A Nadir Ciftci goal with 18 minutes to play earned United a point, in a closely fought match in Glasgow.
By Joe James
The starting eleven had a familiar look to it with McNamara sticking to the same eleven that convincingly turned over Dundee earlier in the week. A vast number of injuries and illnesses forced Thistle into making five changes as Dale Keenan, Declan McDaid, Liam Lindsay, Steven Lawless and Kris Doolan all entered the starting 11.
First half
United started the match at an incredible tempo and after less than a minute they could've took the lead. Nadir Ciftci's delightful pass split the Thistle defence and allowed Gary Mackay-Steven to go one-on-one with Paul Gallacher, however, Mackay-Steven's tame shot was easily gathered by the former United keeper.
For the opening ten minutes, it was all United. With the young Thistle defence struggling to cope with the pace and movement of the Terrors attacking players, the eventual break through came at nine minutes. Again Ciftci provided the creative spark when he sprayed a pass to Mackay-Steven over the Thistle defence, and this time the United midfielder coolly slotted it past Gallacher and into the net, giving United an early lead.
The home sides first opportunity didn't come until just after the 16th minute when advancing fullback Steven O'Donnell whipped a curling cross onto the head of Stevie Lawless and safely into the grasp of Radoslaw Cierzniak.
Coming into the 20th minute Thistle began gathering real momentum and finding gaps in behind the United defence, and within three minutes, the Jags had an equalizer. Midfielder Gary Fraser floated a corner into the box for Ryan Stevenson who rose above the United defence and powered in a header from close range.
Suddenly it was all Thistle and just five minutes after the equalizer, Kris Doolan forced Cierzniak into another fine stop. Fraser floated a ball behind the United defence and the Thistle strikers first time volley stung the palms of Cierzniak and clear.
Just before the half hour mark, the Jags took the lead from a scrappy Doolan goal. Gary Fraser's low driven cross wasn't dealt with properly by the United defence and the ball fell kindly for Doolan who placed his shot into the corner of the net.
Thistle were in total control for the remainder of the half and right before the whistle should have added a third. Stuart Bannigan played an inviting ball into the box for Kris Doolan whose miss-hit shot in front of goal was struck by Fraser and wonderfully saved again by Cierzniak.
Second half
Unlike the free-flowing, open, attacking play produced in the first half, the second half was slightly more scrappy, with a few niggley fouls and a real battle in midfield. As the game continued, Thistle looked to hold onto their lead and in doing so began to sit deeper and deeper in defence.
At 60 minutes, Thistle created perhaps their best chance of the half. Conrad Balatoni's long ball was headed down by Conor Townsend and picked up by Fraser at the centre circle. Fraser then floated a pass onto the chest of Lawless with the winger evading a few United defenders in the process. Lawless then decisively cut the ball into the feet of Stevenson who hit a shot well over the target.
It wasn't until the 72nd minute that United had any real sniff of a chance at goal, and from it they scored a well deserved equalizer. The goal came through a clinical counter attack with Mackay-Steven at the heart of it. The dangerous midfielder danced past four Thistle players before releasing Ciftci inside the box who hit a well struck shot into the roof of the net.
With five minutes remaining substitute Ryan Dow went inches wide of handing United the lead. Ciftci once again played a nice ball inside the box to Dow who poked a shot just wide of the post.
For the remaining minutes of the match, it was continues pressure from United and had Stuart Armstrong's shot in the last minute been more accurate, United would've left Firhill with the three points.
Man of the match: Again, Mackay-Steven looked threatening going forward at every opportunity and looks to have his confidence back.
Thistle: Gallacher, O'Donnell, Balatoni, Bannigan ('79 Craigan), Doolan, Stevenson, Lawless, Fraser, Lindsay, McDaid, Keenan.
Unused subs: Fox, Eccleston, Wilson, Leyden.
United: Cierzniak, Dillon, Townsend, Fojut, Watson (Spittal '56), Butcher, Rankin (Telfer '56), Armstrong, Mackay-Steven, Erskine (72' Ryan Dow), Ciftci.
Unused subs: Szromnik, Wilson, Connolly, Spark.
Referee: John Beaton
Attendance: 3,761
By Joe James
The starting eleven had a familiar look to it with McNamara sticking to the same eleven that convincingly turned over Dundee earlier in the week. A vast number of injuries and illnesses forced Thistle into making five changes as Dale Keenan, Declan McDaid, Liam Lindsay, Steven Lawless and Kris Doolan all entered the starting 11.
First half
United started the match at an incredible tempo and after less than a minute they could've took the lead. Nadir Ciftci's delightful pass split the Thistle defence and allowed Gary Mackay-Steven to go one-on-one with Paul Gallacher, however, Mackay-Steven's tame shot was easily gathered by the former United keeper.
For the opening ten minutes, it was all United. With the young Thistle defence struggling to cope with the pace and movement of the Terrors attacking players, the eventual break through came at nine minutes. Again Ciftci provided the creative spark when he sprayed a pass to Mackay-Steven over the Thistle defence, and this time the United midfielder coolly slotted it past Gallacher and into the net, giving United an early lead.
The home sides first opportunity didn't come until just after the 16th minute when advancing fullback Steven O'Donnell whipped a curling cross onto the head of Stevie Lawless and safely into the grasp of Radoslaw Cierzniak.
Coming into the 20th minute Thistle began gathering real momentum and finding gaps in behind the United defence, and within three minutes, the Jags had an equalizer. Midfielder Gary Fraser floated a corner into the box for Ryan Stevenson who rose above the United defence and powered in a header from close range.
Suddenly it was all Thistle and just five minutes after the equalizer, Kris Doolan forced Cierzniak into another fine stop. Fraser floated a ball behind the United defence and the Thistle strikers first time volley stung the palms of Cierzniak and clear.
Just before the half hour mark, the Jags took the lead from a scrappy Doolan goal. Gary Fraser's low driven cross wasn't dealt with properly by the United defence and the ball fell kindly for Doolan who placed his shot into the corner of the net.
Thistle were in total control for the remainder of the half and right before the whistle should have added a third. Stuart Bannigan played an inviting ball into the box for Kris Doolan whose miss-hit shot in front of goal was struck by Fraser and wonderfully saved again by Cierzniak.
Second half
Unlike the free-flowing, open, attacking play produced in the first half, the second half was slightly more scrappy, with a few niggley fouls and a real battle in midfield. As the game continued, Thistle looked to hold onto their lead and in doing so began to sit deeper and deeper in defence.
At 60 minutes, Thistle created perhaps their best chance of the half. Conrad Balatoni's long ball was headed down by Conor Townsend and picked up by Fraser at the centre circle. Fraser then floated a pass onto the chest of Lawless with the winger evading a few United defenders in the process. Lawless then decisively cut the ball into the feet of Stevenson who hit a shot well over the target.
It wasn't until the 72nd minute that United had any real sniff of a chance at goal, and from it they scored a well deserved equalizer. The goal came through a clinical counter attack with Mackay-Steven at the heart of it. The dangerous midfielder danced past four Thistle players before releasing Ciftci inside the box who hit a well struck shot into the roof of the net.
With five minutes remaining substitute Ryan Dow went inches wide of handing United the lead. Ciftci once again played a nice ball inside the box to Dow who poked a shot just wide of the post.
For the remaining minutes of the match, it was continues pressure from United and had Stuart Armstrong's shot in the last minute been more accurate, United would've left Firhill with the three points.
Man of the match: Again, Mackay-Steven looked threatening going forward at every opportunity and looks to have his confidence back.
Thistle: Gallacher, O'Donnell, Balatoni, Bannigan ('79 Craigan), Doolan, Stevenson, Lawless, Fraser, Lindsay, McDaid, Keenan.
Unused subs: Fox, Eccleston, Wilson, Leyden.
United: Cierzniak, Dillon, Townsend, Fojut, Watson (Spittal '56), Butcher, Rankin (Telfer '56), Armstrong, Mackay-Steven, Erskine (72' Ryan Dow), Ciftci.
Unused subs: Szromnik, Wilson, Connolly, Spark.
Referee: John Beaton
Attendance: 3,761