HAMILTON were the big winners of this dramatic encounter as a late Mark Roberts goal gave Thistle the points and left Dundee trailing four points behind the First Division leaders.
As befitting a side eyeing promotion to the SPL, the Dark Blues looked the side with a greater incentive as they dominated the early stages against a lacklustre Jags outfit.
A deep Eddie Malone cross found Kevin McKinlay who was relieved to bo
ot the ball to safety from a crowded box. Moments later Kevin McDonald showed a touch of class to create space before releasing Freddie Daquin whose cross had Thistle under further pressure.
A treble of early opportunities concluded with Mickael Antoine-Curier stabbing a weak shot straight at Jonny Tuffey following a neat head flick from Gary McKenzie. Thistle, though, forged a rare chance when McKinlay found Simon Donnelly inside the Dundee box and the striker's shot was bravely blocked by Eddie Malone.
The home side threatened to grab the lead for a second time against the run of play when Scott Chaplain's measured cross from the right picked out the inrushing McKinlay whose firm header flashed narrowly wide of Craig Samson's left-hand post.
Two minutes from half-time Dundee almost found that elusive opener when Lyle played Eddie Malone's cross perfectly into the path of Antoine-Curier. Sixteen yards from goal, the on-loan Hibernian player looked favourite to hit the net but his effort flew over the bar.
The introduction of Stevie Murray for McKinlay galvanised the Jags at the start of the second period and they almost went ahead when Donnelly's through ball released Damon Gray whose angled shot was brilliantly blocked by the diving Samson.
At the other end David O'Brien missed a snip after being released by Antoine-Curier who was even more culpable moments later.
Daquin's threaded pass found the striker completely unmarked and, while the Jags defence appealed in vain for offside, Antoine-Curier somehow prodded his shot wide of target from no more than eight yards.
If Thistle felt reprieved they were soon aggrieved after referee Steven Nicholls pointed to the spot after Murray went down in the box under an innocuous challenge from David Cowan. It certainly looked a soft award but home players and supporters were enraged when Nicholls overturned his decision on the advice of an assistant and ordered a drop ball instead.
The decision brought the match to the boil but home fans were appeased when Roberts struck a dramatic winner. There were just two minutes remaining when he combined with Murray before calmly beating Samson.
Partick Thistle: Tuffey, Storey, Twaddle, McKinlay (Murray 46), Robertson, Kinniburgh, Chaplain, Rowson, Gray (Roberts 59), Donnelly, Harkins. Little, McStay, Hinchcliffe.
Dundee: Samson, Cowan, Dixon, McDonald, McKenzie, Malone, Daquin, Noubissie, Lyle, Antoine-Curier, O'Brien (Swankie 66). Subs: Worrell, Clark, Sturm, Roy (GK).
Referee: S Nicholls. Att: 2,426
The full article contains 487 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
