RAMPANT Partick put First Division leaders Accies to the sword with Kevin McKinlay and Liam Buchanan tormentors-in-chief on a day when Dundee closed the gap at the top.
PARTICK 3 McKinlay24, 35; Buchanan 55 (pen)
HAMILTON 0
Billy Reid's men have now failed to score in their last three games and this result follows on from goalless draws with Stirling Albion and Brechin City.
Accies were never at the race
s and Ian McCall's men took full advantage of a lackadaisical visiting performance.
McKinlay played out of his skin in the first half in particular and grabbed his second goal of the season, taking advantage of a miss-hit by Buchanan. The midfielder picked up the loose ball in the box and his shot from an impossible angle beat Bryn Halliwell at his near post. That was after 24 minutes and only 11 minutes later it was 2-0. Again, it was McKinlay who did the damage but Halliwell was beaten too easily at his back post.
It was a fine cross from Buchanan initially which found McKinlay in the six-yard box but his dipping header should really have been dealt with.
The second goal prompted an attacking tactical change from Reid, who introduced striker Gary Twigg for midfielder Alex Neil. However, Thistle continued to dominate and they won a penalty kick ten minutes after the interval via a foul by Mark McLaughlin on Gary Harkins. Buchanan made no mistake sending Halliwell the wrong way.
Jags goalkeeper Jon Tuffey could have taken the afternoon off, with Accies closest shot on target coming from David Elebert's near-post header.
The full article contains 275 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
