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Kris Doolan - a tribute thread.


jagfox
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2 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

An aside to yon centre circle day. We'd just been cuffed by Aberdeen and Kris was very apologetic. Can't remember the circumstances but Dools had played that day (or at least part of the game) at right wingback. He'd seriously mucked up a couple of throw ins and I chipped in with some comment saying I hope he goes on to score many more goals but added jokingly I hope I never ever see him take another shy. 

Well, early next season and the 1-1 draw up at Dingwall our goal (courtesy Spittal) comes from a quick break away and an equally quickly taken throw in. No coconut for guessing who took the that quickie shy.

Kris also of course goes down in Thistle history as the only player to score a goal and be awarded a throw in.

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Just found this post from January 2016 in a thread now somewhat poignantly celebrating Kris signing a new contract extension to summer 2019. At that point Kris had scored 82 goals for Thistle, hence the reference to Julius Caesar.

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I will never forget the day of Dools' debut. 10th January 2009 at Inverness. It will forever stare at me out of the paper copy of my driving licence. Daughter's hockey match in Glasgow delayed finish meant late start to the drive north and over eagerness to make up time on the A9. Got there for the start (Kris came on as a sub), but the inevitable letter arrived a few days later. Only time I have emerged from a cup tie with 3 points.

 

Even Julius Caesar in his dying breath paid tribute to Kris Doolan. As the terminal blows rained upon him he gasped "Eighty two, ya beauty". So I can do nothing less. Here is my Dools Hall of Fame, a Golden Dozen in reverse order. There are so many magic moments, I have had to resort to dubious tactics to shoehorn a few more in. Even then there is no space for his Grand Slam against Stirling Albion, the goals against Falkirk that kickstarted our promotion campaign and his recent fine strike against Inverness at Firhill. No doubt there are others I have forgotten. I am relying on memory here and have not re-checked any of the details. So please forgive any inaccuracies below.

 

12) Dummy against Hibs. The only one which does not involve Dools scoring. Fine team move. Low cross from the right. Kris moves towards the ball drawing the defence to him. However, showing tremendous awareness he lets the ball run past him to the better placed Chris Erskine who lashes into the net from the edge of the box.

 

11) Typical touch at Tannadice. In our recent game against Dundee United, Kris had one half chance at best and he made the most of it.The deftest of touches to control, the quickest of swivels and the ball has been directed into the corner of the net before any of the posse of defenders around him can get near.

 

10) Headers against St Mirren at Firhill. Dools scores more headed goals than many of us realise, not on account of his height, but due to perfect timing and movement. Pinpoint crosses from Higgy at the south end and Stevie Lawless at the north end are duly despatched.

 

9) Double double against Killie. 4 this season so far and counting, all instructive examples of the strikers' art of being in the right place at the right time, losing the defenders and directing the ball well away from the keeper. The first two when we just could not score and the second two when the goals were free flowing.

 

8) Last Minute Winners. From close in at Cappielow, sliding in at the back post, and from far out on the final game of the season at Firhill against Queen of the South, with a lob volley. Flashes of genius to enliven dull days.

 

7) Rescuing Points at Raith. Twice Dools does it for us at Kirkcaldy, grabbing vital draws from games when the team was not at its best. The second was particularly important in preserving our unbeaten record and keeping us ahead of Dunfermline in the promotion race.

 

6) Double at Dingwall. This is when I began to realise we had a special player on our hands. The McCall promotion push had faltered with a dismal home defeat to Clyde. A difficult midweek fixture away to Ross County produced a comfortable and welcome victory with two clinical finishes from Kris. Good chances both but not easy. Confidently and efficiently taken and you just knew he was never going to miss. Was this where the trademark Doooooooooolan chant and finger point began to emerge?

 

5) Heavy First Touches. One of Kris' supreme skills is the featherlight first touch, taming the most unruly high ball on his toe. Yet sometimes he can use a deliberately heavy first touch to re-direct the path of the ball, eliminate the defence and create space for the shot. Two supreme examples in consecutive weeks in our first season in the Premier, away at Inverness and at home against Celtic.

 

4) Last Minute Drama at the Ramsden. If we had enjoyed better fortune in the penalty shoot out, this one might have been top of the list. A goal down and a man down with seconds remaining in extra time, who else but Dools is there to snatch the equaliser and send the fans into raptures.

 

3) After the Fog in Fife. Following the Kirkcaldy equaliser mentioned above, Kris had been relatively quiet as Chris Erskine, Stevie Lawless and Steven Craig came to the fore in the scoring charts. Yet cometh the hour, cometh the Doolan. The pressure was on, Morton were points ahead and our games in hand were two awkward encounters with Cowdenbeath at the idiosyncratic stock car racing track. Four goals from Kris inspired two precious victories. Along with Aero's penalty against Hamilton and the Bridge's stunning volley against Airdrie, these were the hard yard goals on cold winter days and nights, and without these we would never have won promotion.

 

2) Going solo at Easter Road. This has to be Kris' best goal ever. Long ball from defence comes to him with his back to a distant goal far out on the halfway line. An acrobatic back flick wrongfoots the two centre halves and he is away, but with an incredibly long way to go. Kris hares towards the box, showing great pace, keeping control of the ball and staying ahead of his pursuers. A slight change of direction disconcerts the defenders and suddenly Kris is one on one with the keeper. How he retained the balance and poise to dink the ball into the net I will never know. What a goal. A privilege to have seen it.

 

1) Masterclass against Hamilton. Four classic goals, one a routine striker's finish and the other three displaying supreme quality in all its facets. Another deliberately heavy first touch (see above), a cheeky but classy back heel showing amazing spatial awareness when all other routes to goal were blocked, and one more of these beautifully timed headers.

 

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLAN!!!. And there is more to come.....
 

Edited by partickthedog
tidy up the dotted line
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On 5/14/2019 at 11:16 AM, sandy said:

You and me both Jaggernaut. Raging enough to take Season 2019/20 off; and I’m not the only one.

Wish I could sandy, but that would mean I'd have to see lorna every Saturday afternoon which would invariablyresukt in a trip to the shops, not even wild horses....................I'll have to be content with mumbling dark words about GC under my breath during games.

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41 minutes ago, Thistleberight said:

Wish I could sandy, but that would mean I'd have to see lorna every Saturday afternoon which would invariablyresukt in a trip to the shops, not even wild horses....................I'll have to be content with mumbling dark words about GC under my breath during games.

Thistle are at home, Eunice knows where I will be. Was one of our marriage vows.:happy2:

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2 hours ago, Auld Jag said:

Thistle are at home, Eunice knows where I will be. Was one of our marriage vows.:happy2:

Did the minister omit the away games? It would have been quite easy to adjust the vows.

Something like "I promise to love, honour and let you go home and away"

Eunice would never have noticed. :shakeshout:

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I suppose i 

12 minutes ago, partickthedog said:

Did the minister omit the away games? It would have been quite easy to adjust the vows.

Something like "I promise to love, honour and let you go home and away"

I think it really depends where these away games are played. I'm no lawyer, but I do know there are quite a few grounds for divorce.

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3 hours ago, Thistleberight said:

Wish I could sandy, but that would mean I'd have to see lorna every Saturday afternoon which would invariablyresukt in a trip to the shops, not even wild horses....................I'll have to be content with mumbling dark words about GC under my breath during games.

I’m telling Lorna TbR...

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1 hour ago, partickthedog said:

Did the minister omit the away games? It would have been quite easy to adjust the vows.

Something like "I promise to love, honour and let you go home and away"

Eunice would never have noticed. :shakeshout:

St. Mirren games away are ok. So hope full of having a couple of away games next season.

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