Thistle’s hopes blunted by struggle at sharp end

Partick Thistle manager Jackie McNamara has admitted a persistent lack of firepower up front threatens to derail their First Division future.

The Firhill outfit has been forced to endure a lacklustre start to the new year with late goals leaving McNamara’s men disappointed in both league and cup competition.

A 90th minute effort from Queen of the South target man Daniel Carmichael secured the Doonhamers safe passage into the Scottish Cup fifth round before Hamilton stole all three points last week courtesy of a strike three minutes from time.

And with just one goal in their last four matches, the Jags are in desperate need of a frontman capable of finding the back of the net – as McNamara admitted after the heartache at Accies.

The ex-Celtic stalwart said: “We look like a side that is badly in need of a goal. We’ve had opportunities during the game but we didn’t make the most of them.

“I said to the players after the game that we had enough strikers on the pitch that we should be making more of these opportunities.

“We seem to be snatching at them when they come and it is becoming increasingly frustrating that we can’t take our form from training into actual matches.”

However, one name who isn’t set to feature this season is former Inverness and St Mirren strike ace Craig Dargo who failed to secure a long-term deal due to a lack of funds at Firhill.

Despite playing for free in a bid to win a long-term contract with the Glasgow side, Thistle’s cup exit at the hands of Queens has seen the striker move on.

McNamara added: “We were hoping that if we got through we would have funds to keep him, and there might have been something there for him.

“We didn’t have much money at the start of the season and we certainly don’t have any now. If we had got through, or even a replay, we might have had enough.

“In fairness to Craig, he has been excellent for us.”