Ian McCall refuses to use Partick Thistle’s decision to groundshare as an excuse behind faltering Championship title bid

The Firhill playing surface is also being used by Queen’s Park this season and the heavy pitch has taken it’s toll on the Jags squad
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Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall accepts the deterioration of the Firhill pitch has been a factor in his side’s faltering Championship title bid but has refused to point the finger at anyone.

The Jags slumped to a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Hamilton Accies on Saturday and will be desperate to get back on track with a win over bottom of the table Dunfermline at East End Park this evening.

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The game marks the last in a backlog of fixtures the Maryhill men have been forced to navigate in recent weeks and a victory would see them return to third and open up a six-point cushion in the play-off places.

Partick Thistle were relegated despite being just two points behind Queen of the South with a game in hand.Partick Thistle were relegated despite being just two points behind Queen of the South with a game in hand.
Partick Thistle were relegated despite being just two points behind Queen of the South with a game in hand.

The well-documented state of the playing surface at Firhill, largely down to the club’s contentious decision to groundshare with Queen’s Park this season, has posed further problems for the Thistle squad with fatigue undoubtedly starting to set in.

However, McCall is not prepared to make excuses and admits he has no regrets over the Glasgow club’s arrangement to groundshare this term.

He said: “I don’t know the ins and outs of it and I don’t think anyone should be held culpable in any way.

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“ I think it’s one of those things that happened. A decision was made, but I do know, for example we were at Arbroath the other week and they’ve great floodlights now, beautiful surfaces in the dressing rooms and astroturf everywhere.

“We didn’t get that money that would allow us to do stuff like that. The only thing I’ll say about it is I just don’t like not being able to play the type of football I want our supporters to be able to see.

“If we had won 1-0 on Saturday through an own goal I wouldn’t really be that bothered, but I know the players are looking forward to moving the ball about.

“We keep getting told we had the best home record in the league up until Saturday but maybe one way to look at it is to imagine how it could have been.

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“The pitch is the same for both teams and we have never used that as an excuse - but it does take an awful lot out the legs compared to other pitches.

“That’s the key that people who aren’t in a dressing room don’t get. There have been a lot of our games when it has been wet and heavy and it does take its toll.”

McCall is relieved to be coming to the end of a hectic fixture schedule, with tonight’s clash their TENTH in 39 days as his players pay the price for a number of postponements earlier in the year.

He admitted: “It’s the last midweek game we’ve got then we’re caught up with everyone. It’s an opportunity for us to go back into third and put a little bit of daylight between ourselves and Raith.

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“Reaching the play-offs was the target and that would be a good achievement after everything we have been through.

“The schedule has killed us. There is no getting away from that, but things might look a lot different if we beat Kilmarnock and then Arbroath (in our upcoming games).

“Right now all we’re thinking about is getting three points against Dunfermline and getting back to third place.”

The Pars are equally desperate for a victory in their pursuit to move out of the relegation zone and McCall feels they should have more points on the board.

Iain Wilson's shot puts Morton ahead against Dunfermline just before half time.Iain Wilson's shot puts Morton ahead against Dunfermline just before half time.
Iain Wilson's shot puts Morton ahead against Dunfermline just before half time.
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He added: “Dunfermline are a similarly-sized club to ourselves and as you can see from the league table, it’s as big a game for them as it is for us.

“My big mate is the manager and it will be good to see him. He’s improved things but they are still in a perilous position in that bottom five.

“Archie (Alan Archibald, assistant manager) was at their game on Friday night. They moved the ball about really well.

“It seems to me that they’ve had two games recently, Arbroath and Morton, where they’ve deserved to win but haven’t quite got there so it will be a difficult game.” 

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A few key Thistle players return to the matchday squad tonight with Richard Foster, Connor Murray and Scott Tiffoney back in contention and McCall is hopeful his injury list continues to shrink.

He admitted: “There’s a really good togetherness there and the boys were really bright in training. I think Tiffoney coming back has helped the mood and given everyone a lift.

“He’s been a wee bit down in the dumps and he’s back to his – to put it kindly – cheeky best. He also hit one from 20-yards that flew right in the top corner, so…

Partick Thistle's Scott Tiffoney is tackled by Dylan Tait last Saturday (Pic: Euan Cherry/SNS Group)Partick Thistle's Scott Tiffoney is tackled by Dylan Tait last Saturday (Pic: Euan Cherry/SNS Group)
Partick Thistle's Scott Tiffoney is tackled by Dylan Tait last Saturday (Pic: Euan Cherry/SNS Group)

“Saturday was just one of those days. Our striker (Brian Graham) called off unwell, our second striker (Alex Jakubiak) pulled out with a groin strain before kick-off and our third striker (Juan Alegria) was going to get sent off, so I had to play a left back at centre forward with a midfielder as his partner.

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“That wasn’t why we got beat, though; it was because they were better than us. The boys know we didn’t perform but there were individual mistakes in there and we were a wee bit hamstrung.

“They’re all fine and raring to go again.”

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