It's a huge win for Thistle 

Not a bad time to score your first goal for the club. Rudden with the assist this time setting up MacIver who shoots across Ramsbottom and into the bottom corner of the net. 

Bell is fouled at the edge of the Thistle box as Dumbarton thump a free kick forward. 

As Dumbarton look for a free kick Thistle break quickly through Bannigan. He finds Cardle to his left whose drive goes over the crossbar. 

Rudden's looking for something as Cardle's free kick comes over but play restarts with a Dumbarton goal kick. 

Thistle have a free kick wide on the left touchline. 

A cross comes over from the left and its that mad Rudden there to apply the finish. What an important goal that might prove to be. 

Frizzell twists his way to an opening at the edge of the Thistle box. He fires in a shot that Sneddon is happy to see fly straight at him. Even then he needs two attempts to grab hold of it. 

Docherty collects a pass from Rudden and flashes a shot wide of goal. 

Forbes shoots for goal with the free kick which is a good 35 yards out. Its well enough struck but straight at Sneddon who has no difficulty is completing a save. 

Dumbarton have a free kick deep inside the Thistle half. 

Tiffoney's corner is deep to the back post. Brownlie tries to head the ball back towards goal and it bounces off the top of the bar as it goes over. 

MacIver is fouled some distance from goal and out wide but Thistle still have a chance to get the ball into the box. 

Bannigan's corner is headed clear. Thistle are firmly on the front foot at the moment though. 

Thistle are so close to opening the scoring as Gordon's header from Tiffoney's corner crashes off the crossbar. 

An Omar shot is well wide of Sneddon's left hand post. 

It's a yellow card for Ian McCall who is still protesting over the decision not to give Thistle a goal. 

Tiffoney's corner is headed clear. 

Thistle need to concentrate here and keep clam but the Forbes corner is a poor one. 

Huge controversy here as Rudden's effort looks to have crossed the line but the 'goal' isn't given. Furious reaction from Thistle. 

Rudden's pace gets him in behind Neill but Ramsbottom makes an important block. Thistle's first real look at goal all night. 

There are signs that the game is finally opening up as Dumbarton break after a Tiffoney cross is cleared. 

Jones has the chance to advance towards the Thistle goal but Bell uses all his experience to deny him space for a shot. 

Docherty takes this one. He gets the ball over the wall but also well over the Dumbarton crossbar. Thistle have yet to force Ramsbottom into a save. 

Rudden is fouled about a yard outside the Dumbarton box, just left of centre. 

Forbes' corner is well defended by Thistle although the home side remain on the attack and have a throw near the corner flag on the opposite side. 

Both sides have made a change at the break. 

It's been a poor first half with the ball in the air for the bulk of the opening 45 minutes. 

What little there has been in the way of chances have come the way of the home side with Thistle unable to get the ball down and make passes and Rudden and Graham trying to make something of scraps. 

Improvement needed from Thistle in the second half. 

It's a groggy looking Wardrop that goes off but it looks as if Dumbarton are going to wait until half time to assess his condition before making a substitution. 

Quite a lengthy break in play here as Wardrop receives attention for what looks like a cut to his face. 

It's a yellow card for Graham who catches Wardrop with his arm. There are calls for a red card for the Thistle number 9 which would have been highly controversial. 

Jones manages to get an overhead kick to a flicked on long throw but it is an easy save for Sneddon. 

Ramsbottom is quickly off his line to claim a Foster cross. 

McAllister tries a shot from long range that goes over Sneddon's cross bar. 

Forbes' free kick is headed clear by Docherty. 

Foster fouls Frizzell and Dumbarton have a free kick near the right corner of the Thistle box. 

It's Bannigan with the corner this time. He swings it over but nobocy can get a toch to it and Dumbarton have a goal kick. 

Sneddon has to come off his line to claim a low Jones cross at his near post. It's a poor spectacle of a match so far. 

Substitute Frizzell shoots from the edge of the Thistle box but his shot is wide of Sneddon's left hand post. 

A Tiffoney cross is cleared only as far as Graham about 15 yards out but his header goes over the bar. 

Rudden delivers a good low cross across the face of the Dumbarton goal but there are no takers for it. 

Omar finds a little space at the right hand corner of the Thistle box but screws his shot well wide of target. 

A long throw comes into the Thistle box. It is flicked on and Jones has a chance with a header but the ball goes over the Thistle crossbar. 

Bannigan's free kick clips off the Dumbarton wall. 

Graham is fouled on the very edge of the Dumbarton box. 

First hint of a chance for Thistle as Rudden seizes upon a defensive error. He lifts a ball towards Graham but the ball is cleared. 

It's been a very scrappy opening few minutes on a very firm looking playing surface. Neither side ha managed to get the ball down and make a few passes. 

Thistle get the game underway and are shooting towards the 'Castle' end in the first half. 

A visit to Dumbarton marks the last post-split fixture of the season with both teams desperate for points at opposite ends of the table. 

Thistle have run into a bit of form at precisely the right time and that is reflected in Ian McCall's team selection this evening. His starting eleven showing just the one change from the side that comprehensively defeated Montrose last Thursday with Ciaran McKenna replacing Ryan Williamson. 

Williamson drops to the bench with the only other change a return to the squad for James Penrice with Charlie Reilly the unlucky player to miss out.