Partick Thistle fans had been eagerly awaiting their advent fixture calendar after a barren November that allowed them to watch their team only twice, but it was far from a treat that lay behind their first door as Hibs took the three points at Firhill yesterday.

Festive cheer may be in short supply around Maryhill if this is the way that the home side’s luck is going to play out over a hectic month, as an unfortunate Adam Barton own goal proved enough to separate two sides who played some fairly decent stuff at times in a largely unremarkable encounter.

Home may be where the heart is, but Hibs seem to save their best for when they are away from Easter Road. It was nine months to the day yesterday since they last tasted defeat on the road, losing at St Mirren back in March, and that record rarely looked under threat here as Thistle struggled to break down a stubborn back three superbly marshalled by the returning Darren McGregor. It was the centre-back’s first game since late August, but he looked as though he had never been away.

Wins for Kilmarnock and Dundee hardly lightened the mood around the Jackie Husband stand as the locals drifted away into the night mulling over the fact they are now four points adrift at the bottom of the table, and manager Alan Archibald admitted that next week’s visit to Rugby Park was a fixture of real significance.

“It wasn’t a poor performance by any manner of means, and we go into a massive game against Kilmarnock next week now, so we’ve got to take the positives,” Archibald said.

“It’s a vitally important game. We want to stay in touch with the teams with the teams round about us and it’s important that we go and pick points up."

The first half of the match was largely forgettable. Simon Murray was proving a handful for the Thistle backline early on, and he got in behind on the right before firing the ball across the face of goal with Anthony Stokes just failing to get a foot to it to steer home.

Blair Spittal had Thistle’s first real effort, curling a free-kick on target that Ofir Marciano dived to turn away, and he then turned creator as he played a one-two on the edge of the area with Chris Erksine, the Thistle number 10 firing straight at the Hibs keeper.

There was little else to speak of until a Hibs claim for a penalty not long before the interval, as Murray went down after brushing against Danny Devine. Fresh from his Betfred Cup final controversy though, referee Craig Thomson decided, rightly, to wave away the claim.

The deadlock was broken early in the second period, and a forgettable season so far for Thistle midfielder Barton took another turn for the worse as Lewis Stevenson dug out an in-swinging cross from the Hibs right, and the Thistle man stretched to try and head clear. He only succeeded in glancing the ball past the stranded Tomas Cerny, who had slipped as he tried to anticipate the path of the ball.

“The goal sums up our luck this season a little bit, but we’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves,” said Thistle boss Archibald.

“It’s a bit of bad luck and when you are down there that happens, we know that, that’s football. You’ve got to take your chances though.”

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the home side, and Archibald sent for Kris Doolan just before the hour. The talismanic striker almost made an immediate impact as an incisive pass from Jordan Turnbull put Miles Storey in behind on the left. His cross was turned on target by Doolan from eight yards, only for Marciano to block clear.

Spittal then swerved a great effort just over the top corner with the outside of his left foot as the home side finally mustered a response, but they were almost undone by a long ball at the other end, as Stokes burst through but was unable to finish after being forced wide by Cerny.

Doolan had a late chance as he worked himself some space on the edge of the box, but his left-foot strike was tame, and that was that.

The win for Hibs moves the Edinburgh side to within a point of second-placed Aberdeen as they shape up for a huge week of fixtures, meeting Celtic, Rangers and then the Dons within the space of six days.

“I think we're ahead of our target so far, I must say,” said their manager Neil Lennon.

“I did think it would be Celtic leading the way then Aberdeen and Rangers next, with a fight then for the rest of the places.

“We want to break into that second bracket so we have given ourselves a good chance nearly half way through the season.

“I'm more than pleased with the character in the team and the quality of football we're playing.”