Partick Thistle 3-0 Dundee United

David Amoo headed Partick Thistle in front in the first half

Partick Thistle leapfrogged Dundee United at the foot of the table with an impressive win at Firhill.

David Amoo headed in Callum Booth's deflected cross in the first half and Sean Welsh had a fine free-kick saved.

Daniel Seaborne and United's Scott Fraser hit the woodwork, but Mustapha Dumbuya's cross come shot made it two.

Thistle kept going forward for more as the visitors' confidence evaporated, and Stuart Bannigan added a third with a curling shot.

It was an excellent performance by Thistle and the result will have eased some of the pressure on manager Alan Archibald, whose position was coming under more scrutiny following the sacking of Jackie McNamara by United last weekend.

Thistle had only scored three goals this season in their previous 10 matches, but they comfortably doubled their tally.

Mathias Pogba had an early chance to claim his first goal for Thistle when he latched onto a corner kick at the back post six yards out, but he blasted his volley high over.

Of the Thistle starting line-up, only Amoo had scored this season and he claimed his second of the campaign to give the home side the lead.

A sweeping move down the left ended with Booth's cross deflected high inside the six yard box. Just when you thought it was one for United goalkeeper Luis Zwick to take comfortably, he was out jumped by Amoo who headed in from three yards.

United came close to an equaliser a few minutes later. Ryan Dow fired in a powerful right foot strike which was superbly saved by Tomas Cerny stretching to his right to turn it wide.

Partick Thistle's Mustapha Dumbuya (left) and Stuart Bannigan both scored in the second half

Amoo should have added a second following a swift counter attacking move, but Zwick was up to the task this time by blocking the Thistle player's shot with his legs.

The United goalkeeper produced an even better save from Sean Welsh's 25-yard free-kick, touching it round the post.

From the resultant corner, Danny Seaborne's header hit the crossbar and bounced off the back of the leg of Zwick to trundle wide.

At the other end, the visitors also hit the woodwork with Scott Fraser's left foot volley from just outside the penalty area clattering back off Cerny's right hand post.

Thistle started the second half the way they finished the first and increased their lead courtesy of Dumbaya with a touch of good fortune.

The Sierra Leone international's intended low cross from the right eluded team mate Steven Lawless who tried to flick it, but the ball crept in at the back post beyond Zwick.

The Tannadice side were rarely seen as an attacking force in the second half and it was no surprise when Bannigan added a third for Thistle with a low right foot shot from a Pogba cross.