A BALMY afternoon in Maryhill was shattered at 2pm by a series of explosions inside Firhill.

The official explanation was that police and security staff were being taught how to deal with football flares, bangers and yobbery.

The unworthy thought was that the refined reputation of the Firhill Ultras is such that they are more likely to commission a play than institute a riot and the Caley supporters are hardly the remnants of Bonnie Prince Charlie's retreat from Derby.

The detonation of import, of course, occurred hours later. High-flying Inverness Caledonian Thistle came to ground with the sort of thud that is as dull as double maths. They may still be trying to piece together the wreckage this morning.

They started confidently, scoring an excellent goal when David Raven released Aaron Doran inside the box and the Irishman drove emphatically across Scott Fox. They then seemed to pause for applause and Thistle hit them with a one-two that ultimately constituted a knockout.

Steven Lawless equalised when drifting in from the right and placing his left-foot shot meticulously inside the far post. A back-post header from Abdul Osman from a Kallum Higginbotham corner gave Thistle the lead. Higginbotham's brilliant, smashing finish in the second half from a pass from Lawless was unnecessary punishment.

Kris Doolan employed a modicum of mercy in the final minute by forgiving a foul on him by Raven by shooting the penalty right into the arms of Dean Brill.

Caley were not without chances. Billy McKay could, perhaps should, have scored twice in the first half and they threatened occasionally in the second particularly when the precocious Ryan Christie drew a fine save from Fox. Their manager, John Hughes, pointed to these missed opportunities, but had more cause to rue a defence that was unusually feckless. All three goals could have been avoided. This is not to underrate the performance of Thistle. Alan Archibald, the Jags manager, conceded his side were "nervous" in the first 20 minutes, but that belief came back when Lawless scored.

This was a reward for Archibald's philosophy. Higginbotham, who endured robust treatment throughout, and Lawless, maker of one goal and scorer of another, are the sort of players that a manager can be forgiven for placing on the bench when times are hard. Archibald, on the back of two consecutive defeats in the SPFL Premiership, stayed positive, instilled his team with a belligerent attitude and was rewarded with three points.

There can be mutters about the competence of Thistle's defending, but they are a side that brims with enterprise and effort. Caley endured a comedown, but their season has hardly exploded. They can come back with a bang against Rangers on Tuesday in the League Cup.