A Saoirse Noonan double saw Celtic through what proved to be a challenging test, despite the scoreline. Victory tonight means they are nine points off the top with two games in hand on leaders Glasgow City.
Thistle made themselves narrow and compact but it wasn’t long before the deadlock was broken, Noonan finishing a cut-back to give the home side the lead just seven minutes in.
Carla Boyce responded in stunning fashion with a long range effort from 25 yards over the head of keeper Chloe Logan after Caitlin Hayes’ was dispossessed outside the box.
On hand for her second of the night, Noonan restored the lead after turning Demi Falconer.
Turning on the style, Kelly Clark and Maria McAneny put the game to bed with two goals in just three minutes.
Captain Falconer responded in the closing stages with a stunning header that ultimately proved little more than a consolation.
Celtic were dominant for large parts of the game. Pressing to double their lead in the first half, former Thistle Emma Lawton fired a header from an in-swinging free kick but could only direct it into the hands of a grateful Jeni Currie.
Struggling to get themselves in the final third, Thistle went long Rachel Donaldson long range effort into the arms of Logan, familiar to striker having played for the visitors against Hibernian in November as part of an emergency loan.
After recovering the ball with tenacity, Mathilde Carstens attempted another cut back, this time met by a bullet header from Amy Gallacher which saw Currie produce a strong save and recovery to step the ball rolling over for a second.
Growing increasingly frustrated Celtic looked to test the keeper from distance, Shannon McGregor’s long range effort unable to make Currie work.
Noonan came agonisingly close to second but flying Thistle bodies saw the ball out for a corner which Currie punched clear.
Called upon once again before the break Currie made a strong save by her near post to deny Gallacher.
Celtic began the second half with intent, working the ball into the box with Noonan twice hitting the woodwork after the break. First, firing an effort into the post before rattling the crossbar with her second later on.
Lawton came close with some nifty footwork followed by a shot blocked for a corner which Hayes could not direct on target with her header.
Looking to put the game out of reach, Celtic continued to pepper the goal with Natalie Ross and Noonan both forcing excellent saves from Currie.
Relentless pressing and touch of class up front
Celya Barclais had her pocket picked by Imogen Longcake but the midfielder found herself swamped within seconds of gaining the ball. Celtic’s relentless counter-pressing saw the right back earn it back almost immediately.
Logan was guilty of fielding a sloppy pass and Longcake was on hand to attempt to deliver an equaliser but was once again smothered by the defence which refused to let Thistle breathe, forcing searching balls and resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 45%.
Despite allowing the visitor’s to draw level, the squad’s class proved too much.
Noonan’s seventh goal in three league games were crucial in beating an inspired Jeni Currie on the night to take her tally for the season to 22.
Promising signs despite winless run
Five at the back and one lone striker usually means one thing, your primary concern is closing up shop for the evening.
Little wonder that was the plan given both the gulf between the sides or the fact that Thistle’s last game took place almost a month prior.
Neither of those things meant much to Carla Boyce, whose fine goalscoring form continues after bagging her fourth in three games.
Ultimately it wasn’t enough as the side’s wait for a league win stretches back to their 2-0 victory over Queen’s Park in October.
However, having drawn with professional side Hibernian and running Celtic right until the end, there is evidence to suggest it’s just a matter of time before they take three points home.
What the managers said
Celtic boss Elena Sadiku:
“We played on Wednesday in Gran Canaria, we had a great performance. Obviously it’s different when you play in the league when you have that pressure on and I think that’s something that can affect the players but overall I think that was pretty good.
“It’s going to be a bit rusty but I do think that the players tried and I think that’s good but sometimes I want them to be more ruthless like ‘give me the ball’.
“[Saoirse Noonan] She’s amazing when it comes to being in the box, she’s a great finisher. She’s going to be important.
“I said to the girls when the score is 1-1 that’s when we push forward ‘okay we need to switch on’. I think that mentality needs to start earlier.”
Partick Thistle boss Brian Graham:
“There’s moments in the game if our quality’s slightly better, we go on and hurt Celtic.
“We let them off the hook and then Celtic go in and punish you. That’s why they were in the Champions League, that’s why they were champions of the league.
“We need everything on the day for the result to go our way to get a result against these top sides, that’s just the nature of the beast.”
Line-ups:
Celtic (4-2-3-1): C. Logan, C. Barclais, C. Hayes, Bruna Lourenco (K. Clark 46’), E. Lawton, A. Gallagher (M. McAneny 74′), S. McGregor (C. Cavanagh 64’), N. Ross (c), M. Carstens (L. Ashworth-Clifford 84′), M. Cross (J. Smith 64’), S. Noonan
Substitutes: L. Ashworth-Clifford, C. Cavanagh, K. Clark, L. Rodgers, M. McAneny, L. Munoz, A. Richardson, J. Smith
Partick Thistle (5-4-1): J. Currie, S. Cowan, D. Falconer (c), C. McCulloch (K. Hay 81′), C. Docherty (R. Slater 62’), C. Gibb, R. Donaldson (H. Robinson 74′), A. Bulloch, L. Sinclair, I. Longcake (E. Craig 81′), C. Boyce (T. Burchill 61’)
Substitutes: T. Burchill, E. Craig, M. English, A. Ferns, G. Gray, K. Hay, O. King, H. Robinson, R. Slater
Referee: Ross Birrell