Match Preview
Focus tomorrow is firmly on the task of trying to defeat Ayr United but when www.ptfc.co.uk caught up with manager Ian McCall he did want to start by looking back to events at Dens Park last Saturday.
"Our performance on the park last weekend was excellent but so too was the performance from the supporters off the pitch. I know that a lot of manager's praise their club's supporters. I often feel that it can be a bit sycophantic to do so and it loses meaning if it is done too often. The reaction that we got from the Thistle fans at Dens Park though deserves attention. In my time in football I have seldom been part of a team that has received such backing in defeat. The reception we got at half-time at 1-0 down and again at full-time was just fantastic. The 1,000 or so Thistle fans that were at the game certainly made themselves heard. Hopefully they will all be inside Firhill tomorrow and perhaps with a few friends in tow."
"We all really appreciated the support we got at Dundee and it is only fair that we show that appreciation. The players always acknowledge the supporters when they take the field at Firhill but today I will be making sure that they make an extra effort to show their appreciation this afternoon."
"We can look back at events at Dens Park with a degree of pride but only if we defeat Ayr United tomorrow. To do so will be no easy task. I took in their fixture with Dundee on Wednesday night and they played with great spirit and heart. They fully deserved their point in a 2-2 draw. Indeed they may even have deserved a little more. They are a team that may very well be in a false position in the league. They have added Ryan McGowan on loan from Hearts to their squad. He is a player that I know a lot about, rate highly and gave thought to trying to bring him here to Firhill."
"For our own part we are nicely placed in terms of player availability. Both Martyn Corrigan and Stephen McKeown returned to action for the reserves on Tuesday night. Both players did well and came through the game without any problems and both come into the squad for tomorrow's game. Our only injury absentee at the moment then is Paddy Boyle and we are hopeful that he will be back in the fold next week."
Thistle Stats
Current Form - Last Five Games
W D L F A
3 1 1 8 5
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Liam Buchanan 8
Simon Donnelly 5
Paul Cairney 3
Mark Corcoran 2
Kris Doolan 2
Bryan Hodge 2
Chris Erskine 2
Jim Hamilton 2
Alan Archibald 1
David Rowson 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday October 10th 2009
Dundee 2, Partick Thistle 0
Ayr United Stats
Current Form - Last Five Games
W D L F A
1 2 2 6 8
Scorers season 2009/2010
Mark Roberts 3
Andy Aitken 1
Chris Aitken 1
Kenny Connolly 1
William Easton 1
Ryan McGowan 1
Ryan Stevenson 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Wednesday October 14th 2009
Ayr United 2, Dundee 2
Last Meeting
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday August 8th 2009
Ayr United 1, Partick Thistle 1
Team
Ayr United: Grindlay, Keenan, A Aitken, James, Gibson, Stevenson (Connolly), Borris, C Aitken, Prunty (Cawley), Roberts (Gormley), Easton.
Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, Corrigan, Cairney (Hodge), Robertson, Maxwell, McKeown, Rowson, Hamilton (Doolan), Donnelly, Corcoran (Erskine).
Scorers
Ayr United: Roberts (5)
Thistle: Donnelly (21)
Crowd: 3,078
Match Details
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday October 17th 2009
Partick Thistle v Ayr United
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Prices
Adults: £16
OAP/Full time Education/16-21: £11
Under 16s: FREE
Programme: £2.50
Other First Division Fixtures
Airdrie United v Ross County
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Dunfermline Athletic
Morton v Dundee
Raith Rovers v Queen of the South
Match Officials
Referee: Stevie O'Reilly
Assistant Referees: Wes Boulstridge and Andrew Dallas
