Partick Thistle Football Club

There were tired legs aplenty last Saturday when Thistle went down to a 3-1 defeat at Livingston. With a full week’s rest since that fixture though there is a real determination inside the home camp that Thistle will bounce back with a victory tomorrow against Dundee.

Manager Ian McCall was a disappointed man following the defeats against both Rangers and Livingston but when www.ptfc.co.uk caught up with the Firhill ‘gaffer’ he was his usual upbeat and optimistic self when he looked towards tomorrow’s fixture.

“I’m really looking forward to the Dundee game. It’s a big, big game for us especially with Livingston and Queen of the South, the two teams immediately above us in the league, playing each other.”

“Dundee are having a difficult time of things at present but there is no way that we will be underestimating them. I have to say that I find the pressure that their manager Alex Rae is being placed under at the moment unbelievable. He has had to contend with the kind of horrendous injury list that any club would struggle with. We won’t be showing them any sympathy though once the game starts. We would like to have gone to the top of the league with a win against Livingston last week but the fact that as we near the end of the first quarter of the season we are in the top three just five points off the top of the league shows the progress that we have made.”

“I think everyone knows what we are lacking and I’m continuing the search for a bigger type of striker than what we currently have available. I’ve a couple of players in mind but it is important to get the right player. Although we could bring in someone on an emergency loan I have from now until the start of January to work on bringing someone in.”

“I did feel, and still do, that while the pitches are in good condition we can manage with the type of striker that we have but when the pitches aren’t in such good condition we will need a greater physical presence up front. The aim is to stay in contention at the top of the league until January and hopefully add to the squad at that stage.”

“There is obviously a little concern at the moment that the strikers aren’t getting among the goals. That isn’t such a big problem providing that players from other areas of the park are chipping in with goals but we can’t rely on that all the time. I have to say though that I know that Stevie Lennon and Damon Gray are good players. The step up from reserve team football to first team football is a massive one and one that people often underestimate.”

“We are hopeful too of being boosted by the return of Liam Buchanan shortly. He trained with the first team right through the week and could be back in as little as a week or two. With the kind of chances we have been creating I feel that Liam would have about 6 or 7 goals to his name already this season.”

Goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey meantime is hoping that the Thistle fans continue to provide the magnificent support that has so marked the season so far.

“Obviously we would have preferred to go into the Dundee game sitting top of the league but that wasn’t to be. The fact that we lost last weekend just makes the Dundee game an even bigger game for us. Our record at Firhill is good and if the fans can continue with the amazing support that they have given us this season at Firhill then they can be our 12th man against Dundee.”

Thistle Stats

Current Form – Last Five Games

W D L F A
2 1 2 6 7

Scorers Season 2007/2008
Stephen McKeown 5
Damon Gray 4
Gary Harkins 4
Ian Maxwell 4
Scott Chaplain 2
Simon Donnelly 1
Paul Paton 1
Mark Roberts 1
John Robertson 1
Chris Turner 1
Marc Twaddle 1

Last Fixture
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Livingston 3, Partick Thistle 1

Dundee Stats

Current form – Last Five Games
W D L F A
0 1 4 2 10

Scorers Season 2008/2009
Mickael Antoine-Curier 3
Paul McHale 1
Eric Paton 2
Chris Pozniak 1

Last Fixture
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
St Johnstone 2, Dundee 0

Last Meeting
Co-Operative Insurance Cup Second Round
Tuesday August 26th 2008
Dundee 1, Partick Thistle 2
Teams
Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, McHale, MacKenzie, Williams, Daquin (Gilhaney), Pozinak (Cowan), McMenamin, Antoine- Curier ( Deasley), O’Brien
Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, Twaddle, Storey, Maxwell, Chaplain (McKinlay), McStay, Gray (Lennon), Roberts (Donnelly), Harkins
Scorers
Dundee McHale (78)
Thistle: Maxwell (75), Harkins (87)
Crowd: 2,507

Match Details
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday October 4th 2008
Partick Thistle v Dundee

Prices
Adults: £15
OAP/Students/16-21: £10
Under 16s: FREE
Programme: £2.50

Match Officials
Referee: Eddie Smith
Assistant Referees: Francis Andrews, Stephen Mitchell