Elliot scores on Partick debut but Hamilton hit back to share spoils

The top versus bottom First Division clash between Partick Thistle and Hamilton Accies ended 1-1 in the West End of Glasgow with Thistle earning their first point of the season and potentially unearthing a new hero for Maryhill supporters.

After a run of four cup and league defeats, Jackie McNamara’s men were looking for fresh impetus and it looks to have arrived in the shape of English winger Christie Elliot, who signed on Friday from English side Whitley Bay.

Elliot, who has an older brother Brett in Sunderland’s reserve side, was introduced as a substitute with the scoreline blank after an hour against the Accies and seven minutes later the Thistle fans were cheering when he shot home a cross from Iain Flannigan.

A first three-point haul and a first defeat of the season for Hamilton looked on the cards for a few minutes until Thistle keeper Scott Fox could only help push a Dougie Imrie corner into his goal to give Billy Reid’s men a point.

McNamara said: “Christie is quick, direct and very positive and is just what we are looking for. It will do him a lot of good to score so soon after coming on.”

Reid added: “It was a funny type of game in that we should have been a couple of goals ahead at half time but then had to show great character to come back from a goal down.”

One bright side for the Lanarkshire side was that they kept hold of top spot as Raith Rovers, who had also won their first two games, were held 1-1 at home by Morton.

On-loan St Johnstone youngster Stephen Reynolds made up for an earlier miss when he capitalised on a fine pass from John Baird to put the Kirkcaldy men ahead with half an hour gone. The lead was gone by half time when the visiting Paul Di Giacomo took advantage of slackness in the Stark’s Park defence to shoot home.

Livingston won their first league match since promotion when they defeated visitors Dundee 4-2 in an exciting contest that the Lions led 3-0 with an hour gone courtesy of Iain Russell’s early goal and strikes either side of half time from Kenny Deuchar.

Gary Irvine headed in a lifeline for the Dens Park men and an Andy McNeil fumble from a Stephen O’Donnell corner had a comeback on the cards until Keaghan Jacobs sealed the win in the last minute.

Ayr shrugged off going behind twice and losing Martyn Campbell to a red card to earn a 2-2 draw with Falkirk.

Kallum Higginbotham put the Bairns in front at Somerset Park, however Gareth Wardlaw equalised before Farid El Allagui restored the visitors’ lead before half time.

Eddie Malone fired in a free kick to level things with an hour gone and when Campbell was dismissed shortly after Falkirk sensed a win, however they were denied it when a Higginbotham header in injury time was ruled out.

Ross County picked up their first league win as Steven Craig scored twice in the last three minutes to see off Queen of the South 2-0 in Dingwall despite the handicap of Stuart Kettlewell’s earlier dismissal.