MATCH STATS
PARTICK THISTLE 5
Graham (27), Holt (34), Muirhead (55), Tiffoney (77), Dowds (84)
MORTON 1
Muirhead (17)
Thistle moved clear at the top of the Championship with a devastating display, but had to come back after going behind to an early goal.
Jags boss, Ian McCall, said: “I felt for Morton as their two first choice centre-backs were not available. I don’t think five flattered us, we could have scored more.
“This is the best squad I’ve had in my two spells here. The squad is a lot stronger than it has been and over a season you have to utilise it.”
Thistle threatened after just two minutes when a short corner on the left was whipped in by Steven Lawless for Brian Graham, who’s deflected head flick skimmed the top of the crossbar. From the corner Kevin Holt headed wide from a great position.
But it was the Greenock outfit who were to take the lead in the most spectacular style in 17 minutes. Cammy Blues was stopped in his tracks 30-yards from goal by Holt and Morton’s Robbie Muirhead, with his first goal of the season, stepped up to lash a magnificent free-kick high into the net past goalkeeper David Mitchell.
The Jags responded superbly with a leveller in 27 minutes when Graham sent a downward header on target from a Jack McMillan cross from the left, which somehow squirmed under goalkeeper Brian Schwake. It was an awful error by the American.
Seven minutes later the league leaders went ahead when Cole McKinnon headed on to Holt, who pounced at the back post to head home.
The Jags wrapped up the points in 55 minutes with a well-worked third. Substitute Kyle Turner curled over a free-kick from the left which was headed back across goal by Holt for Aaron Muirhead to head in from close range.
And on the hour mark Thistle should have made it four but Holt smashed a spot kick off the underside of the bar after Alex King had tripped Ross Docherty.
But the fourth arrived in 77 minutes when Scott Tiffoney drifted in from the left to score from an acute angle. Six minutes from time Anton Dowds notched the fifth, when he tapped in from close in after Schwake saved from Turner.
Morton head coach, Dougie Imrie said: “You need to defend your box properly and all five were soft goals that we conceded. The way we defended was why we lost the game. We have to learn from that.”