Alex Burns was the toast of Firhill after he came off his sickbed to fire the hat-trick that sunk Kilmarnock.

The Partick Thistle man, who had been rated no better than 50-50 to play because of a stomach bug, struck three times in the second half to give John Lambie's men three well-deserved points.

Last week Aberdeen had been beaten here to begin the sequence of events that led to Ebbe Skovdahl resigning as Dons boss.

Here it was Killie manager Jim Jefferies who was ruing the day he came to Maryhill and coming up against ex-St Mirren man Burns in particular, whose goals were each of the highest quality and belied his side's shot-shy reputation since arriving back in the top flight.

Thistle lodged an early statement of intent from Burns when he fired in a fierce volley that Gordon Marshall did well to get behind.

The home fans were excited when the same player burst into the box but Greg Shields was there first to begin a counter-attack that saw the visitors almost take the lead.

Craig Dargo was back in the starting line-up for the first time in three months following an ankle injury but he was certainly having little trouble gaining high speed as he beat goalkeeper Kenny Arthur to a ball into the box.

Arthur could only watch as the ball was lofted over him and on to the top of the crossbar.

It bounced back into play and was put behind for a corner by Scott Paterson.

Killie won plenty of flag-kicks in the first 45 minutes and Shaun Dillon even sent one straight into the net but referee Mike McCurry was quick to rule there had been too much pushing in the box as it came over.

McCurry also booked Andy McLaren for a clumsy challenge on Martin Hardie.

Gerry Britton saw a fierce drive deflected wide by Alan Mahood, Alan Archibald fired in a long-ranger which just cleared the crossbar.

Jamie Mitchell sent an overhead kick above the crossbar following a David Lilley knockdown at the far post as the home side finished the half strongly.

An opening goal almost came their way seconds before the break when Lilley, Britton and Mitchell all got flicked-on headers to a Stephen Craigan throw-in in quick succession.

It would have been a startling goal had Marshall not been in the way of Mitchell's final flick.

There was a also a half time round of applause for Thistle chairman Brown McMaster, who is stepping down on Monday.

There was more hustle and bustle, and little end product, with McLaren and Burns swapping over-the-top efforts before McLaren cut inside to test Arthur at his near post.

Gary McSwegan twice almost set up Dargo before, after a couple of nervy moments in the Killie box, Burns gave his side a 64th-minute lead.

It was route-one stuff but there was no questioning the quality of the finish as the number 11 blasted the ball past Marshall on the run as he out-paced two challengers chasing a ball down the middle.

His 79th-minute clincher was even more memorable and was one that Marshall will want to forget.

Burns received the ball on the right wing and looked up to see the goalkeeper invitingly off his line and unable to prevent his lob from sailing into the net.

The lively Mitchell might have made it three not long after when he rounded Marshall in the box but found only the side-netting from a tight angle.

There was still time for Burns to claim the match ball and he did it in style by lofting the ball over Marshall again, this time from inside the box, and watching it bounce into the net as a defender desperately tried in vain to stop it.

Teams

Partick Arthur, Lilley, Archibald, Craigan, Whyte, Chiarini, Paterson, Mitchell, Britton (Walker 84), Hardie, Burns.

Subs Not Used: Budinauckas, Buchan, Waddell, Gibson.

Booked: Britton.

Goals: Burns 64, 79, 87.

Kilmarnock Marshall, Fowler (Boyd 72), Dillon, Shields, Dindeleux, Fulton, Mahood, Canero, McSwegan, Dargo, McLaren (Di Giacomo 81).

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Locke, Hay.

Booked: McLaren.

Att: 5,055

Ref: M McCurry (Scotland).