Sweet 16 as Thistle look to go one better!

It is a 1.45pm kick-off at Ravenscraig Stadium, Greenock, on Saturday in another big McBookie.com West 1st division clash.

Bryan has said that all credit for Thistle's magnificent run must go down to the players, and said: "We have just tried to nudge them in the right direction - and the players have taken that on board and taken responsibility. We have helped change their thinking.

"I would love to improve on the 'Sweet 16' at Greenock. Somebody said in the dressing room that there was talk of the Greenock game being a derby match.

"However, that brings about a mindset of getting dragged into blood and thunder, and getting your sleeves rolled up - I think we are better than that, but I don't want it to get dragged down to a 'derby'.

"It is just another team that we have to beat away from home."

Speaking about the battling win over Yoker, Thistle boss Bryan Slavin said: "Regardless of performance, we had to get three points. We had a run of three games without a victory, I know that includes a friendly, but we don't think that is good enough now. It was a must, not only for our confidence, but to stretch a wee gap at the top of the league, so I couldn't be happier.

"It was potentially the best we have started a game in our time here. We were right on top of matters, and moving the ball about well getting chances and we got the goal.

"I thought we kept going, but we took our foot of the gas, and there was a wee bit of a communication error, the boy gets down the line and the ball gets over unchallenged and our central defenders have got to deal with that.

"The ball shouldn't have got over in the first place, and Yoker got their tails up.

"We stressed the importance of getting back up against them, and get in their face. We don't need to tell the boys how to play, they know how we want to play, but we need to improve our mentality as we tend to stand off the game sometimes and that is when we have our problems.

"But we got right back into it in second half and I thought we dominated the game after that."

The Thistle boss wanted to apply caution, as although Largs are three points clear in the 1st division, with a game in hand, recent weeks have shown that Largs need to be mentally strong, as well as physically ready for the challenges ahead.

Bryan commented: " It is important to not get ahead of ourselves in terms of our development. A couple of times we have ran before we can walk in terms of positional arrangements, and we have had to go back to basics.

"We are still at the embryonic stage of our development - and the focus must be on the next game."

Largs will have to do without defender Nicky Jamieson who is still suspended after his red card against Bellshill, and Mathew Santos who has suffered a dislocated shoulder. Kevin Struthers and Mark Murray were unselected on Saturday after picking up injuries in midweek.

Matchwinner Sean Pierce said: "I was up like Duncan Ferguson in the box and just buried it! I was delighted with the goal and the win. It was a tough game, and coming out with a 2-1 game was great. I haven't been in the team for seven or eight games, but you have to get on with it at training, and as soon as you get the opportunity, you have to grab it."

And the Thistle striker received a yellow card for simulation after a penalty call in the opposing box. Sean said: "A Yoker defender knocked me down for a penalty, and it was a spot-kick in my book, but it was never a booking!"

* Thistle are running a Sunday Brunch with Bryan Slavin, and assistant Arnie, at 1pm for 1.30pm at the Cafe Bon Bon, Gallowgate Street, Largs. The event is chaired by former 'News' editor Drew Cochrane. Food and free raffle included. For tickets, contact Stewart McConnell on 01475 689593 or email stewartmacfrost@aol.com

* You can watch video highlights of the Thistle match against Yoker, and access the Kicktalk Reboot junior football podcast at www.largsandmillportnews.com