Higginbotham: We're good enough
Kallum Higginbotham insists Partick have already proved they are good enough to compete in the Scottish Premiership despite a heavy defeat to Aberdeen in their last outing.
Thistle suffered a 4-0 reverse at Pittodrie on Monday night, having already slumped to a 3-0 loss to the Dons at Firhill earlier in the season.
But Higginbotham put the latest setback down to nothing more than an off day, as he backed Partick to survive their first season back in the top-flight.
The winger said: "The boys are still buzzing that we are playing in the Premiership.
"It's the first time for most of us and we are enjoying the experience.
"I think we have proved with our performances that we can compete at this level.
"And I'm pretty sure that we will be playing at this level next year as well."
Higginbotham is confident Partick will produce a positive response to the Aberdeen loss when they host St Mirren on Saturday.
He said: "It was a hard one to take. We went up there to get the three points and we go out every week to try to get the three points.
"They gave us a doing, like they did down here as well.
"The boys will just sweep it under the carpet and we will push on this weekend.
"We are not dwelling on the fact that we got beaten 4-0. It's a one-off game and hopefully we will get back to what we do best - and we will do that on Saturday."
The day after the drubbing at Pittodrie, Partick were paired with Aberdeen in the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup - a draw Higginbotham would have preferred to avoid.
He said: "We were talking about who we would like to get in the car on the way back from training. We want a good run in the cup.
"I'm not saying we are going to get beaten by Aberdeen but it's probably one of the teams that we didn't want to see come out of the draw.
"But that's who we've got and we will be going out to win the tie."
Thistle head into the weekend action five points ahead of Saints, whose game against Ross County was abandoned last week when they were winning 2-0.
Higginbotham said: "It's going to be a hard game.
"But we have to get the win on Saturday and I'm 100 per cent sure that we can do that if we play the way we know we can play.
"They've not had much luck this season.
"They didn't start the season well and they perked up a bit and last week was a bit of sickener for them.
"It's worked well for us as it still gives us that little bit of a gap and hopefully we can win on Saturday and increase that gap."
Gary Fraser returns from suspension ahead of the game.
The midfielder has served an automatic two-match ban following a clash in an Under-20s match and is set to face a Scottish Football Association hearing on November 14. Sean Welsh is a slight doubt with a knock.
Gary Teale will remain on the sidelines for another four weeks as St Mirren prepare for the match.
Teale underwent a hernia operation on Monday and is expected to be out of action for another month.
David Barron is still recovering from an ankle injury, while the game comes too soon for goalkeeper Christopher Dilo, who has a knee problem.
Source: PA
