Jags urged to pass test in play-off final

Alan Archibald has urged his Partick Thistle players to be brave as they look to save their Premiership status against Livingston tomorrow.

The Jags have it all to do in the play-off final second leg after losing 2-1 to the Championship side on Thursday night.

The defeat was made worse by a poor performance from Archibald’s side, who took the lead before struggling to find any fluency and being out-worked by the West Lothian outfit, but Archibald denies his players were put off their stride by their opponents.

“No I don’t think so,” he said. “I think it’s well documented how Livingston play, I think everybody knows that.

“We are well aware of that, but I think we got caught up in the occasion and we probably played more long balls than we have all season.”

He added: “I think we got dragged into playing long, aimless balls.

“The game settled down after about 25 minutes and that’s when it was on to pass it, but I don’t think we did that and that’s the bravery we are looking for, and we encourage them to take the ball and trust your ability and pass the ball.”

No team has been relegated from the top flight of Scottish football via the playoffs for three years, but Thistle are facing that possibility.

Livi boss David Hopkin said: “We have everything to gain and Partick Thistle have everything to lose, so we just go there with a game plan and hope to replicate what we have done over the last three games.”