Partick Thistle secured their first win at McDiarmid Park in 22 years, and their second successive league victory, with a hard-fought win over St Johnstone.
Two spectacular strikes gave Thistle a 2-0 lead at the break, Gary Miller getting the first with a thunderous half-volley before Stevie Lawless produced a peach of a finish into the top corner.
The home side hit back just after the restart with a Stevie MacLean header, but Thistle saw the game out despite a late red card for Abdul Osman.
Alan Mannus returned in goal for St Johnstone after suspension, whilst Michael O’Halloran could only make the bench on his return from a hamstring injury.
Mustapha Dumbuya returned from international duty with Sierra Leone with a bug, so Miller lined up at right-back for Partick Thistle against his old club in the only change from the side that beat Dundee United last time out.
Stuart Bannigan was providing an early threat for the visitors, testing Mannus with a powerful effort before flashing a wonderful left-foot drive just over the top right-hand corner.
At the other end, Dan Seaborne was fortunate to get away with a booking after deliberately tripping Graham Cummins as he latched on to the ball after the defender had slipped.
There was danger for the visitors again as referee John Beaton awarded a soft-looking free-kick on the edge of the area as MacLean backed into Osman.
Dave MacKay curled a low effort on target but Tomas Cerny got across well to tip behind.
David Amoo should have perhaps done better when he led a break after a St Johnstone corner, but with Mathias Pogba to his left and Osman to his right he elected to shoot, and Mannus dealt with his tame effort easily.
Thistle did hit the front though after 28 minutes, and it was a goal of outstanding quality from Miller.
Callum Booth hung a cross up towards the left-hand side of the Saints area where Brian Easton headed the ball to Miller 25-yards out.
The right-back steadied himself before unleashing a rocket of a half-volley with the outside of his right boot into the far corner of Mannus’s net.
On 34 minutes Lawless decided that anything Miller could do, he could do better, as he produced a moment of magic to double the Jags lead.
Picking the ball up on the right, he cut inside before firing a left-foot arrow of a shot into the top right-hand corner.
Tommy Wright brought on Michael O’Halloran for Simon Lappin at the break to try to inject some life into his team, and they dragged themselves back into proceedings just three minutes after the restart.
Cummins did well down the left before hanging a ball up over the head of Tomas Cerny, allowing MacLean a free header into the empty net from six yards for his ninth league goal of the season.
Liam Craig then had a volley from outside the area that Cerny did well to palm away as the Saints went looking for the leveller.
Thistle still looked dangerous on the break though, and Bannigan did well to carry the ball upfield before feeding the ball to Amoo, but he blazed his effort over from the edge of the area.
The game had been an open affair up until the hour mark, but it became bogged down in midfield towards the climax as Thistle looked to limit St Johnstone’s sights of goal.
They did have a great chance as Cummins found himself in space from a Craig corner, but he planted his free header straight at Cerny.
MacLean then found the ball at his feet inside the area, but as he side-stepped Cerny he took too long to apply the finish and the Thistle defence scrambled clear.
Osman then saw red after picking up a second booking as he threw himself at a Joe Shaughnessy shot, only succeeding in blocking by the use of an arm on the edge of the area with Saints screaming for a penalty. MacLean hammered the resulting free-kick well over, and Thistle held on for a crucial three points.
St Johnstone: Mannus: Shaughnessy, MacKay, Scobbie, Easton; Wotherspoon (Caddis, 76’), Craig, Davidson, Lappin (O’Halloran, 45’); Cummins (Sutton, 82’), MacLean.
Scorers: MacLean (48’)
Booked:
Sent Off:
Partick Thistle: Cerny; Miller, Lindsay, Seaborne, Booth; Welsh, Osman; Amoo (Frans, 88’), Lawless, Bannigan; Pogba (Doolan, 72’).
Scorers: Miller (28’), Lawless (34’)
Booked: Seaborne (11’), Bannigan (64’), Osman (66’),
Sent Off: Osman (86’)
Referee: John Beaton
Man of the Match: Stuart Bannigan (Partick Thistle)
Attendance: 3414
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