Saturday 7th March, 2015 at 10:25am
A battling second half Thistle performance, much of which was played with only 10 men after Kallum Higginbotham was sent off, wasn’t enough to take any points back to Firhill as the Jags went down 1-0 to the Highlanders. Alan Archibald was understandably disappointed but keen to take positives from his team’s performance.
“I don’t think there was a lot in the game and if anything we were probably shading it. After we lost the goal it was always going to be difficult to get back into it but Stevie Lawless has a right good chance at 1-0 that could have changed the game for us.
“There were a lot of positives for us to take from the game but when a team like County get the first goal it can make it ever so difficult to get back into the match.”
Kris Doolan and Ryan Stevenson both came onto the pitch after the red card for Higginbotham and Thistle played two strikers for much of the second half as Archibald looked to get the all important equaliser.
“We thought we would have a go and get two strikers on the pitch even though we were a man down. We felt we had nothing to lose at that point and I thought the lads were a credit to themselves showing real hunger and desire to go out and get that equalising goal. Unfortunately it just wasn’t to be on this occasion but I thought we deserved something from the game.”
The Thistle gaffer is only too aware of how close to the relegation battle Thistle are now.
“Yes I think we are in a battle now. I said that a couple of weeks ago when we lost to Ross County at Firhill. We went and put in a great performance at Tannadice but unless you put a run of results together you will end up in and around the bottom places.”
Along with the goal the main talking point of the game was the red card for Kallum Higginbotham.
“I think Kallum was frustrated. He took a bad touch and gave the ball away and then he was just trying to stop the boy breaking down the pitch. Sometimes they’re a yellow, sometimes they’re a red but we have no complaints.”
