Saturday 21st February, 2015 at 10:23am
A much improve performance against Dundee has given Thistle boss, Alan Archibald, cause for optimism ahead of Saturday’s game against Ross County. Given recent form it is a match that has taken on much greater significance, a fact the Archibald was only too aware of when he spoke to ptfc.co.uk.
“It’s a massive game for us now and it will be a much changed side that we face on Saturday when you compare it to the team we beat in our opening game of the season. In fact, I think there are only a couple of players that are still in the side.
“County have had a tough season but they will be full of confidence after a great win last week against Motherwell. They’re a team that is absolutely scrapping for their lives and we need to be aware of that going into the game on Saturday.”
After a run of disappointing performances there was more positive than negative for Archie to take after last weekend’s defeat to Dundee.
“I was pleased with our start against Dundee, even if the result was bitterly disappointing in the end. We need to start in the same way, stamp our authority on the game and not let County get a foothold. If we do that, I’m confident we can get the result.
“We play Ross County twice in the next three games and those results will go a long way to defining the rest of our season. If we can win both of them it gives us the freedom to look up and stop worrying, to a certain extent, about what is going on underneath us.”
The Jags have suffered three back to back defeats and this is something Archie know needs nipped in the bud, starting with Saturday.
“We’ve had three defeats in a row, which hasn’t happened to us this season and we need to get back on track. The good thing is that we can take a lot of confidence from our game against Dundee which was much, much better and we started looking like our old selves again.”
Although the worst of Archibald’s recent horrendous injury problems are behind him there are a fe concerns.
“Bannigan and Seaborne are both struggling, Dan is still suffering with the same knock from last week and Stuart picked up a heel knock in training, but we will give them both every chance. Sean Welsh is out and Scott Fox will, most probably, miss out. Jordan McMillan is also still unavailable.”
