Partick Thistle 2, Cowdenbeath 1.

Barrs Irn Bru First Division Attendance-2510.

COWDEN came oh so close to shocking league leaders Thistle and had they slotted one more of their second-half chances they would have left Firhill with a point.

After their poor work at the back against Morton, the Blue Brazil contained the side which had won its previous five league games well and, unlike the Greenock men, Thistle had to work for their goals.

Cowdenbeath had Mark Ramsay back in action in the midfield area after his injury and he made a useful contribution along with Colin Cameron.

Marc McKenzie and Jamie Stevenson posed the Jags plenty of problems on the flanks and with Zeph Thomas celebrating his call-up for St Kitts with a hard working show, Thistle found the going tough.

Indeed, at the end of day they were fortunate to regain the lead with an own goal, with Scott Linton deflecting a cross into his own net.

But despite that blow the Fifers came back and had they grabbed one of the chances that came their way Thistle would have dropped their first points of the campaign.

Thomas Flynn was a solid last line for Cowden while Davie Cowan came in for Dean Brett and ensured that the Jags had to work hard to get crosses in.

Linton did well on the other flank while Kenny Adamson and John Armstrong were solid in the middle.

Not surprisingly Thistle attacked strongly at the start and Aaron Sinclair made a good run on the wing and Paul Paton took his pass and cut the ball back but before anyone in Jags' colours could react Armstrong cleared.

Flynn rushed from his line to clear a through ball and clashed with Christie Elliot and with the the home fans shouting for a red for the 'keeper he received a yellow and the free-kick awarded came to nothing.

To be honest at this stage Cowdenbeath were creating very little danger and when they went behind in 25 minutes the visiting faithful would have been worried.

Chris Erskine tumbled in the box under pressure from McKenzie and the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Andy MUIRHEAD to give Flynn no chance.

This heralded a spell of Thistle pressure but through solid defending Elliott and Lawless were kept out by the Blues.

A goal down at the break Cowden had Lewis Milne on for Kyle Miller for the restart and were soon level in the second-half. With just four minutes on the clock Jamie STEVENSON picked his spot from all of 30 yards to silence the home fans.

The Blue Brazil went looking for a second and Milne robbed Stuart Bannigan, closed in on 'keeper Colin Fox and saw the last line make a brave save.

Next to have a go for the visitors was McKenzie with a header which Fox grabbed and at the other end Flynn saved from Paton.

Then in 69 minutes came the crucial moment when LINTON, in trying to cover back, deflected in Sinclair's cross with Flynn unable to keep it out.

Cowden were not finished and Stevenson let fly again only this time the ball went wide but the Jags had chances too and Ross Forbes saw Flynn deal with his effort.

Partick Thistle: Fox; O'Donnell, Sinclair (Forbes 78); Lawless, Archibald, Muirhead; Elliot (Doolan 68), Bannigan, Murray, Paton, Erskine. Subs not used, Balatoni, Craigan and Smith.

Cowdenbeath: Flynn; Cowan, Linton; Cameron (O'Brien 78), Armstrong. Adamson; McKenzie, Miller (Milne 46), Ramsay, Thomas, Stevenson (Brett 75). Subs not used, Garcia-Rey and Wight.

Referee-Willie Collum.