Alan Archibald won't accept any passengers during relegation fight

Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald says his side can't carry any passengers going into the final stages of the season.

The Jags have won just one of their last eight league matches, leaving them in the relegation play-off spot - just three points above rock bottom Ross County.

Archibald, though, has been able to mitigate that nightmare set of results on the horrendous injuries his squad have suffered this term.

But the Maryhill boss will have all but long-term casualty Stuart Bannigan to choose from as he prepares his side to take on Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday.

"We have no excuses,'' he admitted. "We have got almost everybody fit now and that's a good position for myself as manager.

"The only problem I have now is over selection headaches but that's a good one to have.''

Archibald admits the Jags put in an abject display as they slumped to a 3-0 loss against Hearts last time out.

And he is demanding a rapid improvement as they look ahead to their final three games before the split.

After this weekend's trip to Leith, Thistle travel to Dingwall to face their Highland rivals before taking on Kilmarnock at home - and Archibald is desperate to ensure they do not end up empty handed again.

He said: "We need a reaction now after the result at Tynecastle. The only positive after that game was that we remained in a similar kind of position and our fate remains in our own hands.

"But the way we went about the game was really disappointing. We didn't see it coming having had a positive performance at Aberdeen the week before.

"It just teaches you that everybody, the whole squad, must apply themselves for every match.

"Of course it's still a concern that we're still having those type of performances given the position we're in. But the good thing is we have a full squad to pick from and we can change things up.

"But we need to see a reaction from the players as we're going to a tough place in Easter Road and with three games to go before the split, we need to pick up points.

"We can't afford to carry any passengers from now on and the lads know that. The way the fixtures are going we need to take something going into the split.'

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