Largs Thistle 3 Kilsyth Rangers 1

Thistle are back in business after overcoming a stubborn Kilsyth side to maintain their top of the table position.

It certainly wasn't easy for the Largs faithful after a fraught opening 45 minutes with chances for both sides, and the game was very open, but Thistle settled after their second goal, and could have gone on to win by more in the end.

Skipper Kevin Struthers returned to the side and his energy and creativity has been sorely missed in recent games due to injury.

He had a decent opening on 15 minutes but fired the opportunity over the bar, but was to make amends four minutes later with the opener.

It was the best move of the first half as Gary Philips galloped down the left and curled an inch perfect cross to the far post where Struthers dived in to score from close range, but ended up colliding with the right post.

After some treatment, the 30 year old forward was back on his feet, and contributed strongly thereafter.

Thistle really need to make more of Philips' great crosses, and for a team that has been struggling to get goals, the danger he poses could carve open some tough defences, and is a big weapon.

Kilsyth mounted a dangerous attack on 25 minutes and twice their strikers missed from good positions, with the woodwork coming to Thistle's rescue on one occasion.

Philips lofted over a free kick from the right which wasn't far away, but there were few clear cut chances for Largs as Kilsyth were creeping more into this game.

And the Thistle defence was still at sixes and sevens as it gifted a penalty on 43 minutes after one of their forwards was barged down in the box.

The visitors equalised from the spot on 43 minutes.

Few could begrudge them as they had missed a series of decent openings in the first half, so with the scores level at half-time, Largs had once more been pegged back, and needed some inspiration.

Ross Lundy in the Largs goal made a good palm away from a dangerous curler of a free kick from out on the left, and round the Thistle wall.

Kilsyth had other opportunities as it was reaching a critical point in the game but it was Largs who took the game by the scruff of the neck, and this time was a great cross from the right by Fleming which was met by the onrushing Struthers to flick home at the far post to give Thistle the advantage on 66 minutes.

Confidence surged through Largs who could have added to their lead after that, and sub James Marks somehow headed over what seemed a certain goal from Gary Philips long range free kick out on the right.

Thistle made the points safe with an excellent third goal, it was a well worked move as Alan Frizzell dashed down the left hand side, showing his marker a clean pair of heels before putting a composed angled strike beyond the keeper on 69 minutes. It was the kind of positive free-flowing goal we expect of Frizzell and hopefully this can be a launchpad for the talented forward.

During a late Thistle attack, a low cross was bulleted into the box for the onrushing Fleming but he lashed the effort wide with the goal gaping.

So after some nervy moments earlier in this encounter, Largs moved up the gears and managed to motor away from Kilsyth, and are still in pole position at the top of the McBookie.com First Division.

Whether Largs can keep their foot on the accelerator pedal remains to be seen, but the last 20 minutes against Kilsyth was much more like the swagger we have come to expect of Bryan Slavin's sides over the past year.

Largs: Lundy, Friel, Murray, Gilbride, Jamieson, McDonald, McClure, Fleming, Struthers, Frizzell, Phillips. Subs: Muir, Marks, Pierce, Santos, Matthews (GK).