It was far from pretty, but it was a case of job done as St Johnstone kept their Scottish Cup dream alive on the McDiarmid Park mud on Wednesday night.
As expected the going was heavy on a pitch that was only passed as playable after two postponements.
Saints struggled to master the underfoot conditions and it took until the 43rd minute for them to break the deadlock through Murray Davidson after a virtual non-event of a first half.
They were able to see out the tie in relative comfort though thanks to a superb long-distance volley from substitute Liam Craig early in the second period.
The Perth side have a quarter-final away to second division Brechin City to look forward to next month.
That is all that mattered to manager Derek McInnes, who reflected, “Although our level of performance dipped from the last couple of weeks we did enough to get through.
“Once we got the second goal I felt there was only going to be one winner.
“We’ll look forward to Brechin when it comes around. It’s a good draw for us but it’s also a good draw for them. Both teams will fancy their chances.”
Thistle boss Ian McCall said, “I thought we were poor. Neither keeper was worked too hard.Disappointed”We thought we could win tonight, and I’m really disappointed my players didn’t show they are a good team.
“St Johnstone probably just about deserved to win, and good luck to them in the next round.”
McInnes made two changes to the team which beat Hamilton last midweek.
Danny Grainger returned from suspension and Craig dropped to the bench, while Cleveland Taylor replaced cup-tied Arvydas Novikovas.
Thistle came into the match unbeaten in their nine previous fixtures, and it was the visitors who had the first sight of goal when Brian Hodge let fly from the 18-yard line. His effort was well over, however.
That was as good as it got for either team for over 20 minutes, during which there was no penalty box action.
Saints broke the curse on 26 minutes when Taylor fed Collin Samuel.
The Trinidad and Tobago international shot from 16 yards out, but was wide of keeper Scott Fox’s near post.
The Perth side weren’t faring well on the sodden turf and their frustrations were summed up by a spell of around 10 short passes on the right side of the box which produced nothing, when one cross into the danger area would have done.
Things livened up five minutes before the break when Taylor tested Fox with a volley from 10 yards that he clutched from just underneath the bar.Mix-upSeconds later a mix-up between Paul Paton and Willie Kinniburgh gifted a chance to Samuel, who found himself unexpectedly one-on-one with Fox.
He wasn’t helped by a bobble just before he pulled the trigger, and his side-footed effort hit the far post and was cleared by the Partick defence. Saints did not have to rue that missed opportunity for long, as Davidson broke the deadlock on 42 minutes by stabbing home a Taylor cross-cum-shot from eight yards which arrived at him via a deflection off a Thistle defender.
McInnes made a half-time substitution, sending Craig on for Taylor, and it proved a wise decision.
On 55 minutes he was denied by a Paton sliding tackle after he had been put through by a long Michael Duberry pass out of defence.
There was no stopping the former Falkirk man two minutes later, though, as he latched on to a loose ball 25 yards from goal and lashed a spectacular volley over a flat-footed Fox.
Thistle had no option but to commit more men into attack and nearly got their reward on 63 minutes when Chris Erskine threaded a pass through to Paul Cairney.
The midfielder rounded Peter Enckelman but took the ball too far wide, dithered, and was crowded out by a posse of Saints defenders before he could get a shot or a cross away.
Midway through the half Enckelman chose to come out and punch an Iain Flannigan free-kick, but it wasn’t a convincing intervention and the Saints defence had to scramble it clear.
He nearly had an even more calamitous moment when an attempted punt up the pitch was hit straight at Martin Grehan. Luckily for the Finnish international the Thistle striker had his back turned and the ball came straight back into his grasp.
There was a moment of farce in injury time when substitute Peter MacDonald was booked for diving after he was clearly tripped by Alan Archibald.
Attendance 2441.
St Johnstone Enckelman, Mackay, Grainger, Anderson, Duberry, Morris, Davidson, Millar, Samuel (MacDonald 66), May (Parkin 89), Taylor (Craig 45). Subs not used Smith, Caddis.
Partick Thistle Fox, Paton, Boyle, Hodge, Kinniburgh, Archibald, Cairney (Donnelly 65), Rowson, Grehan (Fraser 87), Flannigan, Erskine (Campbell 77). Subs not used Halliwell, Robertson.Referee-Iain Brines.