Partick Thistle vs Ross County. Scottish Premiership Play-offs Final.
The Energy Check Stadium at FirhillAttendance7,291.
Match report as goals from Aidan Fitzpatrick and Brian Graham give Partick Thistle a 2-0 first-leg lead in their Scottish Premiership promotion play-off final with Ross County; Dylan Smith is sent off early on for the visitors by VAR for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity
Thursday 1 June 2023 23:46, UK
Partick Thistle are in the box seat for a return to the cinch Premiership following their 2-0 play-off final first leg win over 10-player Ross County at Firhill.
Jags winger Aidan Fitzpatrick opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a terrific strike before 16-year-old Staggies defender Dylan Smith was sent off by referee David Munro eight minutes later for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, after the official upgraded a yellow card to red following the intervention of the VAR Andrew Dallas.
Thistle's 35-year-old striker Brian Graham volleyed in a second for the Championship outfit just before the break to take his season tally to 21 and the home side could and should have scored more against a team a man down for most of the game.
However, Kris Doolan's inventive side - now unbeaten in 11 games - will travel to Dingwall for the second leg on Sunday, buoyed with confidence while Malky Mackay's men must dig deep if they are to retain their top-flight status.
Thistle, the first club to reach a Premiership play-off final after finishing fourth in the second tier, exploded into the game.
Winger Steve Lawless' drive after skipping past Smith was saved by Staggies keeper Ross Laidlaw for a corner which he held.
However, the home side were soon ahead.
Fitzpatrick took a crossfield pass from Lawless, nipped in between Victor Loturi and Owura Edwards and from 16 yards curled the ball past Laidlaw into the far corner of the net before taking the acclaim of the fans.
More drama followed.
Smith was initially booked by Munro for fouling Fitzpatrick on the edge of the box as he attempted to race through on goal.
However, after going off to check the pitch side monitor - VAR was in operation for the first time at Firhill - the referee returned to flash a red and the visitors were down to 10 men, with defender Keith Watson immediately coming on for striker Alex Samuel before skipper Ross Docherty lifted the free-kick well over the bar.
In the 34th minute Graham connected with a Kyle Turner corner but Laidlaw was down smartly to save.
County edged forward as often as they could but they appeared susceptible to losing a second, with Graham thundering a drive over from the edge of the box.
The former Ross County and Dundee United forward was much more accurate from another Turner corner, volleying in from 12 yards to send the Glasgow side into the break on a high.
Ben Purrington replaced George Harmon, who had been booked, for the start of the second half as the Dingwall side looked to keep themselves in the tie but within minutes Thistle's Kevin Holt had volleyed over the Staggies crossbar from eight yards.
Thistle then swarmed all over the visitors and should have added to their lead.
Graham had a goal-bound drive blocked for a corner by centre-back Jack Randall before Scott Tiffoney also saw his effort from inside the box hit County defender Connor Randall and then Laidlaw somehow kept out a close-range header from Graham.
County hinted at a threat occasionally and in the 64th minute Jags defender Aaron Muirhead brilliantly blocked a shot from Staggies forward Jordan White.
The Dingwall side pushed for a lifeline which never arrived, the home side finishing in control with substitute Danny Mullen cracking the bar with a powerful drive and they will surely travel to Dingwall on Sunday more in belief than hope.
Partick Thistle boss Kris Doolan:
"It was a brilliant win for us - but it could have been more. If you'd offered us 2-0 before the game, we would obviously have taken your hand off. But it could have been more. To me, it maybe should have been more.
"Part of that is down to Ross County defending well and throwing their bodies on the line.
"Their goalie also made a good save at the end to tip one on to the bar. If we had managed to get a third, it might well have been a different game.
"But we know it's not over. There's still another game to be played on Sunday. We only have one way of playing - and we will go out and look to do the same in Dingwall.
"We know that if we can go there and win the game, we will be back in the Premiership."
Ross County manager Malky Mackay:
"We started fairly brightly and created a couple of half chances.
"But we lost a bad goal. It was a great strike from Fitzpatrick but poor defending from our lads that were out facing it.
"I thought we were doing okay at that point but then we lost young Dylan.
"He's a great kid and has been terrific in his first season as a pro but in retrospect he's nicked the boy and it was a sending off.
"That obviously gives us a mountain to climb.
"We then lose the goal just before half-time and when I got the boys back inside, I said to them the challenge was to make sure we come out here no worse than two-down.
"I didn't want us to sink in to our own penalty box as that would have just been carnage. So to see us threaten them a few times was what I needed.
"Second half I was really proud of them and at only two-down, there is plenty to play for on Sunday."
The sides will meet again on Sunday at the Global Energy Stadium, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 4.30pm.
