Match Report
Although Thistle had played well in defeat at Queen of the South last weekend manager Ian McCll still made a couple of changes ahead of this meeting with St Johnstone. Substitutes against Queen of the South Paul Paton and Scott Chaplain returned to the starting eleven. They replaced the injured David Rowson and Damon Gray who dropped to the bench.
A volley from Martin Hardie that wasn't too far off target was the first serious action of the game. It was Thistle though that forced the game's first corner after a powerful run from Stephen McKeown. From that corner Thistle took a 6th minute lead. Simon Donnelly swung the ball over, Ian Maxwell knocked the ball back towards goal and John Robertson hooked the ball home for only his second goal as a Thistle player and his first at Firhill.
Thistle threatened again when Steven Lennon's pace took him into a promising position. He found Simon Donnelly with a neat pass but Donnelly's cross drifted away from goal.
In the 12th minute a Simon Donnelly run from midfield took him to within 25 yards of goal but although he had a Thistle player either side of him he elected to shoot for goal himself. His effort was on target but while Main had to stretch to reach the ball it was a fairly comfortable same all the same.
St Johnstone had come into the game more but Thistle were close to making it 2-0 on the half hour mark. Steven Lennon was able to gather the ball following a slip in the St Johnstone defence. His pass to Simon Donnelly wasn't the best but Donnelly still managed to push the ball into the path of Stephen McKeown who saw his shot pushed round the post by Alan Main.
Thistle were close again in the 36th minute when Simon Donnelly was able to harry a St Johnstone defender into an error but his cross was cleared at the expense of a corner. St Johnstone were unable to properly clear the corner that followed and when the ball was knocked back into the box Marc Twaddle saw a header saved by Alan Main.
Main was again called into action two minutes before half-time when Steven Lennon saw his shot blocked by the St Johnstone keeper.
The half-time whistle sounded a short time later with Thistle more than value for their one goal lead.
Thistle started the second half in promising fashion and Gary Harkins got the better of Chris Millar before sending over a cross that the St Johnstone were happy to clear.
A second Thistle goal wasn't too far away though. In the 48th minute a corner kick was only cleared as far as Ian Maxwell who promptly sent the ball high into the net to become this afternoon's second unlikely, but welcome all the same, goal scorer.
St Johnstone nearly produced an immediate response and Jonny Tuffey did well to claw away a Liam Craig free kick. Tuffey also needed to be well placed to save from Collin Samuel as St Johnstone sought a route back into the match.
Thistle though continued to push themselves and when Scott Chaplain knocked the ball to Stephen McKeown we were close to a third goal with McKeown's shot just a little on the high side.
In the 56th minute Martin Hardie was able to steal in behind the Thistle defence to get his head to a Liam Craig free kick but Hardie was unable to direct his header on target.
The action was coming at a fast and furious pace at this moment and Simon Donnelly came close with a shot from a Gary Harkins knock down.
McKeown saw a shot blocked after a Donnelly assist in the 62nd minute as an already entertaining game really started to open up.
Thistle were three up and well on the way to maximum points in the 66th minute. Gary Harkins did the spade work in midfield although the opportunity looked to have been lost when Harkins' pass was cleared. We weren't to be denied a hat-trick of goals from defenders, however, the ball falling into the path of Paul Paton who found the net with a dipping shot from the corner of the box.
3-0 becam
e 4-0 in the 72nd minute. A Simon Donnelly corner dropped into the path to Gary Harkins but although Alan Main was able to partially block his shot the ball crossed the line for a richly deserved goal from the Thistle midfielder.
While Thistle didn't manage a fifth goal but there was plenty for the Thistle fans to enjoy as they knocked the ball around with the confidence that a four goal lead brings.
