Fast and furious Jags savour win
Holt (8), Rudden (47), Graham (55)
Headers from Kevin Holt and Brian Graham either side of Zak Rudden’s thumping shot helped Partick Thistle see off visitors Morton 3-0 and bounce back in fine style after last weekend’s defeat at Arbroath.
Jags boss Ian Mccall said: “We looked irresistible at times going forward but we also defended really well. There is genuine pace in our team to get at teams, with some boys having pace that could take them to a higher level.
“It was a good day for us and sets up a great game at Inverness Caledonian Thistle when the league resumes.”
Rudden brought the game to life on eight minutes with a drive from 25 yards that Jack Hamilton had to stretch to push wide.
The resultant corner saw the Jags take the lead, with Kyle Turner swinging over the dead ball from the right and Holt rising high to nod into the top corner.
It was nearly two just four minutes later when Shea Gordon slipped in Scott Tiffoney and his poked effort was goal-bound until Hamilton pushed the ball over.
The Greenock side, who had looked blunt in attack, were given a chance to draw level on 17 minutes when Gordon needlessly fouled Lewis Strapp 19 yards from the home goal. However, after the Thistle man had been booked Mark Russell blasted a shot into the wall.
Thistle threatened again eight minutes from the break when Stuart Bannigan chipped a pass forward to Rudden but his shot curled past the far post.
The hosts spurned another chance a minute from half-time when Rudden released Ricky Foster in the touchline and his cut-back was met by Graham, but he fired high over.
Morton replaced Lewis Mcgregor at half-time for Reece Lyon but went two down just over a minute into the restart when Foster picked out Tiffoney who crossed from the left and Rudden volleyed home in some style.
Hamilton’s fingertips prevented a third shortly afterwards as he pushed away a low Turner drive from the edge of the box. But the Maryhill men were not denied for long as Graham sent a towering effort past Hamilton from a Turner corner on 55 minutes.
As Thistle looked to increase their advantage further, Holt flicked a Turner corner over from close range with substitutes Cammy Smith and Jack Hastie denied by last-gasp defending.
The Cappielow side mustered only a well-struck drive from substitute Robbie Muirhead and a late Gary Oliver drive on target as they looked to reduce the arrears.
It was a second defeat in a row for Morton, with manager Gus Macpherson saying: “It was very poor. We said at the start of the second half to keep things tight and we didn’t. That and losing two goals from set-pieces knocked the stuffing out of us.”