PARTICK boss Ian McCall will be delighted this morning following a hard-fought victory over bottom-of-the-table Morton. Goals from Gary Harkins and Ian Maxwell secured the points, sandwiching a strike from Ian Russell, to get back to winning ways following a draw and a defeat recently in the league.
However, David Irons' side didn't let Thistle have it their own way and the visitors, still searching for their first league win of the season, were the better side in the first half.
Australian midfielder Erik Paartalu should have headed Irons'
men in front after 32 minutes, but glanced his header just wide from Jim McAllister's cross. Thistle then took the lead against the run of play in 37 minutes when a fantastic Mark Roberts cross was met by Harkins, who headed his fourth goal of the season unchallenged.
Morton equalised a minute before half time when Russell found space in the penalty area before bulleting an unstoppable shot past Jonny Tuffey.
Thistle looked more up for the challenge after the interval and were rewarded for some persistent play in 66 minutes when Maxwell forced the ball home following a Stephen McKeown corner which eventually found its way to the defender at the back post.
Morton never gave up and Irons made three substitutions within a 10-minute period. One of those replacements, Stevie Masterton, almost levelled matters late on with a rasping 20-yard free kick but Tuffey did brilliantly to keep it out.
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