Managerless Dundee United slumped to bottom spot of the table following a dismal display against a rampant Partick side, who leapfrogged them into 11th place in the Ladbrokes Premiership with a deserved first win of the season.
Goals from David Amoo, Mustapha Dumbuya and Stuart Bannigan secured a 3-0 victory for the hosts in this early season relegation encounter, which leaves the job of restoring United fortunes an even bigger task facing their next boss.
United were forced into an early change with Coll Donaldson replacing Callum Morris after only five minutes.
In the 12th minute Bannigan found Mathias Pogba unmarked in the box from a corner, only for the Thistle forward to spectacularly volley the ball wildly over the bar.
However two minutes Amoo met a Callum Booth cross from the left and outjumped a hesitant Luis Zwick in the United goal to head the hosts ahead.
Four minutes later Amoo should have doubled the Jags’ advantage after Steven Lawless and Pogba carved open the visitors backline before playing in the midfielder, who saw his low effort blocked by Zwick.
The United stopper was called into the action again in the 25th minute when he produced an excellent one-handed save to tip a dipping long range free-kick from Bannigan wide of his right hand post.
From the resultant corner, taken by Bannigan, Daniel Seaborne saw his header smash off the crossbar.
Two minutes later and the visitors were to be left frustrated themselves after Scott Fraser fired in a 25-yard effort which smacked off Tomas Cerny’s right hand post.
Following this entertaining spell the pace of the game reduced with further opportunities notable for their absence and the Jags headed into the interval remaining in front.
It took only eight minutes into the second period for that single goal lead to be doubled as Dumbuya was to score with an audacious low effort from the right hand touchline which deceived Zwick in the United goa.
With 65 minutes on the clock the Jags wrapped up the points, as Pogba found Bannigan in the United box and his low drive evaded the despairing dive of Zwick.
The bulk of the remainder of the match saw Thistle dictate possession as United struggled to make any inroads into their opponents half.
Pogba came closest to a goal in the closing stages, with a shot that zipped across the visitors goalmouth in the 78th minute.ends