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Steven Thompson scored twice as St Mirren's recent revival continued against 10-man Partick Thistle.

Thompson headed the visitors in front on 15 minutes and steered in a stoppage-time shot.

Thistle pressed throughout and had a strong claim for a penalty denied when Jim Goodwin handled before Stephen O'Donnell was red-carded.

Conor Newton tucked in the Buddies' second goal when he finished off a swift counter-attack on 72 minutes.

The win lifts St Mirren up to ninth in the table and they will feel they should be above Thistle following the abandonment of last weekend's match when they were leading 2-0 at home to Ross County.

Danny Lennon's side spent long spells packed in behind the ball protecting their early lead and it was a familiar story for Thistle fans who have yet to witness a home win in the Premiership.

The Jags had the lion's share of possession and put together some neat passing sequences but could not covert any of the chances that came their way.

Kris Doolan had an early shot blocked in front of goal by Darren McGregor following an enterprising run from Steven Lawless and O'Donnell found James Craigen with a deep cross only for the midfielder to make a mess of the back post header.

Under no pressure, Gabriel Piccolo was not too clever with a defensive header, but the visitors could not profit as Paul McGowan skewed a shot wide from 18 yards.

McGowan made a better fist of a free-kick soon after, with Scott Fox awkwardly pushing the 22-yard effort away.

From the corner, St Mirren moved ahead as Thompson was given the freedom of Maryhill to nod in Kenny McLean's delivery.

Thistle responded with a rising Higginbotham strike fizzing over the top and Marian Kello got down smartly to smother Doolan's shot on the turn.

Higginbotham then slalomed his way into the penalty box from the left, but his run was brought to an abrupt halt by an excellent McGregor tackle.

Piccolo was given a sight of goal when the ball fell at his feet following a fresh-air swipe from a team-mate at a corner, but the Mexican hoofed his shot high into the stand behind Kello's goal.

Craigen produced a lovely turn inside the penalty box early in the second half, but his low strike caught the leg of a defender and was deflected wide.

Another kind ricochet for the visitors meant that Higginbotham's effort from near the penalty spot looped straight into the arms of Kello.

The home support rose as one to howl in protest as St Mirren captain Goodwin was not penalised for stopping a fierce long-range shot from Higginbotham with his hand.

And the Firhill faithful were further outraged when O'Donnell picked up his second booking for impeding John McGinn as the midfielder bustled forward on the break; his earlier caution having come from a first-half hack at the same opponent.

St Mirren immediately capitalised on their numerical advantage as Newton raced onto a great pass from McGowan to slide a shot through the legs of Fox.

Kello was at full-stretch to deal with yet another deflected dig from Higginbotham, but the depleted home side were running out of steam as the Buddies slowed play down in the middle of the park.

McGinn was inches away from increasing the visitors' lead as his controlled volley from Newton's centre crept wide.

However, a third goal did arrive in stoppage time when Danny Grainger's bobbling cross was missed by Isaac Osbourne and Thompson calmly controlled the ball before stroking it past Fox.