Report

The Jags made it four wins on the bounce with a comfortable 4-1 home win against Balintore.

It was Balintore that started the brighter of the to teams not allowing Thistle to get into their normal game, and it took until the 11min for the Jags to open their account when a through ball from Alan Dorrian released Darran Goller who race through one on one with the goal keeper but unselfishly elected to square the ball for Dorrian to tap in.

Balintore were reduced to ten men in the 30min after Scott Innes was adjudged to have committed a last man tackle on the edge of the box.

Thistle should really have increased their lead at numerous occasions throughout the remainder of the half with Stuart Mackay missing two guilt edged chances and Balintore keeper Scott MacGreur also coming to the away sides rescue with three fine saves to keep his side in the game.

Into the second half and Thistle showed signs from the start of their intentions with more direct play with the ball on the deck and were cruelly denied a second goal when Robert Macrae smashed home the ball after a late run into the box, the far side assistant referee flagged him for off-side.

Thistle did double their advantage in the 50min when Robert Macrae found Paul Gair who knocked a square ball to Craig Stuart to coolly shot past McGruer.

The Jags made in three in the 65 min with Craig Stuart again involved threading a defence splitting pass through to Stuart Mackay to slot in.

With Thistle now in complete control the forth goal came 3mins later after good wing play down the left by Gary Urquhart the forward looked up and picked out an inch perfect pass ‘like only Gary could do’ to Martin MacLean in the centre and the Midfielder smashed a lovely low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

The only sour point in the day came in the 89min after a lapse in concentration from Thistle allowed Balintore to advance down the left releasing Liam Rostock to score and end Neil Mackay’s season’s unbeaten record after 605mins of football.