Saturday 21st January, 2017 at 9:13pm
After a hiatus over the winter period, Partick Thistle returned to competitive action with a William Hill Scottish Cup clash against Formartine United of the Highland League. A Chris Erskine brace along with goals from Steven Lawless and Abdul Osman allowed Thistle to advance to the fifth round with a 4-0 victory over the visitors. The Jags’ boss Alan Archibald spoke with ptfc.co.uk after the match to offer his opinions on the day’s action.
He was extremely pleased with the way his team handled the game, when there was a lot of pressure to make sure that the fourth round’s big upset didn’t take place at Firhill.
“There are always going to be upsets and it was important that we weren’t on the wrong end of one of those upsets. The lads were very professional and we treated the opposition with respect. I thought that the boys were clinical in the first half and we finished the job by the break which made everything much simpler for us.”
Archie was happy to see long-term injury absentee Mustapha Dumbuya back on the field at Firhill.
“Callum Booth had a small problem with his Achilles so we decided that with us in a commanding position we would give Mustapha a chance to play. He’s got a long way to go in terms of fitness but it’s fantastic to see him back on the pitch running up and down the wing again.”
The manager couldn’t understate the importance of Dumbuya return from injury as the squad’s depth continues to improve.
“Mustapha is so lively but that’s just the way he plays. He’ll be like a new signing for us, especially since we didn’t even expect him back in January so it’s great to have him back as an option.”
Despite the winter break, Archibald was keen to stress that his side’s fitness levels were not slacking and that they are ready to go for the second half of the season.
“Fitness was never a concern, really. We worked very hard when we were in Spain to make sure that the squad would be up to speed when we got back. Everyone is fit and we have no more injuries so we’re looking forward to getting stuck into the league.”
The Thistle boss was disappointed that his team only grabbed one goal in the second half, despite a dominant display.
“Credit to our opponents, on that front, they were hard to break down but I thought at times we tried to score the perfect goal, trying to walk it in which was the only negative of the second half.”
Alan was also happy to be able to hand academy product, Andrew McCarthy, a first team debut.
“Andy’s a player that always plays really well with the development team. He came to Spain with us and stood out there. The first team players recognise that he has some real talent and potential so he has no problem playing alongside the experienced lads we have. He’s a tidy footballer and I’m pleased he made his debut.”
Archie now looks towards his side’s Ladbrokes Premiership clash against Inverness at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on Saturday the 28th of January at 15:00.
