Partick Thistle 2 Hamilton 0

A Ryan Stevenson double booked Partick's place in the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup with a deserved 2-0 victory over Hamilton at Firhill.

Stevenson scored in each half to put Thistle in a commanding position and they never looked like relinquishing the lead.

Hamilton's frustration was evident at the death as Dougie Imrie was sent off for a needless lunge on Jake Carroll.

Hamilton were first to threaten, Ali Crawford picking the ball up in midfield and riding a couple of challenges before bending a shot just wide from the edge of the area.

It would have been a contentious goal had the ball sneaked inside Paul Gallacher's post as Thistle had wanted Stephen O'Donnell to be allowed back on to the field following brief treatment for an injury.

The visitors continued to look dangerous in the early stages, but Kallum

Higginbotham was providing a good outlet for Thistle on the left and it was his forceful run that brought the corner that led to the opening goal for the Jags after 18 minutes.

The corner was floated deep to the back post where Stevenson initially headed the ball against the back of his marker before reacting well to crash an unstoppable half-volley into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

The former Hearts man should have had his second moments later when Abdul Osman's knock-down gave him time to pick is spot from six yards, but this time the forward misjudged the half-volley and sent the ball wildly over the bar.

The goal, though, seemed to knock Hamilton off their stride, with much of the passing football they have become associated with absent from their play. There was little noticeable improvement from the Accies at the start of the second period and the home side doubled their lead in style after 54 minutes.

Higginbotham picked the ball up on the left and skipped past Ziggy Gordon's sliding challenge before slipping a clever ball up the wing to the advancing full-back Jake Carroll.

The on-loan Huddersfield cut it back to Stevenson, who had held his run near the penalty spot, and he produced a clinical side-foot finish past Michael McGovern.

Hamilton put together a nice move soon after as they tried to find a way back into the tie. Crawford picked out Imrie on the right and he cushioned the ball into the path of the on-rushing Gordon, but the right-back could only scoop the ball well over from a decent position.

Jesus Garcia Tena then saw a free-kick tipped over the top by Gallacher. The keeper also did well to block a Darian MacKinnon effort after a driving run from midfield and then diverted an Imrie shot behind after Stephen Hendrie's cross from the left evaded everyone in the centre to land at the feet of the winger.

Hamilton were finally exerting some concerted pressure on the home goal and Imrie flashed a long-range drive just past Gallacher's right-hand post with the keeper beaten.

There was then almost an embarrassing moment for Accies left-back Hendrie, mis-controlling a looping ball and almost diverting it past McGovern who was out of his goal.

The ball skewed off the defender's shin and, to his relief, rolled agonisingly wide of a post. Thistle almost grabbed a third late on, Stephen O'Donnell forcing a save from McGovern with a drive from inside the area.

Hamilton's misery was complete in the 89th minute when Imrie saw red as Partick saw out the game with ease.