A long hard season has just but six games left to play. The first of those remaining half dozen fixtures takes place tomorrow afternoon at Somerset Park when we face Ayr United in the first of three fixtures in the space of seven days. It’s a hectic period but when speaking to ptfc.co.uk manager Jackie McNamara viewed the three fixtures as tough but winnable.
“The next three games will be hard but I think that we are capable of winning them. The next two are both away from home, against Ayr tomorrow and Morton on Tuesday, and we will need to try and maintain our performance level from our last few away games. It will be important also to try and cut out the individual errors that left us with a mountain to climb last week against Livingston. That was frustrating as otherwise there was encouraging things to take from the game. To be fair we haven’t been guilty of making those type of errors too often this season.”
Against Livingston Thistle lost the services of David Rowson when he picked up a hamstring injury, an injury that will keep him on the sidelines tomorrow and perhaps for even longer.
“It looks as if it was a tare to his hamstring that David picked up last weekend. We’ll get a scan organised and we’ll no better the extent of David’s injury when we get the results of that scan. It could be just a couple of weeks that he’ll be out for but it could also be as much as five weeks which would obviously mean the end of his season which would be a blow.”
“David’s absence tomorrow will give Stuart Bannigan a further opportunity to establish himself in the side. I’ve said this before but Stuart’s attitude has been excellent. He was unfortunate to pick up the injury he did when playing well against Ross County and he did well against Livingston in midfield when he came on in place of David Rowson last weekend.”
David Rowson isn’t the only player awaiting the outcome of a scan to assess an injury as the manager revealed;
“Darren Cole will have a scan next week and we’ll await the results of that. Darren is a good player and has been unfortunate the way things have worked out for him while he has been with us at Firhill.”
It’s not all bad news, however.
“We’re pleased to be able to add Conrad Balatoni into the squad for tomorrow’s game.”
The manager has also a decision to make as to whether Scott Fox or Ryan Scully will keep goal tomorrow.
“Scott Fox was injured and then unwell. Although he trained Thursday and Friday of last week, Ryan had done nothing wrong in the previous two games and deserved to keep his spot in the side. We’ll make a final decision tomorrow as to who will play against Ayr.”
Thistle Stats
Current Form – Last Five Games
W D L F A
1 1 3 8 8
Scorers Season 2011/2012
Paul Cairney 12
Kris Doolan 12
Christie Elliott 6
Chris Erskine 6
David Rowson 4
Stephen O’Donnell 2
Tommy Stewart 2
Conrad Balatoni 1
Aaron Sinclair 1
Own Goals 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday March 31st 2012
Partick Thistle 2, Livingston 3
Ayr United Stats
Current Form –Last Five Games
W D L F A
0 2 3 4 12
Scorers Season 2011/2012
Mark Roberts 9
Andy Geegan 6
Michael Moffat 6
Eddie Malone 5
Michael McGowan 4
Alan Trouten 4
Keigan Parker 3
Gareth Wardlaw 3
John Robertson 2
Ross Robertson 2
Chris Smith 2
Martyn Campbell 1
Adam Dodd 1
Jamie McKernan 1
Roddy Paterson 1
Jonathan Tiffoney 1
Liam Tomsett 1
Own Goals 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday March 31st 2012
Queen of the South 2, Ayr United 1
Last Meeting
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Tuesday February 21st 2012
Partick Thistle 4, Ayr United 2
Teams
Thistle: Fox, O’Donnell, Sinclair, Paton, Cole, Archibald, Cairney, Rowson, Doolan, Elliott (Naismith), Erskine (Bannigan).
Ayr United: Cuthbert, J Robertson (R Robertson), Dodd, Malone, Smith, Geggan, Moffat (McKernan), Tomsett, Parker, Roberts (Wardlaw), McGowan.
Scorers
Thistle: Doolan (55 & 64), Cairney (81 & 88)
Ayr United: Parker (4), McGowan (87)
Crowd: 1,439
Match Details
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday April 7th 2012
Ayr United v Partick Thistle
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Prices
Adults £15
Concessions £8 (OAPs and under 16s only)
Travel
By Rail
There is a half hourly train service from Glasgow to either Ayr or Newton-on-Ayr. The ground is a ten minute walk from both stations.
By Car
A77 to Ayr, and at Whitletts roundabout take third exit (A719) and follow until after Ayr Racecourse. Take first right at traffic lights then left and right into Somerset Road.
Parking
Car Park Admission £1.50
(located beside Main Stand/limited spaces)
Match Officials
Referee: Bobby Madden
Assistant Referees: Tom Murphy and Francis Andrews
Other First Division Fixtures
Dundee v Falkirk
Livingston v Ross County
Morton v Queen of the South
Raith Rovers v Hamilton Accies
