Alex Samuel’s first half header earned Mark Wilson’s Partick Thistle a vital three points in the fight for the title as they defeated Scott Brown’s Ayr United 2-1.
The match started slow, but with 12 minutes on the clock, former Ayr United player Logan Chalmers opened the scoring for the hosts after Kevin Holt failed to intercept Patrick Reading’s through ball.
That wasn’t the end of the drama, as just two minutes later, Thistle’s continued pressure on Ayr saw Luke McBeth’s cross find Alex Samuel’s head and fall into the bottom left of Liam Russell’s net.
Ayr United’s first half went from bad to worse, Leon King’s foul on Alex Samuel in the penalty area on the 19th minute saw referee Grant Irvine point to the spot.
Chalmer’s stepped up to the penalty spot hoping to get his second of the match, however his effort down the middle was saved by the leg of goalkeeper Russell.
The penalty save brought some hope for Scott Brown’s side, as his squad started to take the game to the Jags.
Ben Dempsey’s effort on the 21st minute deflected by the post of Josh Clarke’s goal and earned The Honest Men a corner which they failed to capitalise on.
Ayr United looked more comfortable for the remainder of the second half creating some well worked plays but failing to cause Thistle’s Clarke any problems.
Ayr’s manager Scott Brown was shown yellow for dissent on the 35th minute, mostly out of frustration after his side’s poor first half performance.
Ayr United almost found away back into the game late into the first half, their best chance of the game comes from a cross from Scott McMann and lands on Anton Dowds head, but his effort hits the side netting of Josh Clarke’s goal.
A tactical substitution for Scott Brown saw Jude Bonnar being replaced by striker Curtis Main in a hope to get something from the game.
And it was almost a dream start to the half for Ayr when Kevin Holt’s header looked goal bound, but it was blocked off the line by Thistle captain Lee Ashcroft.
Partick Thistle almost extended their lead to 3, after Ben Stanway’s cross almost sneaked a way into the back of the net but was tipped over the bar by Liam Russel.
Substitute Curtis Main got one back for the visitors on the hour mark after George Finney’s rocket was blocked and the striker was there to pounce on the rebound and find the top right corner.
72 minutes in Lee Ashcroft’s header was saved well by Russel, and moments later he was needed at the other end of the field to hold off Anton Dowds in a one-on-one battle near the Thistle goal.
In the 79th minute, Alex Samuel’s original chance turned into a catalogue of blocked efforts from the Ayr United defence to keep themselves in the match.
George Oakley’s burst of pace found him in a good position wit just two minutes remaining, but his powerful effort was parried away by Josh Clarke.
In the dying moments of the match, Scott Brown’s continued dissent was punished with a red card, which really summed up Ayr United’s afternoon.
Results elsewhere give Partick Thistle the chance to go top of the league by a point this Friday if they win away to current leaders St. Johnstone, after they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Dunfermline Athletic at McDiarmid Park.
As for Ayr United, their next outing is also away to St. Johnstone as they travel to Perth on Tuesday in the Scottish Challenge Cup. The aforementioned defeat to the Saints and subsequent Dunfermline victory means Neil Lennon’s side have leapfrogged them into the play-offs on goal difference.
