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Partick Thistle won in the league for the first time in 2016

A late deflected strike by Steven Lawless secured a vital win for Partick Thistle in their bid to avoid being dragged into a relegation tussle.

The three points moved Thistle ahead of Motherwell, who would have cursed their luck at Lawless' injury-time goal.

For long enough the game had seemed certain to finish goalless, with both defences dogged.

Motherwell's best chance fell to Stephen McManus, whose header was cleared off the line by Gary Fraser.

The conditions set a challenge for the players. Sleet showers greeted them as they emerged for their warm-ups, and significant areas of the pitch were bare and heavily sanded due to the recent heavy rain.

Passes tended to be rushed in a crucial encounter, with both sides winless in the league in 2016 and aware that a continuation of that form would drag them closer to second-bottom Kilmarnock.

Louis Moult is challenged by Christie Elliot

The early exchanges were promising, with Dan Seaborne meeting Stuart Bannigan's cross but seeing his header saved by Conor Ripley.

The flow of the game was routinely interrupted, though, with five players booked in the opening half.

There were flashes of attacking intent, with Scott McDonald and Marvin Johnson lively for the visitors and Lawless and Kris Doolan carrying a threat to the Motherwell defence.

The visitors managed a flurry of pressure before half-time and felt that Johnson was fouled in the area, but the referee Barry Cook waved play on.

Motherwell worked an opening for Stephen Pearson inside the area but his effort was deflected wide by Seaborne.

Thistle switched to a front two when Mathias Pogba came off the bench, and he carried a different type of threat to the Motherwell defence with his muscular presence. He managed to meet a Gary Miller cross with his head but the ball ended up on the roof of the net.

The breakthrough finally came when Thistle broke on the counter and Lawless saw his effort fly beyond the helpless Ripley via a deflection.