Low key but McCall still wants a win

Roger Graham 1551 - 1551 • Published 15 Apr 2009 12:30

PARTICK Thistle boss Ian McCall does not expect his team to win the league, but he and his players will be coming to Cappielow on Saturday determined to give themselves every chance of a possible upset.

Both Morton and Thistle, nine and seven points respectively behind leaders St Johnstone, are aware it is an unlikely scenario that the championship will end up anywhere but McDiarmid Park. But in such an unpredictable league they have to keep going until it is statistically impossible.

Said McCall: 'I wouldn"t think that Davie [Irons] in his private moments thinks he can win the league, but you keep going.

'We were never going to win the league with the limited squad we have. The last few games the players have been first class, but we"ve been operating with 17 players since the turn of the year, and we"re without Liam [Buchanan] now.'

Where there is a glimmer of hope, however, Thistle, like Morton, will keep trying to win every game. 'It"s not in my make-up not to,' said McCall, 'and it"s the same with the players. There"s a hell of a spirit among them.

'If Morton or ourselves can win the game, then who knows? Queen of the South are capable of beating St Johnstone. If you give Stephen Dobbie three chances he will score three goals, so it"s not impossible.'

In the Partick ranks is Greenock boy Gary Harkins, one of the most naturally talented footballers in the league, and McCall said of him: 'Gary is a great pro - he wasn"t always - but we will struggle to hold onto him. He must be in the running for the Player of the Year Award. He"s been outstanding. I just hope we can keep him for another season.'

Thistle has also been operating an innovative policy this season of allowing under-16s into Firhill for nothing, and McCall said: 'It"s been great. We have been a wee bit disappointed at crowd sizes given that we have been challenging, but we understand the economic circumstances that affect everyone.'

As for Cappielow, McCall concluded: 'I always liked going to Cappielow as a player and manager. It"s a real football club, like Thistle, with a real support. There"s always a good atmosphere there.

'We don"t have a good record there, but we"ve won at other places this year where we haven"t done well traditionally.'

Even if it is realistically the runners-up place that"s at stake, this is likely to be a highly competitive match. One thing is for sure, if someone is to sneak past St Johnstone there will have to be a winner. A draw is no use to anyone but the Perth club.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 15 Apr 09

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