Partick boost top-six hopes with win over rock-bottom Dundee United

Kris Doolan fired a second-half winner to keep Partick Thistle firmly in the hunt for a top-six place and leave Dundee United deep in relegation trouble.The bottom club dominated the first half at Firhill but missed a series of chances as they failed to cut a five-point deficit on Kilmarnock with their game in hand.They were made to pay when Doolan hit an excellent finish to make it nine for the season and move the Jags above Ross County.Thistle's win means they could draw in Dingwall on Saturday and still make the top six, although they need to better Dundee's result when Paul Hartley's side visit Hamilton.United should have been out of sight by half-time. Ryan Dow alone had four good chances, twice forcing decent stops from Tomas Cerny but also volleying over with the goalkeeper committed.Dow's best chance came when Guy Demel cleverly teed him up after Billy McKay had forced Abdul Osman into a mistake, but the midfielder blazed over from 16 yards.There was nothing complicated about United's play as they got the ball forward quickly for McKay and Henri Anier to chase, but it was posing numerous problems for Thistle, who had replaced injured midfielder Gary Fraser with striker Mathias Pogba inside 12 minutes. The substitute's 25th appearance of the season triggered a new one-year contract.McKay also missed the target with Cerny stranded after a mix-up with Dan Seaborne but the goalkeeper then produced a brilliant one-handed stop from John Rankin, who soon flashed a 25-yard strike just wide.McKay converted Rankin's low cross just before the break but the midfielder was flagged offside after collecting the ball from Dow.United almost shot themselves in the foot twice as the half came to a close, firstly when Kyle Knoyle evaded punishment for a brief penalty-box tug on Doolan and then when Eiji Kawashima flapped at the striker's cross. Gavin Gunning came to his aid by blocking David Amoo's effort.The hosts lost another player to injury two minutes after the restart as centre-back Freddie Frans limped off. But the change caused little harm as Gary Miller helped settle his side down after moving inside, while substitute Mustapha Dumbuya gave them an added attacking edge.Thistle were looking more solid and shading a tight game with left-back Callum Booth driving them forward.And they surged ahead with an excellent move in the 70th minute. Dumbuya got down the wing and delivered a ball inside which Pogba dummied to allow Doolan to run on to and power a right-footed shot home from 18 yards.Steven Lawless, Sean Welsh and Amoo all threatened to double the lead and United's chances disappeared when substitute Scott Fraser was booked for diving in the box despite claiming his legs were clipped.