| Date | Saturday, 26 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Competition | Scottish League Cup |
| Fixture/Score | Ross County 1:3 Partick Thistle |
| Venue | Global Energy Stadium at Victoria Park |
| Attendance | 1,740 |
| Referee | Ryan Lee |
| Comments | Match Report Report from Partick Thistle website Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 3 Partick Thistle made it the perfect Premier Sports Group B campaign thanks to a 3-1 success against Ross County at the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall. The fourth win in four group games was secured by superb goals from Robbie Crawford, Logan Chalmers and Ben Stanway with the Highland success booking a place in the last sixteen and it could even be a seeded spot dependant on Sunday’s St Mirren and Ayr United game. Head Coach Mark Wilson listed the same starting line-up as the one that defeated Queen of the South 2-0 on Tuesday night with new loan recruit, goalkeeper Josh Clarke, on the substitutes’ bench. The Jags wearing their new ‘Cricket Cream’ Away Kit took kick-off with Crawford getting things going however play was quickly stopped when Luke McBeth was pulled up for an aerial challenge. McBeth was harshly penalised again a minute later however Lewis Budinauckas rose and clutched Jay Henderson’s free-kick. Thistle’s first attack almost brought a goal as Tony Watt found Ts’oanelo Lets’osa who brought out a save from Ross Laidlaw who stuck out a foot to keep out the midfielder’s low 10-yard shot finding the net. As the visitors continued to press Paddy Reading floated in an effort from the left that looked to be dropping into a dangerous area before County cleared. The Maryhill Men survived a scare on 12 minutes when Ronan Hale picked up on a loose ball 30 yards from Budinauckas’ goal and chipped the goalkeeper only to see his shot hit the bar and rise into the air and hit the bar again before being saved. Just after the quarter of an hour mark Chalmers twisted and turned past Len O’Sullivan before swinging over a left footed cross from the right that looked to be reaching the head of Crawford however, he was gently eased out of the way with Referee Lee not interested in penalty shouts. On 20 minutes Watt sent Chalmers scampering clear on the right flank and he darted towards goal before seeing a curling drive blocked by Laidlaw’s legs. Watt was on the end of an aerial knock seven minutes later and returned to action with a ‘Lee Ashcroft’ style bandage however the striker showed no signs of it slowing him down on the half hour mark as he battled clear in the box before seeing a shot booted clear. Skipper Ashcroft showed his defensive skills on 33 minutes when he stood strong to block a Hale shot after the home striker turned and fired fiercely at the Thistle goal. Thistle raced to the other end and only a perfectly timed Declan Gallagher sliding tackle prevented Chalmers firing in a drive after Fitzpatrick had released him. A minute from the break the opening goal arrived, and it came from Wilson’s side and what a fine goal it was. McBeth moved forward with the ball 30 yards from the home goal and step inside team-mate Watt before sliding a diagonal through ball into the path of CRAWFORD who had timed a run in-behind the Staggies defence to perfection and he controlled with one touch before slotting past Laidlaw from 14 yards. Reading won the first corner of the second half when his cross was turned behind Laidlaw’s goal with the play stopped after Dan O’Reilly headed the dead ball back across goal as Crompton had picked up a head knock. Left back Reading was involved again offensively on 50 minutes when he sent over a low ball that flashed across the six-yard line without finding a Thistle boot. Just before the hour mark Ashcroft made another brave block as he slid in to block a Dean Cornelius drive from 20 yards. McBeth was almost involved in a goal for a second time 17 minutes into the restart as he swivelled himself clear 20 yards out and swept in a shot that beat Laidlaw but also beat the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. There was a second goal on 64 minutes, and it was another cracker from The Jags as CHALMERS drifted in from the right and from the edge of the box, he curled a left footer high into the far corner. There was a scare shortly afterwards when Crompton headed wide from close-range with Budinauckas showing strong hands when he dealt with an Aaron Lyall drive 12 minutes from time. On 83 minutes it could have been three as Watt pierced the Ross County rear-guard to find substitute Stanway who hit a strong shot goalward only for Laidlaw to block. The pair combined again a minute later, and a goal came, with Watt accepting a rolled pass from the left from Chalmers and slipping it two feet further along the 18-yard line where STANWAY curled in a low first time shot. County grabbed a goal back in 88 minutes when Jordan White dived to head home a right-wing cross. |
| Ross County | |
| Manager | Don Cowie |
| Starting 11 | 1: Ross Laidlaw, 2: Ben Crompton, 3: Len O'Sullivan, 7: Jay Henderson, 8: Dean Cornelius, 9: Ronan Hale 1, 14: Nicholas (Nicky) Clark, 15: Dylan Smith, 22: Adam Emslie, 23: Ross Docherty 1, 31: Declan Gallagher 1 |
| Bench | 21: Bradley Foster, 11: Kieran Phillips, 19: Arron Lyall, 20: George Robesten, 26: Jordan White 1, 32: Copeland Thain, 34: Lewis MacKay, 38: Jamie Lindsay, 39: Joe Coyle |
| Partick Thistle | |
| Manager | Mark Wilson |
| Starting 11 | Lewis Budinauckas, Daniel O'Reilly, Cammy Logan, Lee Ashcroft, Paddy Reading, Luke McBeth, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Logan Chalmers 1, Robbie Crawford 1, Tsoanelo Letsosa, Tony Watt |
| Bench | Steven Lawless, Matthew Falconer, Ben Stanway 1, Thomas Horn, Joshua Clarke, Zander Mackenzie, Luis Cameron, Liam Dolan |