Thistle were looking to bounce back from the disappointing opening day defeat at Darvel against the team that they pushed for the title all the way to the very last kick of last season. Cambusang are another one of the teams that the Jags would be looking to take points from if they have serious ambitions to survive and prosper in this league. Cambuslang got off to the better start and looked lively going forward, whilst at the other end their defence was solid and winning every ball, ably marshalled by centre half Smith.
It was no surprise then that the wee Gers took the lead in the 19th minute with a well worked move. The ball was worked across the midfield to Dale Simeon on the right who lashed it across Jags keeper Thomson into the net off the crossbar. The visitors doubled their lead four minutes later with a bad goal defensively for Thistle, a close-range header from Lang’s Gebbie. Cambuslang didn’t rest on their lead and continued to push in search of more goals, it was only good work by Thomson that kept the score down to 2-0. In reply, Thistle had a couple of half chances when Reid blasted over and Forbes put a good ball across the six yard area that didn’t find any takers. The best chance of the half though fell to Johnny McStay after what was the Jags best move of the game, Innes and Gracie combining well on the right before Gracie laid the ball into McStay’s path but he could only poke it at the advancing keeper. Half time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Cambuslang Rangers 2 Mark McKeever and Hugh Kelly were deputising for the management duo who were at a wedding and must have given the team an inspirational talk at half time. As with last week, Thistle came out of the blocks and went straight about the business of trying to get back into the game. Like last week it took until they were 2-0 down for them to get going but they did just that and created some great chances. David Reid had a couple of decent opportunities that he might have done better with if he’d kept his composure but he shot high and wide. McStay again though looked the most likely to score, a low drive bringing out a fine save from Stewart, the keeper was the hero again for Cambuslang with a wonder point-blank save from a Reid header.
Graham Gracie also had his chances, he had the ball in the net but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper and had a great chance to score when Stewart again saved well from McStay but could only parry the ball into his path, his shot was blocked by a Lang defender throwing himself in front of the ball for an excellent block. Matty Clarke came on for Josh Payne early in the second half after he had hobbled off injured. Clarke showed he still has plenty to offer with a series of good runs at the Cambuslang defence that gave Thistle a different option to the long ball which wasn’t working at all against a very good defence whose keeper was the man of the match. Thistle now find themselves as one of the five teams still to get off the mark with no points from the first two games, but can maybe take some consolation from the fact that the two teams they have lost to sit first and second at the top of the table.
