Partick Thistle vs Aberdeen. Scottish Premiership.
The Energy Check Stadium at FirhillAttendance3,924.
Monday 22 May 2017 10:06, UK
Scott Wright scored a hat-trick as Aberdeen produced a brilliant attacking performance to finish their Premiership season with a 6-0 win over Partick Thistle and a club-record 76 points.
The 19-year-old was the star of the show but it was a fine team performance and Ryan Christie added a brace, with Jonny Hayes also on target as Derek McInnes' second-placed side ran riot.
Aberdeen went ahead with just seven minutes on the clock when a Hayes free-kick was cleared only as far as Celtic loanee Christie, whose controlled volley beat Mark Ridgers and found the bottom corner.
Four minutes later Aberdeen extended their lead when a deep ball from Kenny McLean was met by Ash Taylor, who powered a header onto the crossbar, with Wright on hand to convert the rebound and claim his first senior goal for the club.
The visitors were rampant and Wright added his second on the quarter-hour mark, rifling a shot past Ridgers at the near post after latching onto a McLean pass.
And the Dons then scored a beautiful fourth in the 26th minute, when a neat exchange between McLean and Shay Logan freed the full-back to put in a teasing ball, which was expertly dummied by Adam Rooney, allowing Hayes to smash the ball into the net.
Thistle regrouped and almost pulled one back in spectacular fashion when Ryan Edwards spotted Joe Lewis off his line, but the goalkeeper reacted well to tip the free-kick over the bar.
On the stroke of half-time, Aberdeen compounded the Jags' misery when Andrew Considine's low ball from the left was exquisitely volleyed home by Christie for number five.
The second half continued in the same vein, and Wright secured his hat-trick in style in the 50th minute, weaving in and out of a sea of Thistle players before unleashing a powerful shot which flew past Ridgers.
Six minutes later, there were claims for a penalty from Aberdeen's Peter Pawlett when he lost his footing inside the Jags' area but referee Euan Anderson instead awarded Thistle a free-kick and booked the midfielder for simulation.T
The home side missed a golden opportunity to pull a goal back on the hour mark, when Ade Azeez broke clear, only for Lewis to race off his line and deny the forward with a fine double save.
With 10 minutes to go Christie was inches from scoring a hat-trick himself, creating space on the left before fizzing a cleanly-struck effort marginally wide of the post.
But Aberdeen's sustained pressure eased off as the full-time whistle neared, the away side content to control possession and wrap up a comfortable victory ahead of Saturday's Scottish Cup final against Celtic.
