Partick pals are ready to sparkle together
THEY have been near neighbours and gym buddies in Ayrshire for years. But Kris Doolan has had to wait a long time to enjoy the company of his old pal Ryan Stevenson on a football field.
While Doolan was grabbing the goals to fire Partick Thistle to the Premiership, his mate living around the corner spent two spells at Hearts either side of an eight-month stint at Ipswich Town in the English Championship.
Doolan knew more than most, then, how important an acquisition the 3 0 - year- old attacking midfielder could be when Jags boss Alan Archibald swooped to sign Stevenson after he left Gorgie last summer.
They have had little chance to demonstrate their understanding this term, only starting three games together before Christmas and lacking consistency in front of goal.
But then Archibald plumped for the pair to lead the line against Dundee United last weekend and they didn’t disappoint, each striking in the first half to earn the Jags a valuable point.
‘We’ve known each other for a long time. It’s nice to have him here at the club,’ said Doolan.
‘ Our houses are only f i ve minutes apart. We’ve always kept in contact. The two of us live on the outskirts of Kilmarnock. It’s not very big, you end up going to the gym together, stuff like that.
‘ This is the first time we’ve played together and i t’s nice to have somebody you’ve known a l ong t i me t o play alongside.
‘It was nice on Sunday with t he t wo of us starting together — and we’ve both chipped in with a goal.
‘We knew from training together there was always going to be that connection. It was good that, come Sunday, the manager put us both out there.’
Stevenson had failed to find the net in his first 12 league outings but is finding his feet after hitting braces against Hamilton in the Scottish Cup and i n the Highlands during a 4-0 drubbing of Inverness Caley Thistle.
Doolan never doubted, though, that his friend would prove his worth, admitting: ‘Ryan’s been a really good signing for us. He’s obviously showing now just what he can bring to the table, whether he plays up front, midfield — it doesn’t matter. He’ll turn out to be a vital player.
‘We’ve been friends for years. I know the kind of player he’s always been, so I realise how frustrating it would have been for him.
‘But I knew as soon as he got that first goal it would get the monkey off his back. Since then, he’s kicked on and hit five goals. He is well on his way.
‘Ryan always believes in himself. He’s an experienced pro. He knows t here are ups a nd downs throughout the season. He’s got that kind of character and he’ll always come back strong.’
It has been an equally stop-start campaign for Doolan. The striker hit double figures in his first Premiership season with 11 goals but has struggled to recapture that form this term.
The 28-year- old has been used sparingly in recent weeks and his goal against United ended a drought stretching back to October.
Yet none of this has dented his confidence. ‘I don’t ever doubt my ability to score goals,’ he said. ‘If I’m on the park and I’ve got plenty of time, there’s a good chance I’ll hit the back of the net.
‘It’s good to be back starting again and to cap that off with a goal. They’re all vital. It turned out to be the equaliser as opposed to the winner. But it’s good to get another goal.
‘It can be frustrating but when you get a chance you have to take it. It was important on Sunday when I got the opportunity to start that I did get the ball in the back of the net.’
Having scored three on visits to the Highlands last season, Doolan i s targeting another against Ross County in Dingwall this afternoon.
‘I seem to have scored a number of goals there over the years,’ he added, ‘ but it is a nice place to play in and, hopefully, I will get a goal.’ Meanwhile, Ross County defender Jackson Irvine has warned Premiership rivals that they should write off the Staggies at their peril — despite Jim McIntyre’s side remaining joint bottom with St Mirren and six points from safety.
The on-loan Celtic youngster believes the Highlanders could yet give top- six chasing Thistle a shock by reeling in the 10-point gap separating them.
‘Partick got a really good result against Dundee United l ast weekend and will be coming up here determined to put some space between themselves and the bottom three,’ said the 21-year-old Australian international.
‘But there is still a long way to go — we’ve only just crossed the halfway mark. There are still a lot of games to be played and points to be won.
‘At this stage, it is just about trying to get a run of form together. Nothing is certain yet.’