IT was Firhill for chills in Glasgow last night - but Partick Thistle weren't caught cold as red-hot Kris Doolan hit four to fire the Jags to a stunning success over shell-shocked Hamilton.

The mercury may have plummeted as the fans in the stand shivered on a freezing evening, but there was plenty to cheer for the home support as Alan Archibald's side eased to a 5-0 triumph and one of their most impressive wins since returning to this level.

It was Doolan who was the star of the show as he became one of an elite band of Jags players to have scored four times in the one match, and the last since Ian Cameron in the 11-1 win over Albion Rovers in 1993.

Without a victory since their stunning 4-0 defeat of Inverness Caley Thistle more than a month ago, Thistle have seen their ambitions of a top-six finish this season steadily erode.

There is still plenty of work to do, and Kilmarnock, Dundee and St Johnstone to overhaul, but the dream is not yet dead for Archibald and his players.

Two first-half goals from Doolan were enough to clinch the points, but it was a game with plenty of chances as Accies started brightly and then succumbed to a free-flowing Firhill forward line.

Hamilton had threatened a couple of times through Ali Crawford, and should have opened the scoring when Mikey Devlin directed his header straight at Paul Gallacher, but that was as good as it got for the visitors.

After Steven Lawless fired just wide from the edge of the area, Doolan grabbed the first of a quickfire brace, converting Ryan Stevenson's cross after Michael McGovern could only parry a strike from Kallum Higginbotham.

When the forward got his second, finishing well across McGovern and into the bottom corner, the points were within Thistle's sights as they looked to give themselves breathing space over the three sides fighting it out to beat the drop.

If the Jags do manage to get themselves among the half a dozen top-ranked teams in the Premiership before the split, they are likely to encounter Hamilton once again, but this was a night to forget for the side that are undoubtedly the success story of the season so far.

Defeat at Firhill was their third in just over a week and completed an unwanted hat-trick for interim boss Martin Canning, who was forced to watch on from the stand due suspension.

It was left to assistant Frankie McAvoy, who will be reunited with former New Douglas Park boss Alex Neil at Norwich in the coming days, to lead the side from the touchline, but he could do nothing to stop Thistle in their tracks.

Just minutes after McAvoy had the chance to rally his troops at the break, any chances of a comeback should have been killed off, but Stevenson spurned a glorious chance as he fired a shot straight at McGovern from just yards out after Lawless had struck the bar.

Thistle didn't have to wait long to celebrate their third and fourth goals as Doolan completed his hat-trick in style with a cheeky back-heel and then went one better with a header as his name rang round Firhill once again.

There was no fifth goal for Doolan, but Thistle did add to their tally, substitute Nathan Eccleston following his strike partner's lead on a night to remember at Firhill.