ANY doubts in sun-snogged Maryhill that this is the pantomime season were quickly dispelled yesterday by the response to Willie Collum.

The match official could not have been booed more loudly if he had come on with a drooping moustache, a diabolical cackle and a determination to consign everyone to an unhappy ending.

In deference to modern times, Mr Collum is an equal-opportunity villain. There were 4145 audience members inside Firhiil for this matinee and whether in Partick Thistle or Aberdeen stalls they united in the end with a rousing chorus that testified, in language unsuitable for minors, to the perceived incompetence of the match official.

It made for a united finale to a match whose fervour may just have roused Sleeping Beauty from her slumbers but whose quality was of a level that would have caused most neutrals to be grumpy. This dissatisfaction extended to both supports, who found Collum to be a handy target because, in defiance of panto protocol, he was in front of them.

The match official was involved in a series of controversies, two of which led directly to the winning goal scored by Adam Rooney from the penalty spot after 34 minutes.

Those who cast Collum as the villain may wish to look away now as representatives from both clubs agreed on the award of the penalty and had sympathy for the referee's decision in awarding the corner that led to it.

The crucial moment was when Cammy Smith volleyed the ball towards goal and Paul Gallacher hesitated, waiting to see what movement David Goodwillie, yards offside, would make. The Scotland internationalist ducked, allowing the ball to go unimpeded towards goal where Gallacher turned it behind for a corner. Niall McGinn's kick was met by a header from Mark Reynolds that smacked the hand of Abdul Osman at close range.

Thistle had complaints that Goodwillie's presence influenced Gallacher's actions but the goalkeeper said later that Collum had explained to him he had been strictly adhering to the rules. Alan Archibald, the Partick Thistle manager, was sanguine over both incidents, saying: "Goodwillie is offside and just ducks at the last moment and Gal can't move until he knows what he [Goodwillie] is going to do. It's an awful rule, to be fair, a terrible rule. It maybe shook us a bit because we didn't deal with the corner after that. It's a handball and a penalty."

And if Mr Collum is reeling at this backstage approval of his decisions, he should be handed the smelling salts before he is appraised of Rooney's reaction to the referee disallowing his 'goal' in the first half. "Sometimes you get away with it and sometimes you don't," said the Irish striker, who admitted nudging a Thistle defender before shooting home.

The referee's decision was "fair enough". This post-match goodwill to one man possibly emanated from the realisation that the better team had won. Partick Thistle, who introduced Gallacher in goal because of sickness affecting Scott Fox, were organised, regularly neat on the ball and tireless. Unfortunately for the home support their favourites could not force Scott Brown to make a save. James Craigen smacked a shot past from 10 yards in the first half and Stuart Bannigan and Abdul Osman both headed wide in the second period from excellent positions.

Aberdeen, without the suspended Shay Logan and with Barry Robson added to a length injury list, improvised effectively. Jonny Hayes was dangerous at left full-back, his incursions forcing Thistle on to the back foot throughout the match. He could have been rewarded with an assist when his cross in the second half was headed powerfully by Rooney but was saved by Gallacher. Rooney, too, showed his versatility by helping out the team by playing almost as an orthodox left-winger and Derek McInnes can be pleased both by the way he marshalled resources and his players' willingness to adapt to unfamiliar roles. Ryan Jack, in particular, was excellent, almost unobtrusively controlling the match.

Archibald will be disappointed with the missed chances but will be encouraged by the glimpses of enterprise from an isolated Kris Doolan and an energetic substitute in Kallum Higginbotham. Thistle always try to be enterprising and there was no sense of any patronising sentiment when McInnes stated simply that his opponents were a better side than last year.

Aberdeen now move within four points of the leaders of the SPFL Premiership and McInnes has much to be satisfied about as his side is now two points better off than at the same stage as last season.

"It wasn't a perfect performance but there was more to like about it than there wasn't," said the Aberdeen manager. "The important thing was winning, because the players played really well against Celtic. I have made reference to Celtic in the past about finding a way to win and having that winning mentality when not being at their best.

"I watched Celtic against Dundee - they were not at their best but they still found a way to win. We weren't at our best but we made sure we won with enough good performances."

McInnes had his heroes and the crowd had their villain. As for Mr Collum, he is soon to be found at a sporting theatre near you.