In Conversation With - Martin Grehan
Thursday 22nd July 2010
Tuesday night’s game with Bristol Rovers brought to a close Thistle’s series of pre-season friendly matches with focus now very much on the start of the competitive action on Saturday against Clyde in the Alba Challenge Cup.
With the dust settled on the pre-season matches www.ptfc.co.uk caught up with Martin Grehan and before looking ahead to the Clyde game we asked him how he felt the pre-season matches had gone?
“Speaking personally I don’t think that my sharpness was up to speed until the Bristol Rovers game. In the first few pre-season games it always quite hard to get into things but hopefully I’m ready now for the start of the season and hopefully I’ll manage to get off the mark pretty quickly.”
Did the Bristol Rovers match help in terms of match sharpness?
“I think so and I think it might have been because in Bristol Rovers we were up against better opposition. I know that you should be 100% in every game but playing against better opposition really helps bring the sharpness out and I think you try that bit harder when you are playing against a better team.”
“They were a good team to come up against. They play in League One in England and they knock the ball about well and they were always on the move so it was a good test for us and hopefully that will hold us in good stead for the start of the competitive action against Clyde on Saturday.”
Moving on to Saturday’s cup-tie with Clyde, Martin is under no illusions that we face anything other than a very difficult match at the weekend.
“Clyde might be lower league opposition but it is a cup-tie and you never know what will happen. In many respects, as the underdogs they will have nothing to lose. I’ve heard that they are a very busy side and one that are unlikely to give in very easily and I think we are going to have to be at the top of our game on Saturday as ultimately it will be down to who performs better on the day. Hopefully that will be us and we can get the season off to the perfect start with a win and progress to the next round.”
As are all strikers, Martin would like nothing better than to start the season by getting on the score sheet.
“It’s always nice to score but being a team player is more important. As a striker though you are keen to get your first goal of the season as quickly as possible. I didn’t get too many chances in the pre-season matches but hopefully on Saturday a chance will come my way and I’ll stick it away.”
Martin is more than aware, however, that earning a starting slot is far from a formality.
“There is plenty of competition for places up front and nobody is guaranteed a game. Everyone is fighting for a place in the team right now and the two cup ties coming up against Clyde on Saturday and then Annan the following week will give an opportunity to whoever is picked to show what they can do and hopefully score a couple of goals.”
