Thistle not ready yet to rest in peace

IAN PAUL

4 Apr 1995

CELEBRATIONS, when you follow Partick Thistle, occasionally have to be enjoyed for less triumphant reasons than would appeal to fans of more fashionable and wealthier clubs, which is why there may be a little party in the Maryhill area tonight if their team beat Hearts in the re-arranged premier-division game at Firhill.

Three points would lift Thistle away from the bottom place in the league and instil even greater optimism in supporters who, by their nature, are already greatly blessed in that direction.

Their manager, John Lambie, is not short in that area, either.

He is aware that his team could yet defy the forecasts of doom which have already relegated his men to the first division next season, and allows himself a brief moment of pleasure at the discomfort his team is causing in the pundit department.

"They had us dead and buried three months ago," he recalled, "but that doesn't matter.

What counts is what we do in the run-in."

Should Thistle win tonight, they would leap-frog Aberdeen and still have a game in hand of all the other teams trying to escape the trap door.

The impossible is beginning to look within their grasp.

Lambie prefers to be more cautious.

"The players have done a tremendous job concentrating and battling the way they have for the past couple of months but they have to keep it going now.

I hope they can do it."

So pleased was he with his side's fighting comeback to draw with Hibs at Firhill at the weekend that he is not likely to change the team unless he is forced into it.

"Steve Pittman is the only doubt, although he doesn't look as bad as we thought when he was carried off on Saturday."

The temptation to bring in the fresher legs of new signing, Roger Eli, who came on as a substitute against Hibs, will probably be resisted because the manager is reluctant to interrupt the flow.

Thistle point out that there will be half-price admission for the game which was abandoned originally because of a snowstorm.

Hearts have a load of injury problems which will leave manager Tommy McLean with a number of decisions to make, not least in goal, where former Thistle man, Craig Nelson, was carried off on Saturday with a knee injury.

He does have the consolation of knowing that the deputy, Henry Smith, has a fair bit of experience.

At 39, Henry has been over the course a few times and is ready for the call if it comes.

Smith has been giving the younger man the benefit of his lengthy time in the game, and believes Nelson has tremendous potential, but that would not prevent him looking forward to a return to the spotlight.

If Thistle have a clear incentive to win, Hearts could use the points as well.

A victory would lift them into fifth place in the table and leave them relaxed and ready to tackle Airdrie in the cup semi-final on Saturday.

Meanwhile, emotions will run high tonight as Clydebank meet Raith Rovers in their first home game since the sudden death of Davie Cooper.

Clydebank secretary Ian Steedman confirmed yesterday that the club will not use the No.7 jersey again this season as a mark of respect.

The evening will also be a difficult one for the Raith manager Jimmy Nicholl, who was a personal friend of Cooper.

Members of the winger's family may attend and there will be a one minute's silence before the game.

But Steedman added: "While it will be an emotional evening for all of us, David would be the first person to say we need to play and get something from the game."

Teenager Joe Robertson, formerly with Rangers, could start for the first time, with striker Ken Eadie suspended and both Craig Flannigan (groin) and James Grady (ankle) missing through injury.

Nicholl pointed out: "A win would take us into joint-top position, but we need to play better than we have in recent games."

* HIBS are the latest club to be interested in Forfar striker Dave Bingham.

But with the transfer deadline past, Bingham is likely to stay with the third-division leaders until the summer.

He already has turned down the chance of a move south because of his wife's employment.

Bingham will play tonight as Forfar seek to increase their 12-point lead in their re-scheduled clash with Montrose.

Montrose caretaker manager Andy Dornan was boosted by their five-goal win on Saturday and said: "The three points for us would make us joint-third and underline our own promotion ambitions."

Strikers Alan Kennedy and Colin McGlashan will be their danger men, for they have scored 35 goals between them this season.

Taken from the Herald