Doolan double fires Partick Thistle into fifth as sad Stirling slide closer to drop

Mar 23 2011

Kris Doolan

Stirling Albion 0 Partick Thistle 3

DEADLY Kris Doolan took his season tally to 14 goals with a double as Partick Thistle ruthlessly disposed of bottom dogs Stirling Albion.

Ex-Auchinleck Talbot hitman Doolan continued to prove Jags boss Ian McCall right for plucking him out of the junior leagues with two clinical strikes to help Thistle climb further away from the drop zone.

There's now 19 points between Thistle and Stirling and the Jags are 10 points clear of the play-off zone currently occupied by Cowdenbeath.

Which could well be the green light for McCall to blood more of the promising youngsters hovering on the fringes of his starting 11 in the coming weeks.

The Jags were determined to get back on the win trail after Sarturday's dismal home defeat to Cowdenbeath and they set about their hosts from the offset.

Iain Flannigan, restored to the starting line-up in place of Ryan McGowan who was at an international training camp with Australia, shot over the bar after eight minutes when he should have at least hit the target.

Doolan had his first sight of goal on the quarter hour mark when he turned and shot from just inside the box but Scott Christie produced a smart save low to his left.

The good money was on Doolan to open the scoring though as he continually teased the Binos defence and after a couple of close efforts, the Jags man eventually found the net on 27 minutes.

David Rowson did the leg work, powering down the left flank before providing a perfect cross for Doolan to smash home the vital opener.

Nine minutes later and it was 2-0 to Thistle - and the scorer on this occasion could hardly have been predicted by even the most adventurous gambler.

On-loan Hearts stopper Conrad Balatoni netted his first Jags goal after seven months when he rose unchallenged to head a Paddy Boyle corner powerfully into the net.

It was just the sort of lead to ease Jags nerves heading into the interval and McCall's men were well worth the two-goal advantage having dominated proceedings.

The hosts could only improve after the break and they did at least begin to work the Thistle rearguard.

Ex-Queen of the South frontman Michael Mullen saw a shot scrape the bar before Scott Fox moved swiftly from his goal line to deny Tom Brighton.

Stirling's hopes were killed off in 72 minutes though when Doolan netted his second from the spot.

Home defender Ross Forsyth was adjudged to have fouled Jags defender John Robertson as he broke into the box and Doolan made no mistake with the resultant penalty.

Thrilled Partick boss McCall said afterwards: "The first half was terrific and we played a lot of good stuff.

"Stirling came at us in the second half and tried to make a game of it and I think we could have cut them up a bit more on the counter attack."