Centreback Ander Batarrita had scored from the penalty spot in the 10th minute. A defender was penalised after trying to clear the ball with an overhead kick and hitting right wingback Brandon Josling as he tried to head it.
Seven minutes later, Josling got on the scoresheet when left wingback Justo Rodriguez got forward and put in a cross that Josling steered home from a metre out.
Striker Davie Ure made the game safe in the 80th minute. Thistle counter-attacked and Ure received the ball five metres outside the penalty area. He moved to the right, past a defender, and let fly with a shot that went across the goalkeeper and in at the far post.
Coach Garrett Blair said Thistle's man of the match was keeper Mark Baple, who pulled off some “phenomenal saves”.
Wingers Josling and Rodriguez did plenty of good work up and down the flanks, and the changes to strengthen the “spine” of the side worked well.
Central midfielders Ashley McMillan, Nick Land and, in a more defensive role, Charlie Morris gave Thistle a solid look in the middle of the park.
At the back, Daniel Venema, Ema Martos and Batarrita were “really sound”.
Frontrunners Tomek Frooms and Ure combined with some good one-touch football to get the Thistle wingbacks in behind the Rangers defence.
On Saturday, Thistle are away for the third weekend in a row. They play Taradale, who beat Gisborne United two Saturdays ago with a late penalty.
United were without two of their most influential players against Port Hill on Saturday.
Midfielder or centreback Dane Thompson was serving a suspension for his sending-off the previous week, and sweeper Kieran Higham had been sick all week and was too ill to travel.
Coach Corey Adams had recruited Eastern League 1 midfielder Aaron Graham to take Thompson's place in midfield. Instead, he played him as a central defender — a position in which he has excelled in the past — alongside regular centreback Mal Scammell.
Campbell Hall came in to partner Josh Adams in attack, while Malcolm Marfell, Jarom Brouwer and Josh Adams scrapped for midfield dominance and Kieran Venema played the holding role.
United could have gone a goal up if their appeal for a penalty half an hour into the match had been allowed. Instead, Port Hill counter-attacked and scored.
Five minutes before halftime they scored again, and soon after the restart they made it 3-0.
United pulled one back through Venema from the penalty spot, but Port Hill sealed victory with two more goals.
Goalkeeper Seth Piper was Gisborne United's man of the match for some good saves in a busy second half.
“It wasn't our best day,” Corey Adams said.
“The midfield did all right at times, but Port Hill were clinical in front of goal. Everything seemed to fall to their feet.
“They didn't play amazing football. Some of it was smacking it long and picking up the pieces.”
United will look to get back to wnning ways on Saturday, when they are at home to Napier Marist Reserves, who lost 8-0 away to Taradale at the weekend.
