There are some anxious moments but Scott Tiffoney's 63rd minute goal, after Ryan had equalised Brian Graham's first half strike, is enough to give Thistle all three points in a match that Hamilton fought Thistle every step of the way in. 

O'Reilly's header drops well wide of Sneddon's goal. 

Into additional time. 

It's a Hamilton player on the end of the corner but can only send the ball wide. 

Hearts are in Thistle mouths as Hamilton are denied an equaliser by Sneddon's reactive save from Ryan's header. 

Hodson nearly seals a Thistle win but his shot from a Smith cutback is blocked. 

Lawson has two kicks at Tiffoney as Thistle win a free kick deep inside their own half. 

Chances at both ends as we enter the final 10 minutes. Ryan is close to his and Hamilton's second but shoots just over Sneddon's crossbar. 

Thistle have a chance on the break. Smith collects the ball wide on the right. He finds Bannigan who has made a lung bursting run from midfield. Bannigan's shot is blocked as is McKinnon's follow up effort. 

Dowds is a whisker away from a third for Thistle. He collects McKinnon's pass and his shot across Fulton's goal goes just wide of the far post. Excellent play from the Thistle sub. 

Tiffoney steps into clear as Hamilton have Thistle under a bit of pressure. 

Lawson does well to chest the ball back to Fulton with Tiffoney waiting to collect Lawless' cross. 

Sneddon goes to his right to make a fairly comfortable save from Ryan's effort from the edge of the box. 

Despite Graham's presence, Fulton is able to claim Docherty's corner with the minimum of fuss. 

McKinnon is unlucky with a shot that is touched wide after Tiffoney had caused havoc inside the box. 

Holt tries a free kick from inside his own half that nearly catches Fulton out, but the keeper grabs the ball underneath his crossbar. 

That's quite the way to make an impact. Thistle work a short corner. Docherty play it to Tiffoney who finds space and then cracks home a low drive that leaves Fulton with no chance. 

Tiffoney is fouled and Thistle will have a chance to get the ball into the box from the left-hand side. 

Muirhead is robbed of the ball wide on the left and the Thistle goal is under serious threat until the ball is scrambled clear. 

Milne whips over across that is well defended by Hamilton

The referee spots a foul as the corner comes over and Thistle have a free kick. 

It's a great challenge from Milne that denies what would surely have been a second Hamilton goal. 

It's a great chance for McKinnon and there a few Thistle fans, this one included, that think that he has scored but it is the side netting that he hits. 

Not for the first time this season Thistle don't defend a set piece. Muirhead is close to slicing into his own net but Ryan lashes home from right on the goal line. 

Hamilton have started the second half well and win a free kick wide on the left. 

There doesn't seem too much wrong with Graham as he wins a tackle at the edge of the Hamilton box. The ball goes out for a goal kick though. 

Sneddon makes an easy catch from Ryan's header. 

After some treatment, Graham looks good to continue. For now, at least. 

It's a short corner and Graham steps in to clear. As Thistle try and break Graham pulls up and signals across to the bench. Thistle could be forced into an early second half change. 

A piece of classic centre forward play from Brian Graham, who was in precisely the right place to fire home a Muirhead knock on from a Fitzpatrick free kick, has Thistle in front at the break. 

It's been anything but comfortable though Thistle who would have fallen behind but for a fine stop from Jamie Sneddon denying Ngandu. Ryan too came close with a hooked shot that dropped just wide. 

Thistle were close too with a Holt effort that struck the post. 

It's been an open game on a chilly afternoon. 

Fitzpatrick fizzes the free kick in but Fulton claims. 

Fitzpatrick is fouled wide on the left and the half is going to finish with Thistle having the chance to test the home defence with another set play. 

Muirhead lifts a ball high into the Hamilton box that Graham glances wide with his head. 

Sneddon takes charge inside his 6-yard box to claim Ngandu's corner. 

Muirhead is forced to head behind Winter's cross from the right. 

Fitzpatrick's free kick is headed on by Muirhead and there is Graham 6 yards out to fire Thistle into the lead. 

Fitzpatrick is fouled a yard or so outside the Hamilton box, near the left-hand corner of the box. 

Graham twists his head to reach a Lawless cross but there is no power in his header and Fulton makes an easy save. 

It's not a packed 6-yard box this time as Hamilton try something inventive with this set piece but Docherty is there to head clear as Ngandu's corer comes over. 

As Hamilton build up an attack down the Thistle left play is halted by the referee with Docherty down injured. 

It's a packed Thistle 6-yard box that waits for Ngandu's corner, but it is a poor corner and goes out of play without a touch. 

Milne is down injured inside the Hamilton box after trying to get on the end of Lawless' flicked pass. 

It's a near thing for Hamiton as Ryan takes advantage of some hesitation in the Thistle defence but watches as his hooked effort drops wide of goal. 

McMillan collects Bannigan's cross field and lifts the ball past his marker but lashes hisshot well wide. 

And out of the blue Thistle nearly take the lead. Lawless has the ball at the right corner of the box and tries to curl an effort into the net. It's going wide until Holt intervenes and his header comes off the post with McKinnon unable to force home the rebound. 

Hamilton should be in front and would be but for Sneddon who makes a fantastic save to deny Ngandu when he is clean through on goal and no more than 8 yards out. Thistle haven't really got going yet. 

McMillan makes an important interception at the edge of the box to prevent a through ball finding Zanatta. 

Thistle are under a bit of pressure as the home side build up a head of steam but Muirhead is on hand to head clear a Shiels cross. 

Sneddon's first involvement in the game is to make a confident catch from a Ngandu cross. 

Thistle kick the game off and will be defending the goal that the travelling support is behind in the first half. 

With 4 teams sitting on the 17-point mark things are looking extremely tight at the top of the Scottish Championship. 

Thistle go into this afternoon's meeting with Hamilton holding the slenderest of leads at the top of the table and will be hoping that three points will keep them at the summit of the table come 4:45 this evening. 

They did, however, suffer defeat last time out and the starting line-up shows three changes from the side that lost at Inverness last Friday. 

Jamie Sneddon starts in goal for the first time in the league this season and there are also starts for Cole McKinnon and Aidan Fitzpatrick. 

Scott Tiffoney drops to the bench; suspension rules out Kyle Turner with David Mitchell sits this one out through illness.