Partick 0-0 Inverness CT: Match Report

26 December 2013 17:31
Partick 0-0 Inverness CT: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.


Wasteful Partick held by Caley

A dominant Partick Thistle squandered a series of chances to claim their first home Scottish Premiership win as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Inverness.


Kris Doolan, Steven Lawless and Kallum Higginbotham all missed the target from close range and Caley Thistle goalkeeper Dean Brill made several good saves as Alan Archibald's men controlled the vast majority of the game.


Billy McKay and Ben Greenhalgh had decent chances for the visitors but defeat would have been harsh on the home side, who have now not won for eight games since beating Inverness more than two months ago.


Partick made the early running but Higginbotham wasted an opportunity to put the visitors under pressure when he whipped a free-kick over the bar from a wide position.


The left winger soon made amends when his one-two with Lawless gave him a shooting chance but Brill narrowed the angle and blocked with his feet.


The hosts continued to press but almost shot themselves in the foot in the 17th minute when Conrad Balatoni's pass back was intercepted by McKay, but the in-form striker had a difficult angle to overcome and his effort was blocked by the feet of Scott Fox.


The best chance of the half came midway through when James Craigen burst on to Aaron Taylor-Sinclair's ball into the box and looped a cross into the goalmouth over Brill. However, Doolan could only head over from almost underneath the bar before crashing into the post.


Inverness got a grip on proceedings and pushed the Maryhill side back for much of the rest of the half but they could not carve out a chance and Higginbotham had another free-kick blocked.


Partick right-back Stephen O'Donnell, who was back in the squad following a hip knock, came on for the start of the second half and created a great chance 11 minutes in.


Lawless found space to meet the full-back's cross on the six yard line but sent his diving header wide of the near post.


Higginbotham missed an even better chance four minutes later. He cut in to meet Craigen's cross on the six yard line, brought the ball under control, shook off Graeme Shinnie but then cushioned a volley over the bar.


The First Division champions kept pressing and some good skill and awareness from Doolan set up Craigen 20 yards out but the midfielder shot just wide.


Inverness also missed a good chance when Greenhalgh, who was just off the bench, got in front of O'Donnell to meet Shinnie's inswinging cross only to see his header bounce wide from five yards.


Partick were quickly back on the attack though and Brill stopped a powerful effort from Christie Elliott after Lawless had teed him up on the edge of the box.


Brill made a better save when he dived to his left to get his hand to a swerving 30-yard strike from substitute Ross Forbes, which was heading for the corner of the net.


The home side kept pressing in the final stages but their quest for a Premiership victory at Firhill now moves to Sunday's visit of Motherwell.


Source: PA