Programme:
Match Report:
Johnston scored both Partick Thistle's goals, the first in the forty-second minute and the second after sixty-eight. The Leeds substitutes were Tommy Wright, Neil Aspin, Mark Gavin and Scott Sellars. The Partick substitutes were David Scott, who came on for the injured Jamie Doyle, Kenny McDowell, Jim Docherty and Paul MacKenzie. The Referee was Douglas Hope of Erskine.
The Glasgow Herald by Ian Paul (Courtesy of Steve Bell)
If pre-season friendlies are merely extended training sessions then Thistle's private work-outs must be interesting. They certainly gave a good impression of a team doing their best against Leeds at Firhill last night in the English club's opening game of their Scottish tour.
The Scots in the Leeds side - five of them including manager Eddie Gray - had anticipated a tough evening's work and were proved correct
There may not have been a great deal of subtlety about the Scottish club's actions but they were undoubtably prepared to use up all the energy available.
With Maurice Johnston, a young man interesting many clubs, in shooting form, the English club knew they were in a game. Leeds, with recent signings George McCluskey (from Celtic) and Andy Watson (from Aberdeen) in the line-up, had therefore to find some form quickly after only one previous friendly.
They did manage to look the slicker side on occasion with some well thought out moves, but Thistle's doggedness proved difficult to tame. They could easily have been in front in the first minute when Ian McDonald was left in the clear, but he elected to pass rather than shoot and the chance was gone.
Watson and McCluskey combined well before George shot over the bar and not long afterwards McNab had to come out smartly to pip the former Celtic player.
Thistle put on David Scott for Jamie Doyle who took a knock, before McCluskey just failed to connect properly with a hard Watson cross
The noisy coterie of Leeds supporters in the stand were silenced effectively in forty-two minutes when Johnston, watched by a number of English representatives, cleverly hooked the ball past Harvey to put Thistle ahead.
Leeds added some bite to their play after the interval and tested Thistle three times in as many minutes, Thomas's shot in particular bringing a touch over the bar by McNab.
But Johnson reminded Leeds of his oppurtunism with a shot from an awkward angle which was only just past a post. And in the sixty-eighth minute he gave them a better example when he put Thistle two up with a good drive from outside the penalty box.
