Kilmarnock 2 Partick Thistle 2

Partick missed the chance to climb above Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Rugby Park. Thistle took the lead in the second minute as Ryan Stevenson found the corner of the net from the edge of the area. Kilmarnock equalised in the 33rd minute, ending their run without a goal from open play after 742 minutes, when Josh Magennis fired a neat finish low into the bottom left-hand corner after fine dribbling by Rory McKenzie. Captain Manuel Pascali netted his side's second - after previously having a goal disallowed for offside - in the 79th minute after applying the finishing touch at the back post to Craig Slater's corner. But Thistle came back to equalise in the 83rd minute through an unlikely scorer in centre-half Frederic Frans who found the net from the edge of the area. Kilmarnock had earlier had a strong claim for a penalty turned down when Robbie Muirhead felt he was clipped just inside the box, but referee Willie Collum - returning from a two-week absence - allowed play to continue. Thistle were looking to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since their promotion two seasons ago and got off to a flying start.. Neat work from Kallum Higginbotham led to James Craigen laying the ball into the path of Stevenson, who took a touch before steering it beyond Craig Samson's reach at his left-hand side. They then had a chance to increase their lead when Higginbotham sent an inswinging corner to the back post. In-form striker Kris Doolan managed to make contact with it but headed into the side netting. McKenzie was troubling Thistle with his close-control dribbling, and he danced his way past a couple of defenders in the box before his tight-angled shot deflected wide. Soon after Higginbotham took a quck corner to Stevenson, who sent a teasing low cross towards Doolan. The striker could not hit it cleanly, and when it fell to Steven Lawless at the edge of the box, he fired over. Kilmarnock found their equaliser when McKenzie robbed Stevenson midway inside the Killie half, before bursting over the midway line and finding Magennis with a delightful through ball. The striker made no mistake as he guided the ball beyond Paul Gallacher. Shortly before half-time, Muirhead took a touch from 25 yards and when the ball sat up nicely for him, he fired an effort inches wide. Not long after the restart Stephen O'Donnell charged forward and let fly with a shot that was deflected for a corner. A neat lay-off from Doolan moments later allowed Stevenson to get a shot away, but his effort sailed well wide. Thistle began the second half brightly and almost regained the lead when Higginbotham had a chance in the six-yard box but he scooped his effort over. Lee Ashcroft then had a great chance to give his side the lead but he could only find the side-netting from Pascali's knock-down into the area. The Kilmarnock support rose to their feet in the 65th minute to appeal for a penalty when Muirhead went down under pressure but nothing was given. In the 71st minute, it was Thistle's turn to shout for a spot-kick when O'Donnell headed over with Tope Obadeyi breathing down his neck but again it was not given. Kilmarnock had their second goal when corner was sent inside the box and the ball eventually found its way to Pascali lurking at the back post, who poked home from six yards. Thistle hit back four minutes later when Stuart Bannigan's free-kick was cleared to the edge of the box where Frans was waiting to net via deflection.