Partick Thistle 5-0 Hamilton

Kris Doolan hit four goals as Partick Thistle moved further away from the bottom three in the Scottish Premiership with a 5-0 thumping of Hamilton. There was more than a touch of controversy about Doolan's first but he proceeded to hand out a striking masterclass as he scored with his right foot, left foot, head and even his heel to inflict a third consecutive defeat on Hamilton caretaker player/manager Martin Canning. Doolan tapped home the opening goal in the 29th minute from what looked an offside position but there was no flag from assistant referee Kylie McMullan. Ryan Stevenson had reacted quickest to reach the ball when Michael McGovern stopped Kallum Higginbotham's shot following great skill from the Englishman, and he forced the ball towards goal - where Doolan finished off on the line. The Hamilton players protested to no avail but they could have little complaint when Doolan fired his second a minute before the break. The striker stretched his leg high in the air to bring down a Steven Lawless cross before turning brilliantly and firing a crisp left-footed shot into the far corner from 10 yards. There was better to come on the hour mark when Doolan completed his hat-trick in sublime fashion. The former Auchinleck Talbot player burst on to a Lawless flick but his marker got goal-side. However, with his back to goal 12 yards out and the rest of Firhill expecting a lay-off, Doolan backheeled the ball past the stunned McGovern and into the corner. And he ensured he doubled his season's tally to eight goals two minutes later when he headed the ball past McGovern from 10 yards after Stephen O'Donnell had dug out a cross from the corner flag. Doolan went off in the 80th minute to a warm reception and bedraggled Accies also had trouble with his replacement, Nathan Eccleston, who finished off Christie Elliott's 89th-minute cross at the second attempt. Thistle had got on top after a slow start. Ali Crawford fired early efforts past either post for Hamilton and Mickael Antoine-Curier missed a chance on the break as Canning, serving a suspension, watched from the stand. Hamilton defender Mikey Devlin had a header saved before Thistle began to impose themselves on a pitch that had significant bare patches following the recent cold weather. O'Donnell failed to trouble McGovern from some good positions and Stevenson headed wide as Thistle attacked well down the right against Accies left-back Stephen Hendrie, who has been the subject of reported interest from West Ham. Accies brought on Louis Longridge for Jon Routledge at the break but they were almost finished off five minutes later. A slip by Jesus Garcia-Tena allowed Lawless to shoot and he thundered an effort off the underside of the bar. The rebound fell to Stevenson but he resisted the urge to hit it first time and McGovern recovered to block. The visitors soon lost Devlin to an apparent injury in the 52nd minute with 19-year-old Craig Watson replacing him in central defence - and he could do nothing to stop Doolan grabbing his fourth goal of the night 10 minutes later. Hamilton showed no signs of a comeback and Lawless and Doolan both had further efforts saved before Eccleston completed the rout.