Cowdenbeath 0 - 3 Partick Thistle: Thistle reach summit

Scorers: Partick Thistle: O’Donnell (24), Doolan (30), (79)

The relegation-threatened home side never reached the heights of the abandoned game in February when fog shrouded the ground with them 2-1 ahead and this time Thistle put on a performance which gave warning they will be hard to knock off the table summit.

The pitch was surrounded by a wall of snow, which home fans and club officials had cleared during the day to allow the match to go on but by the end of the game they would have wondered if it was all worthwhile.

A fine piece of work by Chris Erskine saw his low cross go to Kris Doolan in 12 minutes but before he could get a shot in, only seven yards out, John Armstrong cleared.

More good work by Erskine opened up the Cowden defence in 15 minutes but Steven Lawless slipped as he prepared to shoot and Jason Naismith booted the ball to safety before James Craigan tried his luck with a cheeky back-heel from an O’Donnell throw.

Then in 25 minutes Erskine almost latched on to Doolan’s assist but Armstrong cleared and a minute later the Jags took the lead. The home defence got in a terrible fankle and Stephen O’Donnell was able to walk the ball into the empty net with ‘keeper Colin Stewart stranded.

In 31 minutes Thistle were two ahead when Sean Welsh’s cross deceived the Cowden defence and Doolan headed home at the far post from only five yards out. The home side had to replace the injured Naismith after 37 minutes and at the interval mark Ramsay went on for Lewis Milne as player/boss Colin Cameron tried to re-shuffle his pack.

Doolan got away from Armstrong in 56 minutes but before he could test Stewart, O’Brien cleared. James Craigan came closer in 62 minutes with a snapshot from 18 yards which crept inches wide.

Cowden’s challenge evaporated with 20 minutes left when O’Brien held back Doolan on the edge of the Cowden box, and he was red carded but from Aaron Sinclair’s free-kick Stewart made a brilliant finger-tip save.

Thistle wrapped up the points with 12 minutes to go when Stewart blocked Craigan’s shot but the ball flew up in the air and Doolan headed into the net from eight yards out.

Cowdenbeath: C Stewart; Brett, Adamson; McAllister, Armstrong, Naismith (O’Brien 39); Stevenson, Milne (Ramsay 46), Moore, G Stewart (Coult 66), McKenzie. Subs not used: Miller, Wilson.

Partick Thistle: Fox; O’Donnell, Sinclair; Paton (Bannigan 46), Muirhead, Balatoni; Welsh, Craigan, Doolan (McGuigan 85), Lawless (Elliot 82), Erskine. Subs not used: Forbes, Daniels.

Referee: C Charleston.

Attendance: 716.