First Team
TEAM NEWS | PARTICK THISTLE (H)
3rd May 2024
Newcomer Justin Johnson inspired the Tangerines to a record Development League win leaving their Highland opponents reeling as the 18-year-old hit a hat-trick and had a hand in three of the other goals.
By Peter Rundo
The Tangerines took the lead on 25 minutes when man of the match Johnson fired home from a narrow angle.
Six minutes later, Scott Smith converted a penalty after Jamie Robson was bundled over by Scott Ferries.
A minute before the interval, County pulled one back when Steve Saunders headed home a corner at the far post.
Three minutes after the re-start, Ali Coote fired in a shot from 22 yards which hit both posts, but Johnson was on hand to knock the ball into the empty net.
But three minutes later, Rocco Quinn pulled one back with a 20-yard drive.
On the hour mark, Johnson completed his hat trick in style powering a shot into the bottom corner.
Ten minutes later, Johnson brilliantly engineered the sixth scored by Euan Spark as he chested home from close range.
On 71 minutes Jamie Montgomery headed against the bar and Aaron Duke nodded the rebound over the keeper for the sixth.
With quarter of an hour left, an Ali Coote free-kick from the right appeared to evade everybody and landed up in the back of the net for number seven, but Chris McLaughlin was credited with the final touch.
Montgomery then set up Duke for the eighth.
And two minutes from time, a Duke shot deflected into path of Matti Smith to notch the ninth.
TEAM:
McGovern, Spark, Robson, S Smith, Ballantyne, McLaughlin, Montgomery, B Smith (Duke 36), M Smith, Coote, Johnson.
SUBS NOT USED:
Booth, H Souttar, Horne.
