Derek Patterson scores 3 goals for Thistle A against Old Boys B in Invercargill soccer in 1966.......

Thistle provided the highlights of the first round of the Challenge Cup soccer competition, The A team trouncing Old Boys B 19-0 and the B team confounding the critic with a great showing against the strong United team in going down 1-3.

 The other games went as expected.  Queens Park beating Old Boys A 4-0 and Gore Wanderers beating Waihopai 5-2.
Ground conditions at Surrey Park were heavy but the United Thistle B game was as good an exhibition of soccer as has been seen this year.  Thistle being desperately unlucky on numerous occasions.
The early game between Thistle A and Old Boys B was a procession from the start, and try as he might D. Griffiths, in goal for Old Boys could do nothing to stem the tide. Thistle led 11-0 at half time.  Although facing its biggest test of the season next week in the inter-zone Chatham Cup final against St Kilda of Dunedin, never played at more than half pace against opposition that gave it little worry.
C. Shaw topped the goal scoring with eight goals while D. Dowie, who combined excellently with Shaw, netted three times, including a penalty goal.  The rest came from Derek Patterson (3) M. Patterson (2) P. Dick (2) and an Old Boys defender.
On Defensive
Queens Park always had the situation in hand against Old boys A on the no 2 ground, and held a three goal lead at half-time.  For most of the first half Old Boys were on the defensive only good work from P. De Ruyter, D. Patton and A. Peel keeping the score to a respectable level.
With the wind behind them in the second half, Old Boys played with much more purpose and at times had the Queens Park defence struggling.
Goals for Queens Park came from R. Simms, R. Crossland, T. Ruzza and T. Parkinson.
After being held to a 1-all draw at  half time Gore gradually forced its superiority over Waihopai.  Gore's fast moving forward line constantly had Waihopai on the defensive.
Gore's goals came from D. Carse 92), M. Grant and A. Gimmick, a waihopia defender adding the fifth.  R. Osborne scored Waihopai's first goal and J. Anderson their second.
United although winning 3-1 seldom played the foot ball it is capable of.  Its forwards tried hard, but were thwarted in many instances by find defensive play by R. Moore and S. Munro who never gave them the chance to set themselves for the goal.
In the Thistle halves, W. McLean and T. Morrison defended and set many attacks off with good passes to their forwards.  Thistle's attacks, however, lacked mid field thrust enabling the United defence time to take stock of the situation and reassemble its forces.
United led 2-0 at halftime against the run of play with one goal awarded to A. Robertson appearing not to cross the line.
N. Hamilton scored the second goal after a scramble in the goalmouth with a hard drive.
K. Erskine in goal for Thistle badly misjudged a long drive from H. Ballantyne just after halftime to put United three up.
But territorially Thistle held the upper hand, and midway through the half was reward when T. Witchall beat T. Mattingly in goal with a firm ground shot.
For the rest of the game Thistle continued to attack and prove that its rise to senior status should not prove too great a hurdle, and will give the lower rated senior team something to think about.

Reference:  Thistle B Justifies Promotion.  The Southland Times, July 4            1966.