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With Raith Rovers and Dundee United both dropping points in their respective Friday evening fixtures, Partick Thistle knew that victory over Inverness would see the Jags make up ground on the Championship’s top two.
There was little surprise as Kris Doolan named an unchanged starting eleven for the third week running. There was however, a landmark occasion for Stevie Lawless as the diminutive midfielder marked his 300th appearance in Thistle colours - further staking his claim for a place in the club’s hall of fame.
A horror start saw the hosts left shell-shocked as Duncan Ferguson’s side took the lead after only 19 seconds. A quick move down the right flank allowed Billy McKay to lay the ball on a plate for Max Anderson, the Dundee loanee’s tame effort took a wicked deflection off a Jags defender before trickling past wrong-footed goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon for 1-0. The quickest competitive goal in the Highland club’s 30-year history.
The visitors looked to capitalise on their early dominance and very nearly doubled their lead just moments later. Anderson once again proved to be the danger man for Inverness as the midfielder jinked past a couple of challenges in the Thistle box before rolling the ball out to left-back Cameron Harper, who blazed his effort high and wide of goal. A big let-off for Thistle - eliciting audible groans from the home support as they encouraged their side to wake up.
The Jags managed to get a foothold of the game after a quarter of an hour. Midfielder Blair Alston displayed some neat footwork as he danced his way through the Caley defence, his eventual shot ricocheting off ex-Jag Danny Devine before falling kindly for wing-back Jack McMillan. The Thistle number two picked the ball up inside the six-yard box and duly slotted the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Mark Ridgers to level the score.
Despite neither side creating any clear-cut chances to take the lead, Partick Thistle went into the interval as the side in the ascendency and gaffer Doolan would look for his men to carry that momentum into the second half.
The marauding McMillan looked to be the Jags' primary attacking outlet and he came close to doubling his, and his side's goal tally for the afternoon on 55 minutes. The Bathgate-born full-back getting on the end of Aidan Fitzpatrick’s low delivery, taking a touch to steady himself before sending a goalbound piledriver beyond the despairing Ridgers, only to be denied by a vital last-ditch block from Devine.
Both sides knew this game was there to be won but clear-cut chances came few and far between. Inverness looked to pile on the pressure with a barrage of late corner kicks but to no avail. Caley boss Duncan Ferguson found himself in the referee’s notebook late on for his reaction to the visitors' appeals for a penalty being waved away by whistler Graham Grainger as Harper went down inside the area whilst being jockeyed closely by Thistle substitute Stuart Bannigan.
READ MORE: Important win against Dunfermline keeps Thistle title hopes alive
With honours even at Firhill, the Jags had failed to capitalise on the sides above them dropping points. All five Championship fixtures ended in stalemate this weekend ensuring the Maryhill outfit retained their comfortable seven-point cushion in third spot. For Inverness, it was a vital point on the road as the draw kept them outside the relegation play-off spot and the joy was there for all to see as ‘Big Dunc’ stormed across the Firhill turf to join the 200-strong away following as they celebrated their vital point against the promotion-chasing Jags.
For Thistle, a trip to Tannadice lies in wait as the Jags look to close the gap on the top two. Doolan will be looking to replicate his side's last trip to the city of Discovery where the Harry Wraggs ran out 2-1 winners in this season's viaplay cup group stage. However, the Jags will no doubt be mindful of the threat this United side carries, with the wounds of the Firhill mauling back in October still very much raw.
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