Alan Archibald is targeting home wins for Partick Thistle in order to guarantee themselves Scottish Premiership safety. The Firhill club host third-placed Inverness this weekend and Archibald insists that winning at home is vital to his side retaining their top-flight status - especially with games against the top two, Aberdeen and Celtic, to follow. Last week's 3-0 win over St Johnstone has opened up a 10-point gap between them and basement club St Mirren. However, with other relegation threatened teams such Ross County picking up form of late, Archibald believes his side are not yet safe from the drop.
Archibald said: "We knew how tough our run was so it was vital we got three points last week and hopefully build in it this week. We're a few wins away from safety and we've got a tough run of games but so do the other teams. We can only look after ourselves and it's vital we do that on Saturday. We're at home and that's a big thing - taking points from our home form. All the teams at the bottom are capable of putting a run together and it's vital we use our home form to take us into that split. We know that if we lose a game and the other teams win a game then we will get dragged back in and that's the way it is until we're mathematically safe."
Inverness manager John Hughes is bracing himself for an upcoming "eight weeks of madness." The international break follows Caley's trip to Partick. However, Hughes's side, sitting third in the table, will come back to a hectic April with a Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park amid four league games before the league splits into two, with at least four fixtures to follow in May. Hughes said: "After the Partick Thistle game it is eight weeks of madness really. Playing Saturday-Wednesday, Saturday-Tuesday, whatever, So we just have to make sure we are ready and prepared to go for that. It is not a case of fitness. At this time of the year, they are as fit as can be. It is a case of making sure that mentally, there is a buzz about us, that we want the games and we will see where that takes us. I will be honest enough, I don't think we are going to win every game. But I am intrigued to see how we handle it, to see who stands up to it and we will see on Saturday against Patrick Thistle. That's the first test."
Hughes, who has defender Gary Warren back after suspension, is understandably an admirer of Archibald's side which is sitting in ninth place and continue to fight their way up the table and away from the relegation zone. However, they have beaten the Highlanders 3-1 in Glasgow and 4-0 away, both games in the league, although Inverness won the Scottish Cup fifth-round clash between the teams at Firhill in February. The former Hibs and Falkirk manager said: "I like way Partick Thistle play. When you look at their squad list, they have good footballers in there. So I am always surprised when Partick are not a bit higher up the league, although injuries and suspensions come into it. They are coming off a good win against St Johnstone, they beat us (in the league) the last time we were there and they beat us here. I have been at the wrong end of the table, fighting for your life. So I am just really appreciative of where we are at this moment in time and enjoying it."