It's objective achieved for Thistle as victory over Montrose secures top spot in Group B of the Premier Sports Cup and progression to the last 16 of the competition. 

Dowds slides in to connect with a Lawless cross but sees the ball hit the post denying him his first Partick Thistle goal. 

From the corner Montrose pull one back as Johnston bundles the ball home from close range. It's a strange ending to the game. 

Mitchell makes another smart save low to his right to keep out Lyons' shot. 

Thistle too will finish with 10 men as Harry Milne goes off with a knock with all permitted subs used. 

It's a blow for Montrose as Lennox can't continue in goal and an outfield player takes over in goal. 

It's his first Thistle goal and he'll not score an easier one. Weston sets up for a tap in from no more than a matter of inches out. 

Mitchell makes an excellent save to push away Rennie's header from Milne's corner. 

Weston plays a neat pass to the feet of Dowds and his well struck shot is equally well saved by Lennox. 

Milne once more brushes aside the challenge from a defender but sees his shot blocked. Turner's follow up suffers the same fate before Weston drags a shot narrowly wide of target. 

Milne brushes aside the challenge of Brown but over hits his cross. 

Milne heads the corner clear. 

That should ease any Thistle nerves as Fitzpatrick shows good control inside the box before drilling a low shot past Lennox. 

Fitzpatrick is pushed over just outside the box but this time Thistle don't punish Montrose with a goal. 

There is anxiety for Thistle as Montrose advance into the penalty box before Bannigan steps in to tidy things up. Suddenly this isn't as comfortable as it once was. 

Fitzpatrick drills the free kick low and hard across the face of the Montrose goal. 

Milne puts the ball through the legs of Webster who fouls the Thistle full back on the edge of the box. 

McMillan has to be across quickly as Montrose break following Fitzpatrick's corner and Holt's subsequent cross are cleared. 

It's game on again and it stems from a Thistle mistake. Bannigan concedes possession of the ball in the middle of the park. Johnston advances to the edge of the box where he finds Brown to his right and he curls a shot out of Mitchell's reach. 

Kevin Holt's thundering free kick on the stroke of half-time gives Thistle a comfortable lead after the excellent Jack McMillan had opened the scoring for Thistle after 16 minutes. 

It's Docherty and Holt that stand over the free kick and the latter that takes it and he thunders a shot past Lennox and into the net. 

Lawless is fouled on the edge of the Montrose box, left of centre. 

The free kick skids all the way to Waddell on the far side but his shot is blocked. 

After an excellent first touch Johnston is fouled and Montrose have a free kick near the right hand corner of the Thistle box. 

Nearly a rare goal for Bannigan. Lawless plays the ball to the feet of Graham inside the box. Graham is forced to go wide and lift a cross to the back post where Bannigan's header is saved by Lennox. 

McMillan again advances but this time gets his cross all wrong and the ball sails over the crossbar. 

McMillan has been a real threat in advance positions. This time he picks the ball up in a central area, works the ball onto his right foot before shooting narrowly wide of Lennox's left hand post. 

Docherty's pass finds Fitzpatrick and he advances into the Montrose box but sees his shot blocked by a defender. 

Montrose have their first effort on the Thistle goal. Johnston is able to push the ball to Whatley to his right but Whatley's shot goes high over the Thistle crossbar. 

That early change sees Fitzpatrick switch to the left hand side with Lawless occupying the role on the right vacated by Fitzpatrick. . 

Brest spell so far from Montrose and Lyons threatens Thistle on the left hand side of the box but the ex Jag sees his cross cleared. 

The deadlock is broken. McKinnon picks out McMillan's forward run with a well judged pass and McMillan steers the ball wide to the left of Lennox and into the corner of the net. 

Some patient build up from Thistle nearly creates an opening but Holt's lofted pass looking for Graham drifts away from the Thistle centre forward. 

And it very nearly produces a goal. Fitzpatrick's low free kick is flicked goalwards by Graham and Lennox is forced to turn the ball round the post for the game's first corner. 

Smith is fouled wide on the left and Thistle have their first chance to test the Montrose defence with the free kick. 

Montrose get the game underway. Thistle are shooting towards The John Lambie Stand in the first 45 minutes. 

Thistle's task to make the knock-out stages of the Premier Sports Cup is a straightforward one. 

Three points this afternoon against Montrose, and Thistle will top Group B. 

Anything less and a Kilmarnock win in their fixture, at home to Stenhousemuir, would see them pip Thistle to that top spot. 

Ian McCall has made four changes to the side that saw off the challenge of Fraserburgh in midweek. 

Into the starting eleven come David Mitchell, Darren Brownlie, Stuart Bannigan and Aidan Fitzpatrick. 

Aaron Muirhead misses out completely while Jamie Sneddon, Kyle Turner and Steven Lawless drop to the bench where they are joined by new signing Danny Mullen.