While one striker moved on to 99 league goals for his club, his opposite number was just opening his account.

Both landmarks worth celebrating, but in truth there wasn’t much more to cheer about for either Motherwell or Partick Thistle on a drookit day in Lanarkshire.

For the last nine years Kris Doolan has been the man to stick the ball in the pokey for Thistle, a trick the 31-year-old first honed in the Junior ranks with Kello Rovers and then Auchinleck Talbot. At Fir Park, his latest notch on his lengthy tally for the club he has become so synonymous with was certainly not the most difficult he’ll ever score, guiding a free header beyond Trevor Carson from six yards to give his team the lead here.

It was only Nadir Ciftci's first for Motherwell 11 minutes from time which took the shine off such a landmark moment for Doolan, who once again was the hero for the travelling Jags faithful.

"To score 99 league goals for Partick Thistle is something I am really proud of," he said. "I am closing in on the 100 now and that will be another landmark.

"It seems that every time I score a goal, I am chasing some kind of record. When you score that many goals that is just the way it is.

"Reaching the 100 goal mark is something that I am confident of doing soon.

"I don't know if I'll get the T-shirt printed or maybe I will just in case.

"I am very proud of my achievement because a lot of hard work has gone into it to make sure I am in the position to score the goals that I have."

The 31-year-old confessed his goal on Saturday came in surprising circumstances. Motherwell's line-up isn't exactly diminutive yet Doolan was afforded the Freedom of Fir Park as a high ball into the box found him unmarked.

"I did not expect to get as much time to score a header especially with a defence full of giants," he said.

"I was in 10 yards of space all by myself and it is all about the finish then.

"I had the time and I had to make sure I hit the target and scored."

While Doolan obviously would have preferred the three points to go along with his 99th goal, there was an acknowledgement that the point gained could be crucial come the end of the season.

County's win over Dundee tightens up matters at the foot of the Premiership as the Highlanders close the gap on Hamilton to three points and Thistle to four.

He said: "I thought when we took the lead that we would hold on. Motherwell threw everything at us and they eventually broke us down with a good goal from Nadir Ciftci.

"We stood up to the test as it is not an easy place to come and teams will come here and struggle that is for certain. Teams will find it tough here as Motherwell are a very good and physical team and dominate a lot of sides that visit Fir Park.

"Hopefully at the end of the season we will be looking back on what was a good point for us."

Doolan added: "I think it is going to be like this until the end of the season. No team is going to be fully detached.

"One win can put you right back among the pack again. It is going to be chopping and changing all the way to May.

"We just need to look after ourselves."