Saturday 21st March, 2015 at 10:24am
As his team prepare to play the top three sides in the Premiership over the next three fixtures Alan Archibald knows how tough a run his side have. But, with confidence high in the camp after a stunning victory over St Johnstone, he knows his team won’t be easy to beat.
“We knew how tough our run was as we prepared for the St Johnstone game and it was vital to get the three points last week. Having said that it is equally important that we kick on now and make the most of that victory on Saturday.
“We’ve got two games coming up against top teams in Aberdeen and Celtic so we have to make the most of the run going in to those matches and build the confidence as we go. Outside a couple of teams I think anybody is capable of beating anybody in this league but you have to be on your game against the top teams to do it.”
Archibald has a 100% Premiership record against Inverness this season and, apart from the Scottish Cup tie, the Highlanders are a team that Thistle have played very well against.
“We’ve had a couple of good results against Inverness, albeit they won the cup tie and were very good against us that day, but I think it will be a close match. We have played each other a few times now and I think both teams know each other inside out now.
“John Hughes has strengthened his side, I think you saw that the other day. They have a good squad and have had an outstanding season but we do know that we can hurt them if we go about things the right way.”
Although Archie is reluctant to rule his team out of being dragged back into the relegation scrap altogether he knows that another win or two will all but banish that prospect.
“I think we’re only maybe a couple of wins away from safety. We do have a tough run of games but so do the other teams around us and we can only try and look after ourselves and it is vital that we do that at home.
“We need to be targeting our home games for three points and that is vital. We have two more games at Firhill before the split and if we take six points from them we’ll be delighted. The one thing we won’t be is complacent. You saw last year that around this time every team at the bottom hit a bit of form and teams can so easily get dragged into it when that happens. All the teams at the bottom are capable of putting a run together and we need to use our home games to make sure we are OK at the end of the season.”
Unfortunately Archibald doesn’t have a full squad to choose from ahead of Saturday with Kallum Higginbotham still suspended and Seaborne (ankle) and Elliott (hand) both out. There are also fitness doubts over Lyle Taylor who got a knock to his knee in training and Ben Richards-Everton who picked up a knock in |Monday night’s Development League game against Hamilton Accies.
Tickets for the Thistle end are still on sale and are available online (ptfctickets.co.uk), on the phone (0141 579 1971) or in person by visiting the Partick Thistle offices before 1:30pm on Saturday or the |ticket booth at the Jackie Husband Stand thereafter. Cash turnstiles will be in operation for the North Stand. Tickets are priced:
Adults: £22
Concessions: £15
U16s: FREE
