Archibald laments individual errors after Partick lose at Dundee
Last updated 16th Dec 2017
Individual errors cost Partick Thistle dear in a 3-0 defeat away to relegation rivals Dundee at Dens Park.
Daniel Devine gave away two penalties on what proved a testing afternoon for Alan Archibald's men that sees the gap at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership table extended to two points.
Sofien Moussa dispatched both penalties, while Mark O'Hara was also on target in a confident and encouraging performance for Dundee, but the nature of a 10th league defeat left Archibald frustrated just days after what might have been a season-turning win over Motherwell.
We didn't start the game well enough,' he said. I think we just thought we were going to turn up and have a similar start to the other night, and we have to earn that.
'We didn't start the game well enough,' he said.
`We did that against Motherwell, but a few players thought we were going to do the same and it doesn't work like that in football, you have to work hard and win your individual battles and we didn't do that.'
He added: `We will be adrift, no doubt about that, we have told the players that.
`You have got to eradicate the errors. We didn't play well and I'm not going to disguise that fact but you can't keep making individual errors.
`We gave away two penalties, I've not seen them back but we've given the referee a decision to make and that's killed us.'
It was a welcome three points for Dundee, who move out of the bottom two and bounced back from a defeat to Hearts on Tuesday night that left manager Neil McCann fuming with his players, and he was delighted to see the immediate response.
He said: `I'm smiling. I didn't hide that I was so disappointed (on Tuesday), I've said it in a load of interviews about a lack of application and responsibility.
`I think we showed that when the application is right, we look a right good side so I am really happy with the performance and some really good individual performances in a great team performance.
`The main thing for me was the energy levels. We broke forward with unbelievable good purpose and that put Partick on the back foot.'
The Dee boss, whose side moved four points clear of the Jags, added: `It was total team performance.
`From how poor we were on Tuesday night, to flip it to how good we were says a lot about them.'