Moving off bottom spot would be a huge relief
CONOR SAMMON insists Partick Thistle can take a huge psychological step off the foot of the table by beating Dundee tomorrow.
That would make it a perfect four days for the powerful striker, who was relieved to not only help the Jags chalk up their first Premiership win since October, but finally get off the mark in Thistle colours himself in Wednesday night’s nervy 3-2 win over Motherwell at Firhill.
Alan Archibald’s side had been four points adrift of the Dark Blues, who crashed 2-0 at Tynecastle on Tuesday night and were savaged for their poor performance by manager Neil McCann.
But if the Jags can win tomorrow’s encounter at Dens Park, it will take them two points clear of McCann’s team, with the halfway stage of the Premiership now in sight.
Indeed, it was at almost exactly this time last year that Thistle moved clear of 12th spot before ultimately finishing in the top six.
And Sammon hopes history is about to repeat itself as the Jags battle to recover from another dismal start to the league campaign.
‘We’ll look to move on and try to get some momentum,’ said the 31-year-old Republic of Ireland international, who is currently on loan from Hearts.
‘After losing heavily at Kilmarnock last Saturday we were just looking for the next opportunity to go out there and impose ourselves and make an impact.
‘We need to do that again on Saturday. Dundee are a good side, too, so we will have to be on song.
‘It will get us off the bottom if we win and that’s a big incentive for us. This is not a nice position to be in.
‘Players get frustrated when results aren’t going well but you have to stick together and you have to show character.
‘It will be a massive game on Saturday.’
Sammon admitted it had been preying on his mind that he hadn’t scored in 14 appearances for Thistle since arriving at the club from Tynecastle in August. But he now believes the goals will start to flow if he and former Aberdeen forward Miles Storey are given a run as a partnership by Archibald.
‘It’s massive as a striker to get off the mark,’ said Sammon. ‘When you move to a new team you want to get on the score sheet as soon as possible.
‘It’s been frustrating that it’s taken so long but I’m really pleased that it was a sweet one to get three points.
‘It was a really enjoyable first half against Motherwell. I felt we really put them under pressure. It was a good reaction after Saturday’s game and Miles and myself worked well.
‘We want to use our pace and make it difficult for defences. I thought we were dangerous, particularly in the first half. Hopefully, that goal is the first of many.
‘Miles is a very unselfish player. He’s got good pace and power. He created two of the goals.
‘Even balls that he isn’t favourite to get to, he will win and suddenly he’s creating chances for the team.
‘He probably wanted to be on the score sheet but we can have a good partnership.
‘We have Kris Doolan as well, so we are all fighting to link up and help each other score and help the team win games.’
Sammon scored the third of Thistle’s three goals as they raced into a 3-0 lead at the interval — courtesy of earlier efforts from Blair Spittal and Ryan Edwards — but Archibald’s side were forced to hold on for a vital three points as Stephen Robinson’s Steelmen replied twice in the second half.
Admitting the Jags need to manage games better if they are to move up the table, former Kilmarnock, Wigan and Derby County striker Sammon said: ‘It was a long second half for us and that was frustrating, having been 3-0 up.
‘We felt Motherwell would have some kind of reaction and it a got bit nervy. It’s frustrating that we allowed it to get that way. ‘The positive thing is that we’ve held on. Motherwell are a good side who have done well this season and they put us under a lot of pressure towards the end.
‘But we stood up to it and we held on and that’s the most important thing.’