Partick boost top-six ambitions with win over stuttering St Johnstone
Partick Thistle maintained their perfect record over St Johnstone this season as they boosted their top-six ambitions with a 2-1 win in Perth.
But the defeat leaves Tommy Wright's men fearing for their place in the top half of the Ladbrokes Premiership as the split approaches.
Callum Booth followed up his first ever Thistle goal against Motherwell on Saturday with a quick-fire second as he struck a sixth-minute opener.
Stevie Lawless lashed a second on 13 minutes before substitute Chris Kane netted for the hosts midway through the second half.
But it was not enough to prevent a fresh heap of misery landing on St Johnstone - who now have just two wins in their last 15 games.
They slip to sixth and are now just two points ahead of the Jags, who have risen to seventh following their third win over the McDiarmid men this season, while they also have two games in hand.
Alan Archibald's men were dominant from the start and struck early.
The impressive Stuart Bannigan won the ball in midfield and drove forward, playing a one-two with Amoo before swinging a pass wide for Booth. There did not look too much on but the left-back found an answer as he cut inside and drilled past Alan Mannus.
And bad became worse for Saints seven minutes later as Lawless made it two.
The goal was practically gift-wrapped though as the home defence stood off while the Jags midfielder strode forward from half-way, exchanged passes with Mathias Pogba and then lashed another fine strike into the bottom corner.
The hosts failed to learn their lesson and again gave Lawless more space to roam soon after. It took a clumsy foul from Steven Anderson to halt his progress and a save at full stretch from Mannus to keep out Sean Welsh's free-kick.
St Johnstone should have levelled when Gary Miller failed to cut out Danny Swanson's ball over the top for Graham Cummins. The Irishman, though, took a heavy touch as he rounded keeper Tomas Cerny and could not finish from the tight angle.
Swanson pulled a free-kick wide before Liam Craig fired over as the hosts at least got on the front foot before half-time.
Thistle lacked the same threat after the break and were made to sweat for the final stages as Kane pulled one back with a close-range finish on 67 minutes after Cerny misread the flight of Darnell Fisher's deep cross.
Substitute Kris Doolan had the chance to put daylight between the teams with three minutes left but saw Joe Shaughnessy clear off the line after beating Mannus.
Source: PA
