THERE may have to be a revision of many of this summer's predictions for the SPFL Premiership.
Partick Thistle would not seem to have been paying much heed to the assumption that they will be amongst the prime candidates for at least the relegation play-off, instead performing with such verve and accomplishment during their opening fixtures as to eschew the perception that they will flounder in the top flight.
As the Firhill side steered 19 points clear of penalised Hearts on Saturday evening - a gap which is now back to 16 following the Edinburgh derby yesterday - it was tempting to ponder whether Thistle might be safe from relegation already. Two matches hardly make a season, of course, but the evidence for their league survival is still thick on the ground.
Among all that will be the victory over Ross County, a side which spent much of last season as everybody's favourite eye-catching underdogs of the top flight only to be outplayed and out-fought from the outset on Saturday by a team brimming with energy and invention and made up almost entirely by members of the squad which won the First Division title last term.
That left Kallum Higginbotham to participate as a substitute in Dingwall, his warm up on the sidelines also comprising an exercise in patience. "If they keep playing like that, we'll be warming the bench for a while yet; why would the manager change it? [We'll] just have to wait patiently and take our chances when they come," said the midfielder.
He returned north from a spell with Huddersfield Town last week and might have had the perfect debut from the bench but for an offside flag. Higginbotham's disallowed effort came with Thistle leading 3-1 and was reminiscent of a goal from Stevie May earlier this season which stood for St Johnstone against Hearts. "I thought it was going to be the perfect debut until the linesman spoiled it," said Higginbotham.
County could not match Thistle's hunger and cohesion and it was no surprise when Kris Doolan scored the opener from close range. Much of County's troubles stemmed from the work of the visitors' wide midfielders - Steven Lawless and Stuart Bannigan - who linked well with Doolan and the lively James Craigen.
Derek Adams, County's manager, began with three at the back as he had against Celtic but changed shape and personnel at the break to try and arrest Thistle's sense of ease. It made little difference, with Lawless scoring twice inside six minutes.
Notwithstanding Graham Carey's deflected strike to reduce the deficit, Thistle were comfortable. However, there was a refusal from Grant Munro to seek excuses. "We were not good enough. Partick were the better side. Full stop," said the County defender. "They looked hungrier and sharper and they got the goal which gave them a lift. Then they got the second goal and that sort of killed us off."
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