Saturday 11th April, 2015 at 7:15pm
After a stunning second half display saw Thistle triumph 2-0 at home to Motherwell, Alan Archibald cut a satisfied figure as he spoke to ptfc.co.uk after the game.
“It’s fair to say that everyone at the club is absolutely delighted with the win and the performance, particularly in that second half. There wasn’t much to watch in that first half but I thought we were definitely the better team in the second 45 and more than deserved our victory.
“At half time we just told the boys to keep doing hat they were doing, particularly at the back. We wanted them to get the ball down and pass it a bit better because I didn’t think we did that too well in the first half. To be fair to the lads they took on board what we said and that showed in the second half.
“There were a few complaints about the pitch and the wind during the break but that’s the same for both sides and we certainly weren’t going to let our players use that as an excuse. We got our creative players on the ball and I think that was the difference after half time.”
Lyle Taylor got the two goals and, although always reluctant to single out any individual for praise – or criticism for that matter – Archibald couldn’t help but compliment the on loan front man’s performance.
“Lyle is always a threat, that’s what he brings to the side. He’ll play off the shoulder of the last defender all day long and, when a striker of his quality does that, there is always the chance of goals. He’s shown a great deal of character to pop up with the two goals today, particularly after he missed the two chances in Aberdeen. To be fair he could have had a hat trick today had it not been for a good save by the keeper.”
With the league split just around the corner, Archie is only too aware of just how important this run of good performances will be as the season draws to a close.
“The confidence and momentum we’re carrying just now is going to be crucial going into those final five games. It’s a happy dressing room at the moment and there is a good feel around the club in general. We just need to make sure we carry both the confidence and momentum through the break and into the final leg of the season.”
Although today was a massive step towards guaranteed safety, with the bottom half remaining tight on points the Thistle boss knows there is still work to be done.
“There’s no doubt that today’s result gives us a big step towards safety, but the job isn’t done yet. We need to get our heads down, work hard and make sure we get over that finishing line as soon as possible. Once we have secured our place in the league for next term we can start targeting the teams above us and aim to finish as high in the table as we possibly can.
“The fans played a massive role today as well and I want to give them a special mention. They were magnificent at Celtic Park on Wednesday night and were fantastic again today. They’ve turned out to back us in a massive game today and it was a big boost for the players on the park. I can only hope that we can count on them to help us over the line in our remaining home games because they have been phenomenal all season.”
