Ross County 1 Partick Thistle 2: Visitors rip up the script

IT WAS all there for Ross County's taking. Another victory, the ninth from a wonderful unbeaten run since mid-February, would have pushed the once downtrodden and despairing Dingwall side to within 90 minutes of Premiership safety.

Such scripts are there to be torn up, though, and Partick Thistle did so far more decisively than the slender scoreline suggested.

Where it was a great missed opportunity for the out-of-sorts hosts, still six points above Motherwell in the play-off spot approaching next weekend's Fir Park kerfuffle , the Maryhill club now sit one victory from assured survival.

Partick fell behind to a Michael Gardyne strike after 21 minutes despite early prominence, but amid eventual dominance turned the game on it's head through Frederic Frans' screamer and a Stephen O'Donnell winner.

"We were up against a really good side today, one on a great run, so all credit to the lads for stopping that run," manager Alan Archibald said, having moved 10 points above Motherwell in the play-off spot with 12 left to play for.

"That was a big message we sent out to them - we had to match the way County have been playing, their tempo and energy, and I think we did that.

"Once we got a foothold in the game, we won our individual battles and that allowed us to play."

It was sunny and blustery, with a fiery pitch beneath, and Partick were the team holding much of the early menace, only to fall behind against the run of play

The hosts were mostly on the back foot before then, with Ryan Stevenson, the former Hearts striker, producing three digs at goal, two decent, within 12 minutes.

The second tested keeper Mark Brown at full stretch and the third rasped just a ball-width over the bar from the edge of the area.

Partick's foraging interplay was neat, sharp and threatening around County's penalty area but somehow it was the hosts who took a 21st minute lead against the run of play.

Rafa de Vita slipped a pass forward on the left flank to the over-lapping Jamie Reckord. The full-back feinted a return pass, instead cross superbly right to the back of the box where Michael Gardyne was waiting to thrash in a deflected strike.

The handful that was Lyle Taylor up front for the Jags had the ball in the net immediately after but was flagged off-side.

But after 26 minutes Partick deservedly levelled having ventured forwards unhindered in the right channel. The big Belgian stopper can rarely have ripped the net in such fashion - with the right foot shot screaming in low at Brown's right hand post.

It might have been the sudden onslaught of hailstones, but Brown made a terrible hash of a routine clearance after 40 minutes almost costing the second.

Blocked by Taylor, he only partially recovered as Stevenson shot wastefully wide.

County were showing none of the solidity and spark that had characterised the nine-game surge of form and were on the back foot again into the second half.

A poor clearing header by Scott Boyd led to their crucial second as it flew into the path of Stephen O'Donnell at a tight angle away to the right.

O'Donnell drove what may have been intended as a cross straight at Brown and the seasoned keeper seemed at fault as he fumbled it into the net.

From there, the complexion of the game shifted a little in the hosts' favour as the Jags sensed a huge victory in the making.

There were howls for a home penalty when Gardyne went down in the box under Stuart Bannigan's attentions, but referee Willie Conquer showed not a flicker of interest.

Brown partially redeemed himself when he palmed another fierce O'Donnell strike for a corner and the tit-for-tat battles that followed produced nothing to sway the result.

McIntyre, though, didn't shelter his experienced goalkeeper from flak.

"We had a bad day at the office. Thistle thoroughly deserved the victory, there's no question of that," the County manager said.

"We were disappointed with the performance - I didn't think we had the same energy levels. Partick were better than us.

"Obviously it is a fantastic strike from big Frans - one of those that seems to just keep gathering pace, right in the corner.

"The second goal? We've got to make sure that doesn't go in. [Mark Brown] has got to save that."

Ross County (4-4-2) - Brown; Fraser, Boyd, P. Quinn, Reckord; Gardyne, Woods, Kiss (Cardle 77), De Vita (Dingwall 59); Curran (R. Quinn 57), Boyce. Subs not used: Reguero, Palazuelos, Saunders, Sernas.

Booked: Boyd 45, Quinn 73

Partick Thistle (4-4-1-1) - Fox; O'Donnell, Frans, Balatoni, Booth; Higginbotham (Elliot 78), Osman, Bannigan, Lawless; Stevenson; Taylor (Doolan 82). Subs not used: Gallacher, Craigen, Richards-Everton, Fraser, Wilson.

Referee: Don Robertson

Man of the match: Steven Lawless.