Scottish Cup: St Mirren 1-2 Partick Thistle

Amoo knocks in the second goal for Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle progressed to the last 16 of the Scottish Cup courtesy of a well deserved win over St Mirren.

The Premiership visitors were totally in command until a late wobble when Keith Watson forced the ball home.

Danny Seaborne shot the Jags ahead on 62 minutes when the ball fell to the defender from a corner.

Thistle's second goal came from another corner, with David Amoo converting after Jamie Langfield had saved a Kris Doolan overhead kick.

It was a fifth win in seven outings for Alan Archibald's side, with the only loss in that sequence coming at champions Celtic.

The other consistent factor was the quality of the Paisley pitch which coped well with the snow and looked pristine, if with added zip. Is there a better playing surface in all the land?

Thistle tried to prove the point with slick passing but the first real opportunity took 20 minutes to arrive.

Stuart Bannigan and Stevie Lawless combined on the break to set up Doolan, who came sliding in and should really have scored, but already we were getting a sense of things to come.

Even the missed chance was costly for Saints. Midfielder Stuart Carswell was injured attempting to halt it and although he managed to play on for a few moments, he had to be replaced by youngster Jordan Stewart.

That triggered a St Mirren reshuffle and Thistle went on to dominate the first half, with Lawrence Shankland dreadfully isolated up front and the Paisley back line under siege.

Amoo sizzled in a shot which Langfield just about dealt and the score was somehow blank at the interval.

There was another alteration in the Buddies' shape at the break but not much changed in the second half.

Thistle continued to threaten and Doolan and Amoo both went close again.

Watson strikes late on for St Mirren

A goal was coming and it arrived when Seaborne got on the end of a Bannigan corner kick on the left, which was knocked down by a Saints head.

The defender was given too much time and space and drove the ball beyond Langfield, although the keeper did get a hand on it.

Ten minutes later the visitors made it two, from another corner.

Doolan met Bannigan's delivery with a spectacular bicycle kick which rattled the crossbar after a touch from the keeper, and Amoo was there to bundle the rebound over the line.

Saints rallied late on and Watson scrambled an 88th minute goal after a couple of late chances, one of which brought a miraculous save from Thomas Cerny.

The match was labelled First foot Friday, with fans of both teams encouraged to sit together inside the stadium. The Maryhill faithful enjoyed the party but the hangover had already bitten on St Mirren.