Two out of two became three out of three for 100% St Johnstone.
Michael O’Halloran was again the Perth hero with the winning goal against Thistle – his fourth in three games.
Saints dropped off first place in the league on goal difference but that won’t be worrying the McDiarmid Park men, who have now won their opening three games in the top flight for the first time in the club’s history.
It was a quiet start, with a fine double save from Tomas Cerny to keep out Steven Anderson and Joe Shaughnessy in quick succession the first action of note after 14 minutes.
Shortly before the half-hour mark Chris Erskine got a shot away from the edge of the box, Alan Mannus couldn’t hold it and thankfully for the Saints keeper Anderson got to the loose ball quicker than Ryan Edwards.
Saints were ahead shortly later, though, through man of the moment O’Halloran. Anderson split the Thistle defence, O’Halloran timed his run perfectly and the on-loan Rangers forward side-footed the ball home low into the far corner past Cerny.
Two minutes later it was nearly 2-0, when Steven MacLean forced a fine save out of Cerny from an O’Halloran cut-back.
Saints had been in control of this game but with only one goal in it, Thistle were still a threat and on 57 minutes Lawless struck a shot well, which Mannus only managed to deal with at the second attempt.
The Partick defenders didn’t look as if they’d done their homework on O’Halloran. On 69 minutes he dispossessed substitute Milan Nitriansky and then was allowed to drift across the box, which he has done to such great effect against Kilmarnock and Motherwell, before this time shooting over the bar.
Niall Keown tried his luck from well over 30 yards out and Mannus didn’t look as comfortable as he should have done from that sort of distance. He did the most important bit, though, tipping it over the bar.
Miles Storey claimed a penalty when he kicked the ball against Murray Davidson’s hand but referee Barry Cook called it right in saying the midfielder had no chance of getting out of the way of it.
From there, Saints saw out the game quite comfortably.
