Edwards
- 7Spittal
- 9DoolanSubstituted forStoreyat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 10Erskine
- 11Lawless
- 12Scully
- 20Nisbet
- 24McCarthy
- 39Storey
- Referee:
- John Beaton
- Attendance:
- 3,660
Match Stats
Home TeamRoss CountyAway TeamPartick Thistle
- Possession
- Home47%
- Away53%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away13
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ross County 1, Partick Thistle 1.
Chris Erskine (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ross Draper (Ross County).
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Ryan Scully.
Attempt saved. Ross Draper (Ross County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner.
Jason Naismith (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle).
Attempt missed. Conor Sammon (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high.
Goal!
Goal! Ross County 1, Partick Thistle 1. Alex Schalk (Ross County) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty conceded by Jordan Turnbull (Partick Thistle) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Ross County. Alex Schalk draws a foul in the penalty area.
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Chris Erskine replaces Stuart Bannigan.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Kenny van der Weg replaces Andrew Davies because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) because of an injury.
Booking
Andrew Davies (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Adam Barton (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County).
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Danny Devine.
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Jordan Turnbull.
Attempt blocked. Christopher Routis (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Davis Keillor-Dunn (Ross County).
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Miles Storey replaces Kris Doolan.
Attempt saved. Billy McKay (Ross County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Alex Schalk (Ross County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Billy McKay replaces Thomas Mikkelsen because of an injury.
Delay in match Thomas Mikkelsen (Ross County) because of an injury.
Foul by Danny Devine (Partick Thistle).
Thomas Mikkelsen (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Alex Schalk replaces Craig Curran.
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Conor Sammon.
Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Andrew Davies.
Booking
Christopher Routis (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jordan Turnbull (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Christopher Routis (Ross County).
Attempt missed. Blair Spittal (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Blair Spittal (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.
Booking
Sean Kelly (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
