HINDSIGHT is a wonderful thing but of little worth. Just how much fatigue contributed to Partick Thistle's 3-1 defeat at league leaders Livingston is hard to say.

Having endured 120 minutes of roller coaster Co-Operative Cup football against Rangers last Wednesday - which came 24 hours after Livi had been swatted in routine fashion by Celtic - tiredness was always going to be an issue in this Almodvale meeting.

Just why Thistle did not try and gain a 24-hour postponement does now seem strange, especially since Rangers had enjoyed an extra day's recuperation before heading for Easter Road yesterday.

Of course, the question is then: Would the Scottish Football League have listened sympathetically to such a plea?

What is beyond debate is that Thistle were seriously below par when it mattered most, in areas that can be directly attributed to their heroics against Rangers.

And today Jags' boss Ian McCall admitted: "I think there is a world of difference from a comfortable Celtic win on Tuesday night at Parkhead, and 120 minutes of pulsating cup football for us played a day later.

"Maybe I should hold my hands up and say that I should have let the boys who did so well against Rangers have a go, but we started with as strong a team as we could."

McCall added: " I thought we were well beaten at the end. We looked tired and though I made changes, the boys that came in didn't do well enough.

"We were maybe six or seven short of our strongest team, but take nothing away from Livingston, who were worthy winners."

Livingston may well have been that by the end.

But for the first 20 minutes, Thistle were not mentally at the races and, for the final 15, clearly almost leglessas the Lions undoubtedly benefited from an extra 24 hours recovery.

Another aspect of this set- back worth looking at is the diminutive and youthful front line pairing of Damon Gray and Steven Lennon.

Plainly, against First Division defenders as robust as James McPake and Chris Innes, the young hitmen do not possess the physicality to pose a threat.

The need for the target man McCall is endlessly pursuing, remains a significant negative. So with Thistle minds so obviously jaded, it was no surprise Livingston took an early lead.

With six minutes, gone a low Calum Elliot drive took a wicked deflection of Lions' midfielder Murray Davidson's boot, to leave Jonny Tuffey spellbound as it wrong footed him and looped into the net.

Livi doubled their lead on 19 minutes, as Thistle continued to sleepwalk.

Paul Paton slipped up as Tony McParland intercepted the ball, before surging down the left flank and crossing low for Elliot to bury under the exposed Tuffey.

A shell-shocked Jags at last showed signs of life on 28 minutes when skipper Ian Maxwell yet again popped up in a key area, to sidefoot home Kevin McKinlay's low cross from eight yards out.

Thistle continued to remain marginally on top after this lifeline.

But Gary Harkins and Simon Donnelly both blew good chances to level and Jags verve not surprisingly drained away as the latter stages of the second half beckoned.

And with Jags increasingly stretched in pursuit of an equaliser, Livi countered to stunning effect with seven minutes left.

Loan Celt Rocco Quinn cut back for Fernando Giarrizzo to deliver a back post cross that Elliot blasted home from six yards out with the Thistle rearguard shredded.

In the final minute, Jags almost managed a consolation, but Donnelly's low drive was turned round by a shaken but not stirred Martini.

Yet despite this setback, the indications remain that both sides will be in contention when the business end of the season arrives.

It is only probably then that the importance of this result will be finally measured.

Partick: Tuffey, Paton (Twaddle, 46), McKinlay (Roberts, 67), Robertson, Kinniburgh, Maxwell, Chaplain, Rowson, Gray, Lennon (Donnelly, 46), Harkins.

Subs not used: Storey, Hinchcliffe.

Livingston: Martini, MacKay, Talbot (Miller, 84), McPake, Fox, Innes, McParland (Giarrizzo, 77), Davidson, Elliot (Cuenua, 89), Quinn, Hamill.

Subs not used: McDonald, McKenzie.

Referee: S O'Reilly. Att: 2150.