Partick Thistle Football Club

Although Willie Kinniburgh has been a Partick Thistle player since the tail end of 2007 his appearance against Dumbarton on Tuesday night was his first in a Partick Thistle jersey for some time having spent a large chunk of last season on loan with Clyde.

www.ptfc.co.uk caught up with Willie not long after the final whistle on Tuesday and although the team had lost 2-1 Willie was clearly glad to be back in a red and yellow jersey.

“I think it was before Christmas last year that I last played for Thistle. It was very enjoyable and I’m delighted to be back.”

Willie, who missed Saturday’s game with Queen’s Park with a slight knock, played the full 90 minutes on Tuesday but he picked up another injury with the game nearing an end and tied at 1-1.

“I just went over on my ankle but I should be fine. I’ve gone over on the Dumbarton player’s ankle and then he’s turned and slotted the ball into the back of the net from about 30 yards out. It doesn’t make you feel any better when that happens.”

Both Dumbarton goals on Tuesday night wouldn’t have looked out of place at the World Cup Finals. Willie was just delighted that they were scored against us in a pre-season friendly rather than a competitive fixture.

“It’s better getting that sort of thing out of the way now rather than teams doing that to us once the season gets under way.”

Despite the defeat Willie could see definite progress.

“It’s coming. I thought we did quite well against Dumbarton. If anything I think we passed the ball too much and moved the ball around in wee triangles when we should have been a bit more direct but hopefully that will come. Training has gone well so far and hopefully we can hit the ground running when the season starts.”

Although Dumbarton scored two ‘wonder’ goals they didn’t trouble the Thistle backline too much otherwise but Willie was a little critical of the defensive performance in the first 45 minutes.

“I didn’t think we were too solid in the first half. We were a little too open and the shape that Dumbarton were operating with a player in the hole was causing us problems. But the manager came into the dressing room at half-time and changed it and I thought we were much better in the second half.”

While you might have thought that there would be some unfamiliarity at the back with Willie not having played alongside the likes of John Robertson for some time it wasn’t a problem for Willie.

“Even when I was on loan at Clyde last season I was training with them every day and I’ve been at the Club now for about three years I know John Robertson well and I know Paddy Boyle well from out time together at Clyde so it isn’t difficult slotting in.”  

With the start of the season for real just about a week and a half away the demands of pre-season training are, perhaps, not quite a physically daunting but even still the start of the season can’t come quickly enough.

“It’s been tough but were are now getting into shorter, sharper runs to try and get some extra sharpness into the legs and kick on from there. It will be good though to get started for real but it will be tough as well but we are all raring to go.”

The season starts with a Challenge Cup tie against Clyde on July 24^th. After having spent so much of last season with Clyde you might have would have been forgiven for thinking that would add a little extra spice to the fixture for Willie.

“I think there will be probably be only three or four players that I played with at Clyde still there so it is almost a totally different team with a different manager so it will really just be like any other game.”

Looking towards the season now just round the corner Willie can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be approaching the campaign with a sense of optimism.

“I don’t see why we can’t have a good season. We’ve still got three players to come back and there should be some good competition for places throughout the side. I think that we have got every single player is more than capable of playing week in week out. It’s a close knit squad as well and a squad that really sticks together.”

From Willie’s own point of view injuries elsewhere might give him the chance to impress at the start of the season and should that opportunity come his way he is determined to make the most of it.

“I need to play as well as I can so the manager makes the choice to play me and then when players come back from injury make sure that the manager has a tough decision to make as to who he plays.”