Match Preview
With Thistle keen to get back into action and keen to try and get back to winning ways it was frustrating to see Wednesday's rearranged fixture with Ayr United postponed for a second time. Tomorrow, however, Thistle do get the opportunity to get back into action with a visit from Airdrie United marking Thistle's first home game for three weeks.
Wednesday's postponement was doubly frustrating for defender Ian Maxwell. With Thistle's appeal against Ian's controversial red card at Inverness rejected Ian would have served his automatic one game on Wednesday had the game gone ahead. He will now be forced to sit out tomorrow's visit from Airdrie.
On a plus note though both Alan Archibald and Paul Paton served their periods of suspension against Inverness and will once again form part of Ian McCall's squad. Indeed after Friday morning's training session it would appear that the manager, as he explained to www.ptfc.co.uk has almost a full squad to select from with one player making a welcome return from injury.
"Things haven't changed too much from Wednesday other than the fact that Stephen McKeown is fit again and is added to the squad. Ian Maxwell is suspended but him aside the only absentees tomorrow will be Greg Shields and Craig Hinchcliffe."
"We've been without a game for a couple of weeks and it seems a long time since we last had a home game. I think because of that we are really looking forward to tomorrow's match and I'm sure the supporters are too. Recent results haven't been great recently, I don't think the Thistle fans need reminded of that fact, and the fact that we desperately need to get back to winning ways makes the game tomorrow a very important one for us. We've a good record against Airdrie United this season but that will mean nothing tomorrow. The fact that last month Airdrie United were able to go up to Dundee and win proves that there isn't an easy game to be found in the First Division."
It's not just Thistle that are impacted on by SFA suspension tomorrow. Airdrie, whose last two outings were both Scottish Cup ties, will be denied the services of Robert Donnelly tomorrow.
Partick Thistle Stats
Current Form - Last Five Games
W D L F A
1 0 4 3 9
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Liam Buchanan 12
Simon Donnelly 8
Paul Cairney 6
Mark Corcoran 4
Chris Erskine 3
Steve Lovell 3
Jamie Adams 2
Kris Doolan 2
Bryan Hodge 2
Jim Hamilton 2
Alan Archibald 1
Paul Paton 1
David Rowson 1
Last Game
Saturday January 30th 2010
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2, Partick Thistle 1
Airdrie United Stats
Current Form - Last Five Games
W D L F A
1 1 3 6 10
Scorers Season 2009/2010
John Baird 8
Diarmuid O'Carroll 4
Alan Trouten 4
Bobby Donnelly 2
Scott Gemmill 2
Kevin McDonald 2
David Nixon 1
Ricky Waddell 1
Own Goal 1
Last Game
Wednesday January 27th 2010
The Active Nation Scottish Cup Fourth Round Replay
Airdrie United 1, Raith Rovers 3
Last Meeting
Saturday December 12th 2009
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Airdrie United 2, Partick Thistle 5
Teams
Airdrie United: Robertson, Storey, Lovering (Gemmill), Smith, Donnelly, McLaughlin, Trouten (Keegan), Lagana (McDonald), O'Carroll, Baird, Waddell.
Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, Archibald, McKeown (Hodge), Adams, Maxwell (Robertson), Cairney, Rowson, Lovell, Donnelly, Corcoran (Erskine).
Scorers
Airdrie United: Baird (1, 52)
Thistle: Donnelly (26), McKeown (45), Lovell (46, 55), Cairney (66)
Crowd: 1,321
Prices
Adults: £16
OAP/Full time Education/16-21: £11
Under 16s: FREE
Programme: £2.50
Other First Division Fixtures
Ayr United v Dundee
Queen of the South v Morton
Raith Rovers v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Ross County v Dunfermline Athletic
Match Officials
Referee: Scott MacDonald
Assistant Referees: Tommy Johnston and Alistair Kerr
