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• Partick Thistle hold upper hand after first-leg victory over Ross County

  Partick Thistle are in the box seat for a return to the cinch Premiership following their 2-0 play-off final first leg win over 10-man Ross County at Firhill.

  Jags winger Aidan Fitzpatrick opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a terrific strike before 16-year-old Staggies defender Dylan Smith was sent off by referee David Munro eight minutes later for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, after the official upgraded a yellow card to red following the intervention of the VAR Andrew Dallas.

  In front of 7,291 fans, Thistle’s 35-year-old striker Brian Graham volleyed in a second for the Championship outfit just before the break to take his season tally to 21 and the home side could and should have scored more against a team a man down for most of the game.

  However, Kris Doolan’s inventive side – now unbeaten in 11 games – will travel to Dingwall for the second leg on Sunday, buoyed with confidence while Malky Mackay’s men must dig deep if they are to retain their top-flight status.

  Thistle, the first club to reach a Premiership play-off final after finishing fourth in the second tier, exploded into the game.

  Winger Steve Lawless’s drive after skipping past Smith was saved by Staggies keeper Ross Laidlaw for a corner which he held.

  However, the home side were soon ahead.

  Fitzpatrick took a crossfield pass from Lawless, nipped in between Victor Loturi and Owura Edwards and from 16 yards curled the ball past Laidlaw into the far corner of the net before taking the acclaim of the fans.

  More drama followed.

  Smith was initially booked by Munro for fouling Fitzpatrick on the edge of the box as he attempted to race through on goal.

  However, after going off to check the pitch side monitor – VAR was in operation for the first time at Firhill – the referee returned to flash a red and the visitors were down to 10 men, with defender Keith Watson immediately coming on for striker Alex Samuel before skipper Ross Docherty lifted the free-kick well over the bar.

  In the 34th minute Graham connected with a Kyle Turner corner but Laidlaw was down smartly to save.

  County edged forward as often as they could but they appeared susceptible to losing a second, with Graham thundering a drive over from the edge of the box.

  The former Ross County and Dundee United forward was much more accurate from another Turner corner, volleying in from 12 yards to send the Glasgow side into the break on a high.

  Ben Purrington replaced George Harmon, who had been booked, for the start of the second half as the Dingwall side looked to keep themselves in the tie but within minutes Thistle’s Kevin Holt had volleyed over the Staggies crossbar from eight yards.

  Thistle then swarmed all over the visitors and should have added to their lead.

  Graham had a goal-bound drive blocked for a corner by centre-back Jack Randall before Scott Tiffoney also saw his effort from inside the box hit County defender Connor Randall and then Laidlaw somehow kept out a close-range header from Graham.

  County hinted at a threat occasionally and in the 64th minute Jags defender Aaron Muirhead brilliantly blocked a shot from Staggies forward Jordan White.

  The  Dingwall side pushed for a lifeline which never arrived, the home side finishing in control with substitute Danny Mullen cracking the bar with a powerful drive and they will surely travel to Dingwall on Sunday more in belief than hope.

• JFF names provisional 50-man squad for Concacaf Gold Cup

  The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) named a strong 50-man provisional squad for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup scheduled for June 24-July 16 in Canada and the United States.

  The big names in the squad are regulars Leon Bailey, Michail Antonio as well as newcomer Demarai Gray.

  Amari’i Bell, who helped Luton Town advance to the Premier League over the weekend, is also among the names in contention for the final 23-man squad.

  The full squad is as follows:

  Goalkeepers: Amal Knight (Lexington SC), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union), Coniah Boyce-Clarke (Reading), Corey Addai (Crawley Town), Jahmali Waite (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Kemar Foster (Waterhouse FC)

  Defenders: Adrian Mariappa (Salford City), Alvas Powell (FC Cincinnati), Amari’i Bell (Luton Town), Damion Lowe (Philadelphia Union), Dexter Lembikisa (Wolves), Dishon Bernard (Portsmouth FC), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford FC), Fitzroy Cummings (Vere United), Gregory Leigh (Ipswich Town), Ian Fray (Inter Miami), Javain Brown (Vancouver Whitecaps), Joel Latibeaudiere (Swansea City), Kemar Lawrence (Minnesota United), Luke Badley-Morgan (Stoke City), Oshane Stape (Harbour View), Ricardo Thomas (Dunbeholden), Richard King (IBV), Wesley Harding (Rotherham United)

  Midfielders: Bobby Reid (Fulham), Daniel Johnson (Preston North End), Delano Splatt (Fulham), Demario Phillips (Mount Pleasant), Devon Williams (Colorado Switchback), Jonathan Russell (Barnsley), Kevon Lambert (Phoenix Rising), Lamar Walker (Portmore United), Michael Hector (Charlton Athletic), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea), Ravel Morrison (DC United)

  Attackers: Atapharoy Bygrave (Mount Pleasant), Collin Anderson (Cavalier SC), Cory Burke (NY Red Bulls), Daniel Green (Ho Chi Minh City), Demarai Gray (Everton), Dujuan Richards (Phoenix Academy), Jamal Lowe (Queens Park Rangers), Junior Flemmings (Toulouse), Kaheem Parris (Dynamo Kyiv), Kemar Roofe (Rangers), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa), Michail Antonio (West Ham United), Renaldo Cephas (KF Schkupi), Shamar Nicholson (Spartak Moscow), Trivante Stewart (Mount Pleasant)

   

• Shaka Hislop happy for Lionel Messi to do 'whatever he wants', but would love to see him in MLS

  Lionel Messi has earned the right to do whatever he wishes with his career, but Shaka Hislop would love to see the Argentine superstar head to MLS.

  Messi seems set to leave Paris Saint-Germain after the expiration of his contract.

  Christophe Galtier said on Friday that Messi would be playing his last game for PSG when the Ligue 1 champions host Clermont on Saturday.

  While the club subsequently told AFP that Galtier had "expressed himself incorrectly and that the match against Clermont would be Messi's last at the Parc with PSG this season", according to L'Equipe, it does appear to be the end of the road in Paris for the 35-year-old.

  It has been reported that Barcelona are eager to take Messi back to Catalonia, and there is interest from Saudi Arabia, where Karim Benzema is seemingly headed and Cristiano Ronaldo already plays.

  MLS side Inter Miami have long been credited with an interest too, however, and former Newcastle United, Portsmouth and West Ham goalkeeper Hislop - who ended his own career in the United States with FC Dallas - would be thrilled to see Messi head across the Atlantic.

  "It would be incredibly huge for MLS, which continues to grow in so many ways," Hislop told Stats Perform.

  "I think it brings eyes to this league, it brings an appreciation of this league that has based a lot of its growth around bringing young and exciting South American talent to MLS.

  "So to have a not-so-young but exciting South American talent in the league does wonders for it.

  "I'm a huge fan of MLS, and its growth because I went to university here, so I know exactly what US Soccer was like through the late 80s and early 90s.

  "So to see how it's developed today, I think has been incredible just to witness, so I would love to see him in MLS and have had the sport get that exposure like only he can bring."

  Messi joined PSG in 2021 and has played a direct part in 66 goals (32 goals and 34 assists) since making his debut, a tally bettered only by Kylian Mbappe (106) among his team-mates in that timeframe.

  Yet Messi has at times faced criticism from PSG's fanbase, especially after he was suspended by the club for a making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.

  Hislop, though, says Messi deserves to play wherever he wants.

  "I think Lionel Messi has given this game so much, and at this point, do whatever you want," he said.

  "We'll comment and pass judgment on it but he's given this game so much of his life. He's given us all so much to appreciate. I'm all for Lionel Messi doing whatever he wants. I really am."