Paul Gallacher went into hiding following Dunfermline’s last meeting with Thistle but the keeper can walk tall this week.
Gallacher, who described the recent 5-1 drubbing in the league as “demoralising”, was instrumental in converting that emotion to one of joy as the Pars gained their revenge with a hard-fought Scottish Cup victory on Saturday.
His penalty save from Ross Forbes midway through the second half did most to ensure the Fifers held on to the lead secured when Andy Barrowman”s first-half header beat Graeme Smith.
That strike came just after the Jags had been reduced to 10 men following Aaron Muirhead”s last-man foul on Craig Dargo.
While Barrowman was also sent off in injury time, the handicap of being a man short for an hour proved too much for the Jags, despite a spirited second-half display.
“The last game here was horrible and demoralising ““ I didn”t go out of the house for a couple of days,” said Gallacher.
“Rectifying that result was the main thing and, of course, getting through to the next round.
“Hopefully we”ll get a big tie because it would be nice for the club to get some money with the position we are in at the moment.”
The game had been evenly poised until Dargo seized on a header out of the Pars defence and Muirhead”s clumsy challenge brought the striker tumbling down on the edge of the box. Thistle were still reorganising defensively when Jordan McMillan”s cross was headed home by Barrowman.
The Jags’ patient passing game looked as if it would be rewarded when Chris Erskine was brought down by Andy Geggan in the box but Gallacher pulled off an excellent save from Forbes” spot-kick.
The keeper saved again from Erskine, as Thistle desperately tried to take the tie to a replay. For their part, though, Dunfermline could point to a series of squandered opportunities to kill the tie, as they consistently caught their hosts on the break.
Dargo, Barrowman, Joe Cardle and Ryan Thomson all had chances, only to take the wrong option in front of goal. However, it is the Pars who go into the hat for today”s draw and Gallacher added:”I got a good hand to the penalty and was happy to chip in with a few saves.
“They obviously battered us the last time we were here but the lads defended really well today.”
East End Park boss Jim Jefferies said: “It was a fantastic save by Paul from the penalty but by then we should have had the game finished. We were wasteful in the final third.”
However, he added: “The most important thing is that Dunfermline are in the next round of the cup. I also think that for a good part of the game we proved to Partick Thistle that Dunfermline are a decent side.”
Jackie McNamara, the Thistle boss, had no doubt about the game”s defining moment. “The sending off changed the game and I”d need to see it again to say if it was a red card but Craig Dargo obviously thought it was.
“He used his experience and that was the key. We wanted a run in the cup so it”s very disappointing but I”m proud of the way the players kept battling.”