Fans of many clubs, including the Jags, have been revelling in the fact the game was stopped and having a good laugh at our expense. Quite how we're at fault when the pitch has been cleared and a referee still deems it unplayable is anyone's guess, but each to their own. Before the game was stopped we'd cruised through the first half and could arguably have been further in front. The performance was probably the best I've seen from us at home for some time and it is that which we need to take into tomorrow's game. Play like that again and we should be able to take at least a point.
Most Saint fans were probably quite pleased when the Jags were promoted last season as it meant a relatively short away trip. Admittedly, it would have been even shorter had they not stopped Morton winning the first division - something which denied us a derby but gave us all a good laugh. Annoyingly, this season Thistle have looked a better team than us despite having a squad rather lacking in SPL experience. They were worthy winners against us in Paisley in August and they should probably have had a more comfortable victory. We need to get a bit of payback for that tomorrow.
This is the sort of game we have to win regardless of the revenge factor. If we want to avoid the drop - or, fancifully, push on for the top six - we need to be taking points off the newly promoted side at home and away. Thistle could be near us in the table come the end of the season so denying them points would help us and damage their hopes. It's a while since we've been to Firhill - 2005 to be precise - but we've only lost once there in our last four visits, back in 2001 when we missed a penalty. Let's hope we're a bit more clinical this weekend and can pick up a crucial win.
Former Thistle player Danny Lennon has some difficult decisions to make as he gets ready to take Saints to face his old club. We may have done well against Ross County before the game was abandoned but Partick play in a rather different style. Jason Naismith had a great game at rightback last week but putting him there could leave him rather exposed so it wouldn't be a surprise to see David van Zanten return - or Danny Grainger come back in to replace young Sean Kelly on the left of defence. Marc McAusland is another option to bring into the backline if Lennon decides to do a bit of tinkering.
That should be the extent of it though, especially with Gary Teale still missing through injury. The midfield had a fantastic game against the Staggies, with John McGinn and Paul McGowan having a productive afternoon in the pouring rain. Jim Goodwin seemingly suffered an injury but should be fit enough to playi, the skipper looking like his old self now he has been moved from the defence back into the midfield. Hopefully he can keep that up and he doesn't get himself a booking tomorrow as he's just a yellow card away from a suspension.
Partick got off to a great start in the top flight after they won the first division last season. Now that we're entering the second round of fixtures we'll see if they're the real deal or it was just the honeymoon period many newly promoted teams, such as ourselves, have enjoyed in the past. Monday's heavy defeat to Aberdeen may be a sign things are about to turn sour, but we have to remember the Dons are the best team in the world at the moment going by their fans and the media. Alan Archibald has done a good job in less than a year in charge and has his team playing pretty attractive, attacking football. They seem to like to move the ball out wide and get forward with their fullbacks. Whether their cavalier approach will pay off long term remains to be seen, but for now it doesn't seem to be doing them any harm.
What could hurt Thistle long term is the lack of SPL experience in their squad. Only a handful of their team had played in the top flight before and most of them were summer signings - such as midfielders Mark Kerr and Isaac Osbourne, who somehow eluded the attentions of other clubs to end up at Firhill. The midfield has looked pretty exciting so far - perhaps because the inexperience means the players have no fear of the top flight. James Craigan and Stuart Bannigan have looked impressive, while Ross Forbes is a goal threat and no doubt out to show Motherwell they were wrong to bin him a few years back. Bolton's Gary Fraser is also on loan at Firhill as they look to get him some first team experience.
Partick do have a couple of former Saints in their squad, although Hugh Murray is out on loan and unlikely to feature tomorrow. John Baird was a threat against us in Paisley earlier in the season, although failed to open his account for his new club following his summer switch from Dundee. Thistle fans were keen to see Kris Doolan deployed up front and Archibald has duly obliged - the move paying off as the striker has scored four goals in five games. The summer capture of Kallum Higginbotham was something of a coup, the former Falkirk man having been on loan at Motherwell last season before being let go by Huddersfield and it's incredible no other English or top SPL sides wanted him. Their loss is very much Thistle's gain and they also managed to keep hold of prolific winger Steven Lawless, who scored for fun in the first division last season.
The place the lack of experience may eventually take its toll is at the back, although they do have former Saints goalie Paul Gallacher battling it out with Scott Fox for the number one shirt. Fox is winning the day at the moment, so much so that he was called into the Scotland squad on Monday. Conrad Balatoni and Aaron Muirhead look fairly solid and imposing in the centre of defence, while Stephen O'Donnell has looked handy at rightback and has done enough to keep Jordan McMillan - who was with Dunfermline in the top flight a few years back - out of the side for the most part. On the left Aaron Taylor-Sinclair is turning out to be a good player and there are even murmurings that Celtic might want to sign him in the near future. Mexican centre half Gabriel Piccolo played at Pittodrie on Monday but didn't seem to cover himself in glory.
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