Kris Doolan slammed Partick Thistle’s 4-1 home defeat to Dunfermline Athletic as his side’s worst performance since the Jags legend returned to Firhill as manager a little under two years ago.

The Jags and the Pars traded goals within the opening five minutes in Maryhill before the visitors pulled away through an own goal from Kanayo Megwa and an overhead kick from Chris Kane to leave the visitors 3-1 up at the break.

Substitute Josh Cooper added a fourth towards the end as Thistle suffered a first home league defeat of the season – but the manner of the loss left Doolan cutting an angry figure after the match.

“We were rubbish from start to finish,” Doolan said. “I don’t think there is any denying that. I thought we were poor with and without the ball, which isn’t like us – especially here. We were unbeaten at Firhill and to throw that record away in the way that we did…

“If you lose a game 1-0 when you have battled and have been competitive, it’s tough but at least you were in the game. I didn’t feel as if we were ever in the game.

“They scored and it was a really good goal – a great hit and there is not much we can do. We got back into the game and from then on we didn’t do anything apart from play our way into trouble. I think we got what we deserved to be honest. We were properly beaten and we deserved that.

“I thought the game was away in the first half and it was a case of us causing our own downfall today. I felt like we beat ourselves at times. We were slack with the ball, there was no aggression, and we didn’t do enough to stop balls coming into our box. The reason we have been good defensively is that we stop crosses and we didn’t do that today, it was plain and simple.

“When you’re at Firhill you should defend for your lives and defend your goal, but we didn’t. And going forward we didn’t create anywhere near enough. It was really poor from start to finish but I’ve said to the players that it needs to be a one-off. That is probably the worst performance since I have been here and it need to be a one-off.”

“Absolutely [supporters are right to be furious], I’m the same as them. I wouldn’t want to watch it and I don’t want to watch that type of football. We were dominated and it was too easy.”

Interim Pars manager John McLaughlan, meanwhile, was ecstatic with his side’s performance as they recorded a first away win of the season, and took the opportunity to praise his players.

“Their attitude's been great and, you know, to score seven goals in two games is testament to that,” he said. “And I think we could have scored six or seven [against Thistle].

“I worked all week on transition because I’d watched Thistle twice in one week and I thought, well, three games, seven days, they're going to be a bit leggy. So I thought, go to the strikers and try and catch them on the counter – and I think we did that. So I’m really, really pleased with the performance.

“I said to them, I've been here many times and this will always start really quick. I said all morning to say we need to start fast and get out the blocks, and we did that. We forced a corner in the first 30 seconds and then we built on it. It was a great finish and then obviously we lose the goal two minutes later. But credit to the players again, they responded really well.”