Hamilton Accies 0 - 2 Partick Thistle

By WILLIAM DICK
Published on 17/03/2013 00:00

THISTLE maintained the pressure on leaders Morton with a workmanlike win, but they were pushed all the way before securing a fifth straight clean sheet.

Scorers: Partick Thistle - Balatoni 45; Elliot 85

Accies made the early running in the New Douglas Park snow and Ziggy Gordon almost gave them the lead when his deflected shot shaved a post. The home side were having no problems creating chances.

Accies, though, were unable to convert early promise into goals and Thistle served warning when Chris Erskine’s shot was parried by Kevin Cuthbert and Steven Craig volleyed the rebound over a gaping goal.

The Jags did find a way through on the stroke of half-time when a Ross Forbes corner was headed in at the near post by Conrad Balatoni.

Accies refused to buckle and almost drew level in 64 minutes when Fisher’s snapshot had Scott Fox at full stretch to turn behind and from the resulting corner Aaron Muirhead made a superb block tackle to deny Alex Neil.

At the other end Cuthbert’s one-handed save prevented Erskine from giving Thistle breathing space.

However, the clincher came five minutes from time when James Craigen fed fellow substitute Christie Elliot who curled a 16-yard shot into the top left-hand corner.