HERE was the real miracle of the festive season. Three days after Christmas and in front of their almost disbelieving supporters, Partick Thistle finally won at home for the first time since the opening day of the season. It was the perfect answer to Maryhill’s prayers. They will look to prove it wasn’t a fluke when they welcome Kilmarnock to Firhill on Saturday for the final match before the winter break.

Such is the congested nature of the bottom end of the Premiership, this victory over a Dundee side who failed to pose any sort of attacking threat until late in the game takes Alan Archibald’s men into the top half of the table. Not bad for a team that was lying rock bottom just over a week ago.

Thistle were well worthy of the victory, too, dominating possession for long swathes and always looking purposeful any time they moved forward with the ball, even if their decision-making at the crucial moments sometimes let them down.

Both teams had gone into the game on the back of a rare victory. Thistle had ended a seven-game winless sequence with an impressive result away to Ross County, while Dundee had recorded a 3-2 win over Hearts having come back from two goals down. In the way of either side making it two on the spin was Dundee’s poor record on the road – six defeats from seven before this – and Thistle’s similar fragility in front of their own fans.

Home wins may only arrive at Firhill about as often as Santa Claus but the poverty of that record did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Thistle fans in the North Stand whose festive repertoire included serenading Archibald to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas.

There had been little else to entertain either set of fans in the opening period of match that was full of commitment but little in the way of chances, but that would alter when Thistle went in front from what was the first real scoring opportunity of the game after 15 minutes.

Kostadin Gadzhalov clumsily bundled Kris Doolan to the ground just outside the Dundee box and Thistle took full advantage. Callum Booth took a few exaggerated steps towards the ball like a prancing pony before curling a left-foot shot around the defensive wall and into the net with laser-like precision. It was Thistle’s first goal direct from a free kick for two years. When Tom Hateley fizzed a free kick over the crossbar shortly after in what was Dundee’s first chance of the game, one home fan couldn’t hide his glee. “That’s not how you do it,” he muttered to his pal.

Dundee had won on all three visits to Firhill last season but there was little sign that this was a ground that favoured them, so little impact were they making in an attacking sense. Thistle were hardly creating chance after chance themselves but there was a greater sense of urgency whenever they ventured forward, with Doolan and Chris Erskine forever harrying the Dundee defenders and looking to feed off the scraps.

There was energy and drive, too, from Ryan Edwards who thwarted a Dundee attack, powered up the pitch before sliding in Erskine whose shot was saved. But the feeling was growing that a second Thistle goal wasn’t far away and it duly arrived moments before half-time. Edwards again sent Erskine away, the forward stepping over the ball before driving into the penalty box. His subsequent shot was saved by goalkeeper Scott Bain but only as far as Doolan who squeezed his effort into the net from a tight angle, the striker now having scored in his last four games against Dundee. A Firhill support that has felt mostly frustration this season could barely believe what they were seeing.

The only downside from the home fans’ point of view was the sight of Liam Lindsay being escorted up the tunnel by a member of the Thistle medical team. The defender, an integral figure in Archibald’s plans, could not continue after the break, and was replaced by Ziggy Gordon.

The enforced change did little to disrupt Thistle’s forward thrust as they continued to impose themselves on the contest. Erskine, an elegant almost delicate player, tried a lofted shot that landed on the top of the Dundee net, before he was short with a pass to Sean Welsh that would have sent his team-mate in on goal. Erskine hung his head in disappointment, acknowledging his mistake.

Dundee, belatedly, began to show some fighting spirit. They landed their first shot on target just short of the hour mark, full-back Kevin Holt scampering into the box but seeing his driven attempt comfortably clutched by Tomas Cerny, while two later headed attempts were also safely gathered by the goalkeeper as Thistle held out for a long-awaited home win.