AIDAN FITZPATRICK isn’t exactly known for his dominance in the air. The winger generally relies on his pace and trickery to make life difficult for the opposition, and rarely even attempts heading the ball. Yet it was the 21-year-old’s 80th-minute looping header that eventually undid Arbroath and sent the Jags through to the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup on Tuesday night.
The goal was no less than the home side deserved, having dominated possession throughout the contest and fashioning decent opportunities on a regular basis. But for a close-range save right at the death, Thistle goalkeeper David Mitchell wasn’t seriously troubled by the visitors.
Fitzpatrick got on the end of a Steven Lawless cross to arc the ball over Derek Gaston and into the back of the net and although he insists the act was deliberate, he had some convincing to do in the dressing room after the full-time whistle.
“That’s the first time I have headed the ball in a game and they were my first two touches,” Fitzpatrick observed. “Then I come up with my first headed goal for the winner and I hope it’s not my last one.
“The boys were all giving me stick in the dressing room saying that I didn’t mean it but I definitely did. They were winding me up and they reckoned I was trying to flick it to the back post, but I was trying to put it over the keeper to score.
“It was so important to win the game and get into the next round. We know we have enough quality in the squad that we will create chances and it is up to us to take us.
“We knew with the number of chances we created one of them would go in and thankfully I got it.”
Fitzpatrick is one of the younger members of Ian McCall’s squad but he has no shortage of experienced professionals to turn to for the occasional word of advice on the park. A substitute on the night alongside Brian Graham, Danny Mullen and Cole McKinnon, the winger believes that the strength and depth of the Thistle team was on display in the win over Dick Campbell’s men.
“On nights like Tuesday the experienced guys are so important,” Fitzpatrick said. “Big Brian Graham, Ross Docherty, Stevie Lawless and others, they are so important for us. They tell us where to go and where not to go on the park to help the team. When they tell us things we take it on the board.
“I think the quality we have on the bench shows we have that strength and depth and it’s something we have spoken about. We have good players in the whole squad and you have to take your chance when you come on. Thankfully I was able to do that on Tuesday but we have to put it behind us and go again on Saturday against Arbroath.
“It’s one defeat in ten games for us now, which is a good start to the season. We have to continue that now and we know we can win games but we have to do it consistently. No one is in the dressing room getting ahead of ourselves we are all level-headed in there. We know if we play like we can then good things will come.”
A trip to Pittodrie to take on Jim Goodwin’s in-form Aberdeen side awaits in the last eight of the League Cup later this month and the tie presents Thistle with the opportunity to remove a rather sizeable monkey off the club’s back. The Jags haven’t made it to the semi-finals, and a day out at Hampden, since 2002 and although the task facing the team is difficult, Fitzpatrick can’t help but dream of competing at the national stadium.
“We are one game away from Hampden and it would be great to play there,” he said. “I have never played in a semi-final and it is something we would love to do. But we have to forget the cup and just to worry about the league again.
“We have to take it one game at a time and we know it will be a tough game. We have to look to try and win again to keep this run going.”
Promotion challenges and quarter-finals are a far cry from the Partick Thistle that Fitzpatrick left back in 2019. Back then, he played an important role as Gary Caldwell’s side beat the drop on the final day of the campaign but the wide player reckons he has changed a fair bit in that time, too.
“I’m glad to be back and I have a smile on my face,” he added. “I know the place so it was easy for me to settle back in. It’s good to get back playing in front of the fans.
“It’s different to my first spell and you can see how far we have come in recent years. It’s up to us now to take us back to where we should be.
“I am a more mature player now and I’m 21, physically I am stronger and I understand the game better. Hopefully I can show that on the park and help the team this season.”
