Archibald heartened by players' mentality in relegation scrap

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald claims he's heartened by the mentality of his player as their survival quest reaches the final weekend.

A win at Dundee on Saturday will secure 11th place and a Premiership play-off place, however anything less would see them relegated if Ross County triumph against St Johnstone in Perth.

The Jags saw Hamilton all but disappear out of sight when they lost 1-0 against Motherwell on Tuesday but Archibald retains faith in his players.

"What we have seen, especially since the split, is that they are fighting,'' he said. A lot of character as well, we have never given up and have come from behind in a couple of games. They have shown they are fighting and sticking together.

"They are very much upbeat and think they can go and do it.

The positives we can take is that we are creating chances. If we weren't creating chances and had nothing in the final third then I'd be really, really concerned, but that's got to turn because we created good opportunities the other night.''

Archibald is the league's longest-serving manager and has spent all bar four years of his career in Maryhill. And he senses his squad share his passion for the club with the likes of Kris Doolan, Chris Erskine and Steven Lawless having helped them get promoted in 2013.

"There are guys who have been here five or six years who have come up from the Championship who know what it's about and have real good feeling for the club,'' the 40-year-old said. "It's not as if we have guys just stopping in for a couple of months.

"And we make everyone feel welcome, if you ask the boys that join us.

"You see other clubs who are fighting for their lives and there are guys not bothering their shirt. We've got a good squad here who are fighting for their lives and want to keep the team in the Premiership.''

Thistle may have to improve their defence of set-pieces to ensure they survive following a potential play-off against Livingston or Dundee United.

Four out of the last five goals they conceded came as a result of a set-piece and they have conceded goals from dead balls in seven of their last eight games.

"We are playing against bigger teams now, a lot of teams are going three at the back and it gives them three big lads to come up at set-plays,'' Archibald said. And we have handled a lot of it, it has just been that one lapse in each game that has let us down.

"They are given a job when they go on to the pitch and that responsibility once they cross the white line is theirs. They know that, they don't do it deliberately. All you can do is show them it, work on it, and hopefully we get it better at it come Saturday.'

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