Dave Bowman: Dundee United are not in a false position

The hosts fully merited their first three points of the season thanks to goals from David Amoo, Mustapha Dumbuya and Stuart Bannigan but their positive play was helped by a tepid United display.

United were second to every ball and Bowman warned his players they would have to find improvement from within, no matter who comes in to replace the sacked Jackie McNamara.

After United slipped to bottom spot, Bowman said: "It's just not acceptable. I have heard people at other clubs saying that when they play us after 60 minutes we are a soft touch and it was easy to see why they say that.

"Perhaps some folk think being bottom of the table is a false position for us but it's not and the players have to grasp that and quickly.

"Four good men lost their jobs this week and the players must start to take some responsibility.

"Football is all about confidence but it is the players who have to do more to get some of that back."

Thistle fully merited this win, a victory which saw them leapfrog their opponents and at the same time take some of the heat off under-pressure boss Alan Archibald who all season long has bemoaned the fact his side's failure to convert their opportunities was the principal reason for their low position in the league.

Amoo opened the scoring in the 15th minute after meeting a Callum Booth cross from the left and out-jumping a hesitant Luis Zwick in the United goal to head home.

Zwick made good saves from Amoo and Sean Welsh before Dan Seaborne and Scott Fraser hit the woodwork at either end.

Thistle had the game wrapped up after 20 minutes of the restart. Dumbuya scored with an audacious effort from the touchline which deceived Zwick and Bannigan fired a low shot past the United keeper shortly afterwards.

Thistle have played well in recent weeks without getting results and Archibald wants to use their win as a springboard.

"When we hit the bar again in the first half I did start to doubt our luck would come in but I thought the boys kept trying to play the game in the right way," the Thistle manager said.

"The first goal was the difference. In this league getting yourselves ahead in a game is vital and I think you saw that with the result and performance this afternoon.

"The hard work will continue over the international break - we aren't daft, we know we're down the bottom for a reason so we need to build on this next week.

"We need to focus on Partick Thistle and nobody else now to make sure we continue to move in the right direction and get ourselves away from the bottom of the table."