Sunday 28th September, 2014 at 3:58pm
Thistle have the chance to bounce back immediately from the disappointment of Saturday’s defeat with a trip to Greenock Morton in the League Cup this evening. Alan Archibald spoke exclusively to ptfc.co.uk as the team prepared to leave Firhill.
“It’s obviously somewhere we know well from our time in the Championship and there is no way we’ll be taking anything for granted tonight. Morton are a team that have fallen on hard times recently but they should be up there challenging for the league this season and, if we aren’t focussed for the full 90 minutes, they’re a team that can hurt us.
“We’re all still hurting after Saturday’s result and the performance that went with it – we just didn’t really turn up – but tonight is a good opportunity to come out fighting, get a good result and go into Saturday’s game with a bit of confidence.”
Morton will certainly have no confidence issues as they are on a three game winning streak, including a 5-2 victory over Berwick in the Challenge Cup and a 4-0 victory over Stranraer in the league. Despite this Archibald knows that, if Thistle play as they know they can, they should really be making it into the draw for the next round.
“Morton are doing well at the moment, there’s no doubt about that. Having said that, there’s no doubt that we’ll be going into this game as firm favourites. The important thing for us is that we show up, concentrate and play to the standard we know we are capable. If we do that then we should find ourselves safely into the pot for the next round.
“We don’t have a great cup pedigree in recent years, other than the Ramsdens Cup of course, and it would be great to go on a run and give everybody something to shout about. When you see the likes of St Johnstone and St Mirren lifting cups you have to ask why can’t Thistle go on and do the same. It would be great for everybody concerned with the club and that starts today with this game.”
Thistle were short at the back on Saturday night with two of their first choice defenders side-lined with injury. We asked Archie if things were looking anymore positive tonight.
“We’ve still got a few missing to be honest. Sean Welsh is still out with his long term groin injury, Jordan McMillan will miss the game tonight after tweaking his hamstring against Dundee and Dan Seaborne will also miss out, again due to his hamstring.”
