Right, the rest of it.
The Dee lined up exactly as expected after the leak here about Ludo being out.
Samson
Worrell - MacKenzie - Palenick - Dixon
Daquin - McDonald - Robertson - Swankie
Davidson - Sturm
Lovely warm, sunny day, decent crowd (especially from Glasgow) and a beautiful pitch. Everything was set up nicely to go seriously tits up.
Didn't quite work out that way though.
Within 35 seconds we had our first shot on goal. Neat link up play, and a fierce shot from 20 yards by Robertson, well saved by Tuffey. That was to be the Partick keeper's sole moment of glory.
We kept on playing nicely and after seven minutes Jani gets decked from behind just outside the box, a couple of yards from the angle, towards the Derry in front of the Thistle fans. Everyone, especially the keeper is expecting a cross. Swanks just curves it neatly inside the near post with the keeper looking as smart as Jade Goody on Mastermind.
Thistle have a good shot just after, a speculative piledriver from 25 yards. Sansom pulls off a good save, tipping it over. He didn't have much to do today - and performed well when he had to.
We remain in charge, passing and pressing well. After 15 minutes we work the ball all round their area looking for an opening. Swankie lays the ball back to Dickers, who sends a towering garryowen cross beyond the far post. Tuffey commits the classic goalkeeping howler and comes chasing after a ball he's not going to get, and then changes his mind. Davidson's waiting and all he has to do is keep his header on target as the keeper is back-pedalling very, very foolishly. 2-0, and even the Derry coo is starting to enjoy life.
It should have been three when Freddy Twinkletoes Daquin skins two players and sends Sturm through. To be fair, the keeper did pull off a decent save.
Meanwhile the defence wasn't really all that impressive. There was the odd unnecessary alarm, mostly down to poor communication I think. Twice Palenik went for balls almost in competition with fellow defenders. I think Dickers got hurt in one of them. Anyway, he was taken off after half an hour and Danny Griffin sent on to play left back.
At half time we were all pretty pleased. We'd played well and dominated. The goals had come cheaply against an atrocious defence, but hey, you've got to take these gifts when they come along.
In the second half we started brightly, but Partick nearly scored a very similar goal to the one we conceded in Perth. Worrell got caught out again by a long ball (tut, tut, don't make a habit of it), Murray fired in his cross, and Samson pulled off a good save from the subbie Strachan.
That was a big, big save by Samson. It coud have been 2-1 with 40 minutes to go. Instead we score a belter to make it 3-0.
Davidson has his back to goal 25 yards out and flicks on a pass to send Kevin Mac rampaging into the box. He shimmies past one defender, sends another onto his erse and rifles his shot past the keeper. A defender gets the last touch, but it was going in anyway and definitely Kevin's goal. This is what we pay our money for - a goal of beauty, summer sunshine, and the Dee giving Ian McCall's clowns a royal rogering.
Anyway, that killed the game stone dead and we ran out very comfortable winners. Sturm got pulled to give O'Brien the last 25 minutes, with Freddy moving into the middle. Palenik got crocked (very worrying) and McHale came on, with Danny moving to centre back and O'Brien to left back. After that disruption the players seemed happy enough to kill the game and take a 3-0 win. Thistle huffed and puffed, but we looke dmore likely to score than they did.
Alan Archibald got a second yellow. His first was for dissent I think, then he bodychecked Freddy (I think) when Dundee tried to take a quick free kick to send Freddy down the wing. The ref gave us some cheap laughs by lecturing fatty McCall who was wearing a baseball cap and a suit. Glasgow style, eh?
Any Man of the Match, by a hugely impressive margin was Kevin McDonald. Towering performance from an 18 year old. Composed on the ball, aggressive when Partick had it, able to beat men with ease, and rifle accurate passes round the pitch. Very honourable mentions to Scotty Robertson of course, and Freddy Daquin who really had an excellent match today. Not just good by his standards - but simply very good. He even put in a decent shift through the middle when Sturm went off. His control, passing, crossing and link up play were all good. He fits very well into the team. Craig Samson was fine, a good sound peformance and a clean sheet.
As for Partick - well they were well and truly found out today. A powder puff attack in the middle, decent players on the wings, nothing in central midfield - and these are the good points. Their defence was absolutely howling. We were opening them up almost at will. They looked nowhere near good enough to sustain a challenge.
So that was a pretty good day. The only worries are the injuries to Dickers and Palenik.
And Kevin McDonald was phucking brilliant, aye.