ALAN Archibald is making this management lark look pretty easy.

After leading his side on a six-game unbeaten run to earn himself the Partick Thistle manager's position on a full-time basis, he celebrated his appointment in style yesterday as the Jags cruised past Livingston at Firhill to remain within striking distance of Irn-Bru First Division leaders Morton.

The Thistle defender, a long-standing favourite among the Firhill faith, had made the perfect pitch for the top job in recent weeks following the departure of Jackie McNamara to Dundee United and was finally rewarded on Friday night when he agreed a one-year rolling contract.

And his elevation from the dressing room to managerial hotseat gave Partick the perfect psychological shot in the arm that swept away Livingston in a tide of goals in Maryhill yesterday, each one coming from a different player.

With Thistle favourites to clinch the title and a Ramsdens Cup final looming, this six-goal show heralded in a new dawn that could be the start of something special at Firhill.

"It has been a brilliant few days," Archibald said. "The way we train and play, we have got goals all over the pitch and it has been like that all season. We have not had one player running away with it.

"If you have one person scoring all the goals and then he gets injured, it is a panic, but we have good players going forward. I think there is less pressure now because we have got piece of mind. It takes a bit of the uncertainty away."

The maiden win of the permanent Archibald era was all but secured by the time he gave his first team talk. Aaron Muirhead opened the floodgates from the spot after Paul Watson was penalised for handball before Steven Craig nodded home a Sean Welsh cross. The next two were defensive howlers as Andy McNeil allowed a low drive from James Craigen to skid past him off the rutted Firhill pitch and the Livngstoni defence stood still as Chris Erskine set up Steven Lawless, the forward showing good composure to finish and clinch the points.

There was a moment of respite for Richie Burke's side when Watson fired home just after the restart, but normal service was soon resumed, Erskine combining well with substitute Kris Doolan for arguably the pick of the goals. Doolan didn't have to wait long to add his name to the scoresheet, finishing with aplomb after collecting Aaron Sinclair's raking cross-field pass as Archie's Army went home happy once again.