That leaves Thistle at the bottom of the table because Levin, while having the same number of points, have a better goal difference by one.
Both sides have their last league game of the season on Saturday. Thistle are away to second-placed Palmerston North Marist; Levin are away to third-placed North End.
Apart from the three defensive lapses that led to the goals, the Jags were not far off the pace against North End.
Striker Lucian Armstrong scored in the seventh and 14th minutes, and midfielder-cum-striker Michael Sheridan scored in the 37th to turn the rest of the game into a salvage operation for Thistle.
Armstrong showed a striker's predatory instinct for his goals.
The first came when he and Thistle centreback Ryan Anderson contested the ball at the edge of the penalty area. Armstrong bounced off Anderson's challenge and emerged with the ball, and only goalkeeper Mark Baple to beat.
The second came from midfielder Devon Batchelor's header from a Baple goalkick. Armstrong nodded the ball on as Anderson committed to the aerial ball, and the striker was through again, one on one with the keeper.
Sheridan's goal was the result of a lapse in concentration. As the defence came out, Sheridan retreated, unmarked. When the ball came back to him, he had a clear run on goal.
At this stage, it looked ominous for Thistle. But they pulled themselves together for the second half.
Another factor might have been the disruptions to North End's pattern of play caused by coach Scott Robson's decision to give all five subs a run.
It was understandable, though. At 3-0 up he could afford to reward the subs who agreed to take a six-hour road trip that started at 6am in Palmerston North that day.
Robson said they were looking forward to the overnight stop at Napier on the way back.
Thistle fielded a side that was close to their best.
Baple could do little about the goals, and pulled off a handful of outstanding saves.
Central defenders Daniel Venema and Anderson came on to good games, and rightback Alex Davies linked well with right midfielder Matt McVey.
Leftback Andre Riley was Thistle's outstanding player, particularly in the first half. His forceful runs forward and pace in recovery were features of his play.
Ash McMillan and Kieran Venema, in holding midfield roles, and Nick Land and McVey, wide on the left and right respectively, spent much of the game chasing North End midfielders Ollie Ceci, Tom Bell and Batchelor, who usually had either of leftback Matt Draper and rightback Ryan McDermott pushing forward in support.
Thistle's Jarom Brouwer had a busy game, but he and striker Travis White were up against an excellent centreback combination in Crispin Moore and Patrick Smithers, who protected goalkeeper Dom Semmens from almost all the Jags' threats. A notable exception was McVey's shot that hit the post in the closing stages, following a strong run from Ryan and a good pass from Land.
Second-half substitutes Cullen Spawforth and Cory Thomson tried hard to get attacks going but had limited opportunities.
North End coach Robson said his players seemed flat and lethargic.
“Sometimes you have to come to these places and get the result,” he said.
“They gave us three soft goals, to be fair, but then they put up a good fight when they were a man down. I don't think they're a bottom-of-the-table team.”
Thistle coach Garrett Blair said his side continued to let in soft goals, but the positive aspect of this game was the number of scoring chances created.
Trailing by three goals at halftime and down to 10 men with nearly half an hour to go, the team had been tested and kept their opponents scoreless in the second half. But with the players he had available, he'd thought they might have got something out of the game.
• Whanganui Athletic clinched the league title with a 3-2 away victory over Napier City Rovers Feds.
