Partick Thistle 3 Motherwell 1

Photo courtesy of Jeff Holmes

Partick Thistle full-back Stephen O'Donnell scored one and set up another as a 3-1 victory over Motherwell sent the visitors into second-bottom spot in the Scottish Premiership.

The Jags were largely comfortable after Stuart Bannigan gave them a 16th-minute lead, although the game might have been different had Henrik Ojamaa's early header been inches lower rather than hitting the underside of the bar.

O'Donnell fed Kris Doolan for the second after the break and took advantage of a completely absent Motherwell defence to score a late clincher on the counter-attack.

Motherwell had briefly threatened a comeback following a sensational 40-yard strike from substitute Lionel Ainsworth, but they were again lacking in confidence as an attacking side, despite signs that Ojamaa is regaining his sharpness.

Both sides rang the changes as they looked to bounce back from heavy defeats, Thistle at Kilmarnock and Motherwell against Hamilton.

Thistle made three switches, with one enforced after Kallum Higginbotham was forced to undergo knee surgery. O'Donnell, James Craigen and Christie Elliott came in.

Steven Hammell made his first league appearance of the season for Motherwell following a groin tear while Keith Lasley, Mark O'Brien and Iain Vigurs returned from injury too and both John Sutton and Josh Law were recalled.

Motherwell came close to the lead in the 11th minute when Law made a loose ball his and burst to the bye-line where he crossed to the near post. Ojamaa got his head to it but saw his effort crash off the bar and bounce down off the line, with goalkeeper Scott Fox possibly getting a touch.

A goal soon came at the other end. Steven Lawless had not long shot just wide following good skill when he collected the ball in the centre circle after Motherwell right-back Fraser Kerr's run down the wing was thwarted.

Lawless exploited the space by playing the ball inside Vigurs into the path of Bannigan, who streaked away from his marker and guided a shot high into the net past Dan Twardzik.

Twardzik held a 20-yard volley from Doolan before Motherwell had a couple of half-chances from corners, Fox saving from Sutton's close-range header before McManus sent a free header well over from a difficult angle.

Thistle were posing sporadic threats and an ambitious Lawless snap-shot flew wide before Elliott shot straight at Twardzik. Motherwell pressed before half-time but the best effort they could muster saw Law curl just over from 20 yards.

There was little sign of a Motherwell comeback in the early stages of the second half and Stuart McCall brought on Ainsworth for Vigurs on the right wing 11 minutes in.

But Thistle's second goal followed from their right wing in the 62nd minute. O'Donnell got on to Conrad Balatoni's ball and held off Law before getting to the bye-line and cutting it back for Doolan, who got in front of O'Brien to fire a shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Law soon made way for Lee Erwin but Thistle came close again when Twardzik beat away Craigen's near-post strike. The Jags looked completely in control but there was nothing any team could have done about Ainsworth's 72nd-minute strike.

Motherwell won the ball back in midfield and Erwin fed Ainsworth almost 40 yards out. The winger took one touch and fired a magnificent strike across Fox and right in the top corner.

Ainsworth threatened again moments later when Fox turned his 20-yard strike past his near post. Suddenly Thistle were under pressure but Motherwell were undone on the break in the 82nd minute after the hosts cleared a corner.

Nathan Eccleston, on moments earlier for Doolan, got to the ball just in front of Stuart Carswell on the touchline 15 yards inside his own half. But Motherwell sub Zaine Francis-Angol charged forward from his position on the halfway line to leave Twardzik unprotected and Eccleston managed to turn the ball forward for O'Donnell to run on to.

The right-back ran from his own half unchallenged and kept his composure to slot through the legs of Twardzik, and Fox saved well from Erwin in injury-time to complete the 3-1 triumph.