First Team
MATCH PREVIEW | Saints vs Partick Thistle
26th January 2018
Friday 26th January
Full interview with Tommy Wright: https://youtu.be/cTe0mRY9MgQ
Full interview with David Wotherspoon: https://youtu.be/nBt2l9b5Tdk
Saints finally get the chance to kick a ball in anger this year as they host Partick Thistle in the Premiership this Saturday afternoon.
Adverse weather across the country has meant that Saints are yet to be involved in competitive action in 2018. Saints’ Scottish Cup tie with Albion Rovers last weekend was postponed before the rearranged fixture this past Tuesday was also called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
This change in schedule led to disruption in Saints’ league fixtures. Saints were originally penned in to play Kilmarnock this past Wednesday. However, due to the aforementioned Scottish Cup postponements, that fixture will now be played at a later date.
David Wotherspoon has been speaking about how the team have dealt with the changes:
“We've been preparing for each game as they've came along and it's unfortunate that these games have been postponed because we want to play them and we were really looking forward to them. But these things happen so we just have to adapt and get on with it.” said David.
“We're desperate to get back to playing games because you're training throughout the week for something at the weekend.
“It's been unfortunate that we haven't been able to do that so we look forward to this weekend and hopefully the game goes ahead.”
All of this has led to Saints slipping slightly down the Premiership standings. Saints currently lie in 8th but importantly have one or, in some cases, two games in hand over those teams above. A win this weekend would see Saints lie in good stead for climbing back unto the Premiership’s top six.
Patrick, meanwhile, are doing their utmost to stay clear of the relegation zone. Presently sitting in 11th place, the form table would suggest that they are in for a tough time at McDairmid Park. The Jags have the worst away record in the top flight, taking only three points from their twelve visits away from Firhill so far this season. Alan Archibald’s side are also the only Premiership team yet to win on the road.
The teams have currently neck and neck when it comes to past meetings this season. An August clash in Perth and October tie in Glasgow have been resulted in respective 1-0 home wins.
Wotherspoon has stressed the need for Saints to be competitive from the first whistle:
“The last time we played I think we might have performed better towards the end of the second half but in the first half we weren't so good.
“We'll be looking to come out of the traps straight away and I think the boys will just be really eager to perform well and get a good result.”
MATCH PREVIEW BY GARY PETERSEN