Then in the lead-up to the Wanderers goal, someone grabbed centreback Gonzalo Brunelli from behind and wrestled him to the ground, Blair said.
“The referee waved play on, their player got to the byline and cut the ball back for a tap-in goal.
“Everyone played well.
“Cullen Spawforth was up against his former teammate Tomek Frooms in midfield, and I thought Cullen got the better of that clash.
“Tomek had one good shot, which (goalkeeper) Mitchell Stewart-Hill managed to tip over the bar.
“Our three centrebacks — Ander Batarrita, Ryan Anderson and Gonzalo Brunelli — played really well. They won everything in the air.”
Blair said the focus this week had been on trying to prevent an early goal.
The centrebacks, plus rightback Brandon Josling and leftback Kuba Jerabek, had responded well.
“They didn't muck around with the ball,” Blair said.
“They got it out, and knocked it around only when in better positions.”
Ash McMillan had come in for Jarom Brouwer, who was unavailable, and did well in a holding midfield role, Blair said.
Nick Land played as an attacking midfielder supporting front-runners Alan Zarate and Somerton, who had a lot of ground to cover.
Blair had speculated that Wanderers might rest some of their senior players ahead of the playoff games to decide who would be promoted to the Central League.
“They had a few sitting out this game, but the side we played were far from a second team,” he said.
The result leaves Thistle fourth in the league, but the only fixture still to be played could drop them down to fifth.
If Massey University were to beat Levin by three goals or more, they would climb above Thistle into fourth place, on goal difference.
