Promotion hopefuls Partick Thistle got their League One campaign back on track on Saturday afternoon with a well-deserved 2-0 win over East Fife at Firhill.
Injury-ravaged Thistle were only able to name four substitutes but they started the game positively.
Ian McCall’s squad is stretched thin. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Their first big chance fell to Ross Docherty in the 11th minute, with the midfielder inexplicably missing from two yards with the goal at his mercy, after Jordan Hart had palmed away Mouhamed Niang’s header.
East Fife failed to heed that warning, though, and the hosts were in front a little over five minutes later. Connor Murray was felled by Pat Slattery in the box and Brian Graham buried the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner.
Buoyed by their opener, Ian McCall’s men pressed for more in torrential rain, with James Penrice and Joe Cardle amongst those to go close prior to the interval.
Cardle was full of creativity from the right. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group via Getty Images)
The Fifers’ best spell of the game came early in the second half, but Jack Hamilton was unable to capitalise after being played in behind the makeshift Jags defence.
Thistle were still the better side, though, and they doubled their advantage in the 78th minute after Docherty had earlier seen a strong penalty appeal waved away and Cardle had struck the left post.
It was Graham who delivered the goods once again, lifting a sublime finish over Hart after being released through on goal.
A member of the East Fife coaching staff was sent off in the closing stages as frustration boiled over in the away dugout and the Jags saw out the closing stages with relative ease to secure just their second league win of the season.