ANOTHER one down, seven more to go.
Partick Thistle took one step towards the Irn-Bru First Division title yesterday but, courtesy of Raith Rovers' victory over promotion rivals Morton, it could prove to be more of a giant leap. Just days after a 3-0 win at Cowdenbeath took them back to the top of the table, they returned to Fife to hammer home their advantage yesterday to move four points clear.
"We have never looked anywhere else to be honest," Alan Archibald, the Thistle manager said. "We knew we had our games in hand. We know what we need to do. The boys have done their talking on the pitch and we will continue to do that, hopefully."
Thistle were comfortable winners here on Wednesday night and the early stages of this encounter pointed to a similar outcome. It took them eleven minutes to break the deadlock, Kris Doolan beating the offside trap to collect Steven Lawless' flick-on and slot past Cowdenbeath keeper Colin Stewart. The linesman's flag denied him minutes later while Stephen O'Donnell saw a low drive narrowly miss the target.
It appeared as though it would only be a matter of time before the Jags extended their advantage but when the net did bulge again, it was Cowdenbeath who were celebrating. Scott Linton launched a throw-in towards the Thistle front post and Craig Moore got the decisive touch.
The goal may have brought Colin Cameron's side level but Thistle were still in control and they regained their advantage on the hour mark.
Doolan was again the man who applied the finishing touch but it was James Craigen who deserved credit as he floated a perfectly weighted cross for the striker to nod home.
Thistle lived dangerously when Jamie Stevenson's free kick hit the post in the dying seconds but then the visiting fans had two reasons to celebrate; the final whistle at Central Park was quickly followed by news of Morton's demise.
Understandably, Colin Cameron failed to share the Firhill fans' joy "We are not getting the luck," he said. "Jamie's free kick shows that. It could have rebounded anywhere and we could have had a tap-in. "
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