For once, Kingsley wasn’t the strangest thing about yesterday’s visit to Firhill, as Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock shared the spoils in one of the most bizarre games you’re likely to see all season.

In a first half where Thistle keeper Tomas Cerny was so redundant he could have slipped on the big yellow costume himself and done a couple of laps of the pitch, the scores were somehow level at one apiece when the half-time whistle blew.

The first of Kris Doolan’s two goals early on seemed to have set Partick up for a comfortable win, but despite almost total domination of the opening forty minutes, they failed to add to their tally.

The almost inevitable sucker punch came through Rory McKenzie.

Young centre-half Liam Lindsay, so impressive for Thistle so far this season, saw red after the hour mark, before his side defied the odds to hit the front again through the suspiciously offside-looking Doolan’s second of the game.

There was still time for another twist though, and Killie showed great character for the second time in a week to salvage a late draw through Kris Boyd.

The topsy-turvy nature of the game left both managers feeling oddly disappointed with taking a point, yet at the same time satisfied with their team’s performances.

Thistle manager Alan Archibald said: “I’m not pleased with the point, because on the first-half display and chances we should have been out of sight.

“We’ve not been creating a lot of chances of late, but I think we saved them up for the first half today.

“They’ve had the five minutes when they scored towards the end of the half, but apart from that we were utterly dominant.

“I’m delighted with the lads because they played for 25 minutes with ten men as well. They worked their butts off but we just need to be more clinical.”

Partick had been camped deep in Kilmarnock territory from the first whistle, and a comfortable home win looked on the cards when Doolan scored after just 9 minutes.

A speculative ball in was completely misjudged by Lee Ashcroft, whose slip allowed Doolan to latch onto the ball, calmly sidestep the lunge of Mark Connolly, and plant the ball low past Jamie MacDonald.

Former Thistle man Kallum Higginbotham was never likely to be quiet on his return to Firhill, and so it proved.

He had been given a warm welcome by the home support, but the reception turned a little less cordial after he planted an elbow into the head of Gary Miller and then Liam Lindsay in quick succession to find his way into the book after just 10 minutes.

If this had been a boxing match, the referee would have stepped in midway through the first-half to put the supine Ayrshire side out of their misery.

From nowhere though, Kilmarnock flashed a warning shot across the Thistle bows.

Stevie Smith flashed a low ball across goal that found Magennis unmarked eight yards out, with Cerny having to get down smartly to block.

Partick’s defence failed to heed the warning, and on 38 minutes, suddenly Killie were level.

MacDonald made a point-blank wonder-save from Stevie Lawless after he met a David Amoo cross in the six-yard box, and the visitors broke.

Lindsay gave away what looked like a ‘clever’ free-kick on halfway, but as the home defence retreated with their backs to the ball, Higginbotham took it quickly to release McKenzie in on goal.

He had an eternity to take a touch and curl the ball past Cerny for the unlikeliest of equalisers.

There was then another twist in the tale after 65 minutes that edged the momentum towards the visitors.

Young Thistle centre-back Lindsay, so impressive so far this season, dallied on the ball allowing Mark O’Hara to dispossess him.

In desperation he stuck out an arm to pull the midfielder back as he raced towards goal, leaving referee Muir no option but to send him off.

Remarkably though, Thistle regained the lead with twelve minutes remaining when a high ball from Gary Fraser on the left sailed over the heads of the Killie defence, and as they stood waiting for the offside flag, Doolan simply rolled the ball into the net.

Kilmarnock hit back though, and were level after 85 minutes.

Again, that man Higginbotham was the provider, floating a ball onto the head of substitute Boyd who planted a downward header into the net for the first goal of his third spell at the club.

His manager, Gary Locke, said: “You’re never happy drawing a game, it’s probably a game we should have won.

“I was delighted with the character again to come back, they showed it through the week, and big Boydie has popped up there with a good header.”

Partick Thistle (4-2-3-1): Tomas Cerny; Gary Miller, Frederic Frans, Liam Lindsay, Callum Booth; Stuart Bannigan, Sean Welsh; David Amoo, Stevie Lawless (Gary Fraser, 53’), Ryan Stevenson(Dan Seaborne, 65’); Kris Doolan.

Unused Subs: Ryan Scully(GK), David Wilson, Jack Hendry, Declan McDaid, Jordan Leyden.

Kilmarnock (4-1-4-1): Jamie McDonald; Darryl Westlake, Lee Ashcroft, Mark Connolly, Stevie Smith; Jamie Hamill (Aaron Splaine, 80’); Greg Kiltie (Kris Boyd, 69’), Rory McKenzie, Mark O’Hara, Kallum Higginbotham; Josh Magennis.

Unused Subs: Oliver Davies(GK), Ross Barbour, Stuart Findlay, Lee McCulloch, Scott McLean.

Red cards:

Partick: Lindsay (65’)

Bookings:

Partick: Bannigan (74’)

Kilmarnock: Higginbotham (9’), Westlake (73’), Connolly (86’)

Referee: Alan Muir

Man of the match: Kris Doolan

Attendance: 3600